Italy Remains Largest European Investor in Egypt as Exports to EU Rise 11.1% in 1st Half of 2025

Italy maintained its position as the largest European investor in Egypt during the first half of the 2024/2025 fiscal year, with investments amounting to 1.2 billion dollars, according to data from the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS). 

The report also showed that Egypt’s exports to the European Union (EU) increased by 11.1 percent in the first half of 2025, reaching 6.8 billion dollars.

At the same time, imports from EU countries declined by 9.5 percent to 9.2 billion dollars, compared with 10.2 billion dollars a year earlier. As a result, total trade between Egypt and the EU slipped slightly to 16 billion dollars, down from 16.3 billion dollars during the same period in 2024.

Over the past decade, Egypt’s exports to the EU have fluctuated, rising from 6 billion dollars in 2015 to a record 17.3 billion dollars in 2022 before easing to 12.4 billion dollars in 2024.

- Italy and Spain Lead as Top EU Importers of Egyptian Goods

Italy also topped the list of EU countries importing Egyptian products in the first half of 2025, with a total value of 1.9 billion dollars. It was followed by Spain with 712.1 million dollars, the Netherlands with 620.1 million dollars, Germany with 592.5 million dollars, and France with 498.8 million dollars. Other major importers included Greece, Romania, Slovenia, Belgium, and Poland.

- Germany Tops List of EU Exporters to Egypt

Germany ranked as the leading EU exporter to Egypt, with exports totaling 2 billion dollars in the first half of 2025. Italy came second with 1.4 billion dollars, followed by Spain with 802 million dollars, France with 795.3 million dollars, and Sweden with 663.3 million dollars. The Netherlands, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, and Poland rounded out the top ten.

Egypt’s imports from the EU have remained relatively stable over the past decade, ranging between 19 and 24 billion dollars annually.

- EU Investments in Egypt Edge Up 2.6%

European Union investments in Egypt reached 2.7 billion dollars in the first half of the 2024/2025 fiscal year, compared to 2.6 billion dollars during the same period of the previous year—an increase of 2.6 percent.

Following Italy, the Netherlands ranked as the second-largest European investor in Egypt with 448.1 million dollars, followed by France with 248.6 million dollars, Germany with 222 million dollars, and Belgium with 184.6 million dollars. Other investors included Sweden, Spain, Denmark, Ireland, and Luxembourg.

According to CAPMAS, EU investments in Egypt peaked at 10.2 billion dollars in the 2018/2019 fiscal year before gradually declining to 5.1 billion dollars in 2023/2024. The decline was partly attributed to the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union.