Egypt is divided into twenty-six governorates (singular muhafazah) and one self-governing city. This designation replaces that of "province" (muderiyah). Egyptian governorates are the top tier of the five-tier jurisdiction hierarchy. A governorate is administered by a governor (muhafez) appointed by the president of Egypt. Most governorates have a population density of more than one-thousand per km², while the three largest have a population density of less than two per km².
Governorates are either fully "urban", or else they are an admixture of "urban" and "rural". The official distinction between "urban" and "rural" is reflected in the lower tiers: i.e., fully urban governorates have no regions (markazes), as the markaz is, natively, a conglomeration of villages. Moreover, governorates may be comprised of just one city, as in the case of Cairo or Alexandria. Hence, these one-city governorates are only divided into districts (i.e. urban neighborhoods). Cairo consists of twenty-three districts; Alexandria consists of six.
| Nr. | Name | Area (km²) | Population | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexandria | 2,679 | 3,865,502 | Alexandria |
| 2 | Aswan | 679 | 1,133,886 | Aswan |
| 3 | Asyut | 25,926 | 3,100,000 | Asyut |
| 4 | Beheira | 10,130 | 4,773,196 | Damanhur |
| 5 | Beni Suef | 1,322 | 2,304,563 | Beni Suef |
| 6 | Cairo | 214 | 7,836,243 | Cairo |
| 7 | Dakahlia | 3,471 | 5,005,277 | Mansura |
| 8 | Damietta | 589 | 1,095,528 | Damietta |
| 9 | Faiyum | 1,827 | 2,478,230 | Faiyum |
| 10 | Gharbia | 1,942 | 3,980,509 | Tanta |
| 11 | Giza | 85,153 | 5,760,651 | Giza |
| 12 | Ismailia | 1,442 | 882,247 | Ismailia |
| 13 | Kafr el-Sheikh | 3,437 | 2,629,491 | Kafr el-Sheikh |
| 14 | Matruh | 212,112 | 276,261 | Mersa Matruh |
| 15 | Minya | 32,279 | 3,700,000 | Minya |
| 16 | Monufia | 1,532 | 3,285,491 | Shibin el-Kom |
| 17 | New Valley | 376,505 | 172,939 | Kharga |
| 18 | North Sinai | 27,574 | 326,324 | Arish |
| 19 | Port Said | 72 | 546,776 | Port Said |
| 20 | Qalyubia | 1,001 | 3,956,791 | Banha |
| 21 | Qena | 1,796 | 2,995,664 | Qena |
| 22 | Red Sea | 203,685 | 192,469 | Hurghada |
| 23 | Sharqia | 4,180 | 5,208,052 | Zagazig |
| 24 | Sohag | 1,547 | 3,899,304 | Sohag |
| 25 | South Sinai | 33,140 | 69,170 | el-Tor |
| 26 | Suez | 17,840 | 497,421 | Suez |
| Luxor | 55 | 430,214 | Luxor |
