Since 2005, Egypt’s digital service imports have consistently exceeded exports, creating a $56b deficit

key takeaways:

  • Egypt spends twice as much on digital services imports than it earns from exports, with $8.31b on imports and $4.03b from exports recorded in 2024.
  • Egypt exported $46.007 billion in digital services between 2005 and 2024.
  • Imports during the same period reached $101.98 billion.
  • The result was a trade deficit of $55.973 billion in over 20 years.
  • Export earnings rose from just $1.91 billion in 2005 to $4.03 billion in 2024.

From 2005-2024, Egypt exported a total of $46.007 billion in digital services. During the same period, imports were much higher, amounting to $101.98 billion, resulting in a substantial trade deficit of $55.973 billion. In 2005, Egypt’s exports in digital services stood at just $1.91 billion. By 2024, exports had more than doubled to $4.03 billion, reflecting upward momentum. However, imports in 2024 alone was $8.31 billion, more than twice the export value. This ratio illustrates Egypt’s heavy reliance on foreign digital solutions and platforms.

The rising demand for imports reflects the strength of Egypt’s domestic digital consumption. Yet, the slower pace of export growth highlights structural weaknesses in the competitiveness of local providers. The trade deficit of $55.973 billion represents a significant outflow of value over two decades. This imbalance raises concerns about Egypt’s ability to capture value in the global digital economy.

Source:

World Trade Organization

Period:

2005-2024
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Tags
Related Insights

US imports of Nigerian kerosene-type jet fuel sky-rocketed by 919% year-on-year
  • Nigerian jet fuel exports to the U.S. jumped 10-fold to 2.87 million barrels in 2025.
  • Just 86,000 barrels were imported across the U.S. from Nigeria between 1993 and 2023.
  • The 2025 surge was concentrated in five months, amid East Coast refinery disruptions.
  • No Nigerian jet fuel imports were recorded through August 2026, suggesting the surge was temporary.

Nigeria bought ₦305.66 billion worth of crude oil from Libya in Q2 2026
  • Nigeria imported ₦305.69bn from Libya in Q2 2026, up from ₦2.17bn in Q1.
  • Crude oil accounted for 99.99% of Q2 imports, worth ₦305.66bn.
  • Libya’s Q2 exports to Nigeria surged from ₦7.4bn in 2025 to ₦305.69bn.
  • Libya became Nigeria’s ninth-largest import source, accounting for 2.12% of total imports in Q2.
  • Nigeria’s imports from Libya were previously dominated by much smaller values, with crude oil driving the sharp 2026 increase.

Crude oil and non-crude exports each accounted for roughly 50% of Nigeria's total export value in H1 2026
  • Nigeria’s crude and non-crude exports were nearly equal in H1 2026, at ₦24.1tn and ₦24tn, respectively.
  • Non-crude exports overtook crude in Q2 for the first time in at least six years, reaching ₦14.11tn.
  • Petroleum products and natural gas dominate non-crude exports, while non-oil exports accounted for just 13.8% of Q2 exports.
  • Nigeria’s export mix is shifting, but remains heavily dependent on hydrocarbons.

Nigeria sold almost as much non-oil to Africa as it bought, except in energy and agriculture
  • Nigeria’s non-oil trade with Africa was nearly balanced, with an ₦88bn surplus on almost ₦2tn of trade in H1 2026.
  • Energy trade was entirely export-led, with Nigeria selling ₦156.5bn and recording no imports.
  • Solid minerals also leaned towards exports, with sales making up 66.1% of category trade.
  • Agriculture ran a large deficit, as imports accounted for 84.5% of trade and exceeded exports by ₦178bn.
  • Nigeria’s agricultural trade deficit widened sharply, from ₦59bn in Q1 to ₦119bn in Q2.

Arts & entertainment recorded the highest GDP growth in H1 2026
  • Nigeria’s economy grew 4.16% in H1 2026, but growth was uneven across sectors.
  • Arts and entertainment grew fastest at 11.5%, followed by water and waste management (10.9%) and information and communication (10.3%).
  • Agriculture, which accounts for about a quarter of GDP, grew 3.8%, below the headline rate.
  • Trade and real estate also lagged, growing 2.2% and 3.0%, respectively.
  • Electricity and gas was the biggest drag, contracting 11.6%, while Other Services fell 1.4%.

Year-on-year change in Nigeria's electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply GDP
  • Electricity, gas and related supply was Nigeria’s worst-performing broad economic activity in H1 2026.
  • Sector GDP fell 11.6% year-on-year, from ₦800.2bn to ₦707.1bn.
  • Output fell below H1 2024 levels, when the sector recorded ₦708.5bn.
  • Only one other broad activity contracted: Other Services, which fell 1.4%.
  • The sector contributed just 0.7% of Nigeria’s real GDP on average over the period shown.

POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form

A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved