The aim of this study is to interpret the scale and nature of the economy of the Eastern Mediterranean in the latter period of the LBA. It does this by using a quantitative approach that estimates the size of the workforce required to meet basic needs (food, clothing, and shelter) and state needs. The quantitative findings are used to assess the proportion of the workforce dedicated to basic and non-basic activities of LBA Cyprus and NK Egypt, based on the food required to support a worker and his dependants. This allows the assessment of the relative economic strengths of each region, the extent to which their economies were embedded within their culture, and their economic interactions with other LBA Eastern Mediterranean states.