Illegal drug trafficking is the only thing that is flourishing in the Egyptian economy, thanks to unemployment, revealed a study by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (Capmas).
Though the figures released by Capmas are from 2011, they show a social reality still seen at present.
Egyptians spent about $1.9 billion USD on drugs in 2011, trying to forget their general hopelessness sourcing from an economic crisis which involves the poorest sectors of the population, estimated at around 90 million inhabitants.
According to the Capmas study, that sum is equivalent to 38.4 percent of Suez Canal revenues, 7.6 percent of total export revenues and 21.2 percent of tourism revenues, the three main milestones of the Egyptian economy. The study says unemployment is the most important factor that leads to drug addiction or trafficking, as 39.1 percent of people facing trials in drug cases are unemployed.
Unemployment, which rose to 13.4 percent in the fourth quarter of last year compared with 8.9 percent in the same period in 2010, is considered by Capmas as the main factor in the increase of people consuming drugs to escape reality in the country. (PL)