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Egypt’s banking sector is witnessing a structural shift in payment tool preferences, with prepaid cards emerging as the dominant instrument, accounting for 50.5% of all cards in circulation. New data reveals that prepaid cards have outpaced traditional banking tools, with 21.6 million citizens opting for these alternative solutions, compared to 19.7 million for debit cards and only 4.8 million for credit cards. This trend underscores a growing preference for risk-averse financial tools that rely on pre-funded balances rather than credit-based spending.

The data also highlights significant demographic insights: the age group above 36 years leads the adoption rate with 21.9 million users, suggesting higher financial stability among older demographics. However, a gender gap persists, with males accounting for 57% of cardholders compared to 43% for females. As Egypt continues to expand its e-payment infrastructure, the surge in prepaid card usage is seen as a direct result of aggressive financial inclusion policies aimed at integrating unbanked segments into the formal financial system.