Numbers Don’t Lie Egypt’s Mosque-Church Disparity Exposes Systemic Discrimination By Raymond Ibrahim

Pact of Omar

Raymond Ibrahim : In Egypt, the construction and renovation of mosques has reached staggering levels—over 13,900 since 2014, costing nearly 25 billion pounds—while churches remain drastically insufficient for Christians’ needs, and heavily restricted.

The numbers alone reveal a striking imbalance in religious infrastructure, illustrating the lived reality of discrimination against Egypt’s Coptic Christians.

As of mid-January 2026, Egypt’s Ministry of Endowments continues its expansive campaign to build and maintain mosques across the country. On Friday, January 16, 2026, the ministry reported activity on 48 mosques: eight newly established, 35 replaced or renovated, and five maintained or further developed.

Looking at the broader picture, since July 1, 2025, a total of 482 mosques have been opened. Of these, 372 were newly built or replaced and renovated, while 110 underwent maintenance and development. This reflects a steady effort to modernize and expand Egypt’s religious infrastructure.   

Since Abdel Fateh al-Sisi assumed the presidency in 2014, the cumulative total of mosques that have been opened, replaced, renovated, maintained, or furnished has now reached 13,971, with expenditures estimated at approximately 24.886 billion Egyptian pounds. 

This marks a significant increase from February 2025, when 13,045 mosques had been reported since 2014 at a total cost exceeding 21 billion pounds. In just the past year, approximately 926 additional mosques were added or refurbished, with spending increasing by nearly 4 billion pounds.

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