Market Research Companies in Cairo

Key figures for researchers

Population

10.5 million in Cairo governorate (September 2026)¹

Giza / Qalyubia

9.9 million / 6.4 million, the neighbouring governorates (September 2026)¹

Greater Cairo

21.9 million in the urban area (July 2023 estimate); 20.2 million at the 2017 census²

Urban population

100% of Cairo governorate residents (2023 estimate)³

Under 15

2.56 million of 9.54 million residents (2017 census)³

Men / women

5.28 million / 4.96 million (2023 estimate)³

Illiteracy rate

16.2% in Cairo, against 25.8% nationally (2017 census)⁴

Government move

over 100 agencies, including 30 ministries, relocating to the New Administrative Capital (2023)⁵

Ramadan 2027

expected to start around 8 February, with Eid al-Fitr around 9 March⁶

Research guide

Research landscape

Cairo is the main base for market research in Egypt: local full-service agencies, qualitative and B2B specialists, fieldwork and data collection companies, and offices of international research networks, many of which also run studies across the Middle East and Africa. As the capital, it is also the main location for B2B, government and institutional research, although over 100 government agencies, including 30 ministries, have been relocating to the New Administrative Capital, east of the city, since 2023.

Who you will interview

Cairo governorate had about 10.5 million residents in September 2026, and its population is fully urban. The city is young: 2.56 million of its 9.54 million residents were under 15 at the 2017 census. Illiteracy is lower than in the rest of the country (16.2% in Cairo against 25.8% nationally in 2017), but it still matters for older and lower-income targets.

Most clients mean Greater Cairo when they say “Cairo”: an urban area of 21.9 million people in 2023 that spreads over parts of Giza and Qalyubia (and 10th of Ramadan City), with 9.9 million and 6.4 million residents in those two governorates in 2026. Decide early whether the target is Cairo governorate only or the whole urban area, and set quotas by area, age, gender and social class. Questionnaires are written in Arabic adapted to Egyptian Arabic (see the Egypt guide).

Fieldwork in practice

The governorate is run as several areas, each grouping districts with very different profiles: the South Area alone has 12 districts, from Old Cairo and Maadi to Helwan and 15 May. Sampling by district, with a mix of older central areas, popular neighbourhoods and newer suburbs such as New Cairo, helps control the spread of interviews. For Greater Cairo studies, add the urban districts of Giza and Qalyubia to the district list.

Traffic makes travel times long, so face-to-face studies usually assign interviewers to nearby districts. Shops and malls keep late hours: in summer 2024 the governorate set them at 7 am to 11 pm, and until midnight on Thursdays, Fridays and holidays, which suits evening mall intercepts. Online and telephone (CATI) work well for younger, educated and B2B targets; face-to-face (CAPI) remains the reference for older and lower-income households.

Focus groups and qualitative research

In-person focus groups are usually held in viewing facilities or rented meeting rooms in central and eastern Cairo or on the Giza side. Allow for travel time across the city when scheduling evening groups, and ask the agency whether groups should be split by gender, age or social class for your topic.

Ask for incentive levels and recruitment lead times by target. Senior B2B and government respondents may now work in the New Administrative Capital, so online or telephone interviews are often easier to schedule. Online communities and video interviews are used alongside in-person groups.

Timing

Ramadan is expected to start around 8 February 2027, with Eid al-Fitr around 9 March and Eid al-Adha around 16–17 May (exact dates depend on the moon sighting): routines change, working hours are shorter and fieldwork moves to the evening. July and August are hot and many families leave for the coast, so business targets are harder to reach (see the Egypt guide).

Working with a Cairo agency

• Share a clear brief: objectives, target, sample size, Cairo governorate or Greater Cairo, districts, method, languages and deadline.
• Ask whether the study needs CAPMAS approval and who handles it, and include that time in the schedule.
• Ask who does the fieldwork: own interviewers or subcontractors, in which districts, and how quality is checked (back-checks, GPS or audio checks).
• For focus groups, ask for the venue, viewing and streaming options, moderator profile and incentive levels.
• Compare several proposals: you can send one request to up to 5 Cairo companies from this page.

National rules (data protection, holidays, sampling across regions) are covered in our guide to market research in Egypt.