Egypt vs Algeria: Side-by-Side Comparison
Algeria is the bigger country by area, covering 2,381,741 km² (Africa's largest) against Egypt's 1,001,449 km². Egypt has far more people, about 116.5 million against Algeria's 46.8 million (2024 UN estimates), and the larger economy, about $389 billion against $265 billion. Per person, however, Algeria is richer, with GDP of about $5,650 per head versus about $3,350 in Egypt. The two North African states do not share a border; Libya lies between them.
Key Differences at a Glance
- Area: Algeria is about 2.4 times larger and is the biggest country in Africa.
- Population: Egypt has about 2.5 times as many people and is the most populous Arab country.
- Economy: Egypt's GDP is about 1.5 times Algeria's, but Algeria's GDP per capita is about 1.7 times higher.
- Economic base: Algeria depends on oil and gas exports; Egypt relies on the Suez Canal, tourism, remittances, gas and manufacturing.
- Language: Egypt's only official language is Arabic; Algeria's are Arabic and Tamazight (Berber), with French widely used.
| Metric | Egypt | Algeria |
|---|---|---|
| Capital | Cairo | Algiers |
| Largest city | Cairo | Algiers |
| Region (UN) | North Africa | North Africa |
| Population (2024, UN) | about 116.5 million | about 46.8 million |
| Area | 1,001,449 km² | 2,381,741 km² |
| Population density | about 116 per km² | about 20 per km² |
| GDP (nominal, 2024) | about $389 billion (fiscal year 2023/24) | about $265 billion |
| GDP per capita (2024) | about $3,350 | about $5,650 |
| Currency | Egyptian pound (EGP) | Algerian dinar (DZD) |
| Official language(s) | Arabic | Arabic, Tamazight (Berber) |
| Government | Presidential republic | Presidential republic |
| Life expectancy (2023) | about 72 years | about 76 years |
| Independence | 28 February 1922 (from the UK); republic 1953 | 5 July 1962 (from France) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (UTC+3 in summer) | UTC+1 |
| Calling code | +20 | +213 |
| Drives on the | Right | Right |
| Landlocked | No | No |
Sources: population from UN World Population Prospects 2024; GDP from IMF/World Bank 2024 estimates (nominal US dollars, so values move with exchange rates); GDP per capita calculated from those two figures; life expectancy from UN/World Bank 2023 data.
Population
Egypt has about 116.5 million people and Algeria about 46.8 million according to 2024 UN estimates, so Egypt's population is roughly two and a half times larger. Egypt is Africa's third most populous country after Nigeria and Ethiopia and the most populous in the Arab world; Algeria ranks around tenth in Africa.
Both populations are squeezed into small parts of their territory. Almost all Egyptians live in the Nile Valley and Delta, about 5% of the land, making the river corridor one of the most densely settled farming landscapes on Earth. Most Algerians live along the Mediterranean coast and in the Tell Atlas, while the Saharan south, over four-fifths of the country, is almost empty apart from oasis towns and oil and gas settlements. National averages are therefore about 116 people per km² in Egypt and about 20 in Algeria. Egypt's population is growing faster, adding well over a million people a year, which puts heavy pressure on water, food imports and housing; the government is building new cities in the desert, including the New Administrative Capital east of Cairo, to absorb the growth.
Area and Geography
Algeria covers 2,381,741 km² and Egypt 1,001,449 km², so Algeria is about 2.4 times larger. Algeria has been Africa's largest country since South Sudan's independence in 2011; Egypt ranks around 12th. Both have Mediterranean coastlines and neither is landlocked; Egypt also fronts the Red Sea and extends into Asia through the Sinai Peninsula.
Both are overwhelmingly desert, but their defining features differ. Egypt is essentially the Nile made habitable: without the river, which supplies almost all of its fresh water, the country would be largely uninhabitable. The Suez Canal, linking the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, gives Egypt global strategic importance. Algeria's north is shaped by the Tell and Saharan Atlas ranges and fertile coastal plains, and its south by the Sahara, including the Grand Erg sand seas and the volcanic Hoggar massif, where Mount Tahat (2,908 m) is the country's highest point. Egypt's highest point is Mount Catherine (2,629 m) in Sinai.
Economy
Egypt has the larger economy, with a GDP of about $389 billion (fiscal year 2023/24) against about $265 billion for Algeria in 2024 (IMF/World Bank estimates). Egypt's economy is comparatively diversified, drawing on Suez Canal fees, tourism, remittances from Egyptians working abroad, natural gas, construction, manufacturing and agriculture. Algeria's is dominated by hydrocarbons: oil and natural gas provide the great majority of its export earnings and much of state revenue, and it is one of Europe's main gas suppliers through pipelines to Italy and Spain.
GDP per capita reverses the ranking. Egypt's $389 billion shared among 116.5 million people gives about $3,350 per person; Algeria's $265 billion across 46.8 million people gives about $5,650, roughly 1.7 times higher. The two face different vulnerabilities: Egypt has struggled with foreign-currency shortages, high inflation, heavy debt and repeated devaluations, and has become a net importer of gas as domestic demand outgrew production; Algeria remains exposed to swings in world energy prices and has made slow progress diversifying away from oil and gas.
Language and Culture
Egypt's official language is Arabic, and Egyptian Arabic is the most widely understood dialect in the Arab world thanks to Egyptian cinema, music and television. Algeria's official languages are Arabic and Tamazight (Berber); everyday speech is Algerian Darija, and French remains widely used in business, higher education and administration as a legacy of 132 years of French rule. Algerians generally understand Egyptian Arabic, while Egyptians often find Algerian Darija difficult.
Both countries are predominantly Sunni Muslim, but each has a distinct identity. Egypt's heritage stretches back to the pharaohs and is layered with Coptic Christian and Islamic traditions; Cairo has long been a cultural capital of the Arab world. Algeria's identity foregrounds its Amazigh roots, particularly in Kabylie and the Aurès, alongside Arab and Mediterranean influences, and it is shaped above all by the war of independence against France. Algeria is also home to Roman sites such as Timgad and Djémila and the rock art of Tassili n'Ajjer, all UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Currency
Egypt uses the Egyptian pound (EGP) and Algeria the Algerian dinar (DZD). The Egyptian pound was devalued several times between 2022 and 2024 and now trades at a more flexible rate. The Algerian dinar is tightly managed by the Bank of Algeria, and a large gap persists between the official rate and the parallel-market rate. Both currencies are restricted, so exchange money on arrival and check current rates.
History and Independence
Egypt is one of the oldest civilisations on Earth, with a recorded history of more than five thousand years. In modern times it came under Ottoman and then British control, gained formal independence in 1922, and became a republic after the 1952 revolution, declared in 1953. Algeria was conquered by France from 1830 and ruled as part of France itself; it won independence on 5 July 1962 after an eight-year war of liberation that remains central to national identity.
Egypt–Algeria Relations, Trade and Travel
The two countries are linked by Arab nationalism and anti-colonial solidarity. Egypt under Gamal Abdel Nasser gave political and material support to Algeria's National Liberation Front (FLN), whose Provisional Government was proclaimed in Cairo in 1958. After independence, Algeria sent troops and equipment to support Egypt in the 1967 and 1973 wars with Israel. Both belong to the Arab League, the African Union, the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Relations have had rough patches, most famously in November 2009, when a World Cup qualifying play-off between the two national teams, played in Omdurman, Sudan, and won 1–0 by Algeria, triggered violence against fans, attacks on Egyptian businesses in Algeria and a brief diplomatic crisis. Ties have since been repaired, and Egyptian construction firms operate in Algeria. Trade between them is modest. Algiers and Cairo are about 2,700 km apart; with Libya in between, there is no practical overland route, but EgyptAir and Air Algérie fly directly between the two capitals in around four hours. Algeria is on UTC+1 and Egypt on UTC+2 (UTC+3 in summer).
Which Country Is Bigger?
It depends on the measure. Algeria is far larger by area (2,381,741 km² versus 1,001,449 km²). Egypt has about 2.5 times the population (116.5 million versus 46.8 million) and the larger total economy (about $389 billion versus $265 billion). Algeria has the higher GDP per capita (about $5,650 versus $3,350). In short, Algeria is the bigger and richer-per-head country, while Egypt has more people and more total output.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Egypt or Algeria bigger?
Algeria is bigger by area: 2,381,741 km² against Egypt's 1,001,449 km², about 2.4 times larger, and the largest country in Africa. Egypt has the larger population, about 116.5 million against Algeria's 46.8 million (2024 UN estimates).
Which country has the bigger economy, Egypt or Algeria?
Egypt. Its GDP was about $389 billion (fiscal year 2023/24) against about $265 billion for Algeria in 2024, according to IMF and World Bank estimates.
Which is richer per person, Egypt or Algeria?
Algeria. GDP per capita is about $5,650 in Algeria versus about $3,350 in Egypt (2024), because Algeria's oil and gas wealth is shared among far fewer people.
Do Egypt and Algeria share a border?
No. Libya lies between them, and Cairo and Algiers are about 2,700 km apart. Direct flights connect the two capitals.
What languages are spoken in Egypt and Algeria?
Egypt's official language is Arabic. Algeria's official languages are Arabic and Tamazight (Berber), and French is widely used in business and administration.
Last updated: September 2026. Population: UN World Population Prospects 2024. GDP: IMF/World Bank 2024 estimates. Area: national statistics offices and the CIA World Factbook.