Egypt economy grows 1.1% in Q1 as power shortage takes toll

The Egyptian economy expanded by 1.1 percent in the quarter to September 2014 compared to the previous quarter as energy shortages slowed down industrial activity.

It registered a 6.8 percent growth rate in annual comparison as weak economic activity in the same quarter last year inflates the growth figure, Minister of Planning Ashraf El-Araby said.

Egypt's economy has been hit by political instability and militant violence since a 2011 popular uprising ousted president Hosni Mubarak. It grew by 2.2 percent in the fiscal year which ended last June, just below the population's growth rate.