Demographic Indicators

An Overview

Approximately 13.8 million Palestinians live in the historical Palestine and the Diaspora, 5.23 million of whom live in Palestine, including 2.66 million males and 2.57 million females. The West Bank has a population of 3.12 million people, while the Gaza Strip has a population of 2.11 million.

 

The high proportion of young people

The percentage of individuals under the age of 15 is estimated to be 38% of the total population until mid-2021, including 36% in the West Bank and 41% in the Gaza Strip. The percentage of the elderly over 65 years has decreased to 3%.

 

A substantial percentage of births and a decline in average household size

Birth rates were higher in the Gaza Strip than in the West Bank, where it reached 32.9 per thousand births in Gaza, and 27.2 births per thousand population in the West Bank.

In Palestine, 95% of women received health care before giving birth while data from the survey of the impact of Covid-19 on the social and economic conditions of Palestinian families indicated that 21% of pregnant women needed to obtain a health service during pregnancy, but they were unable to do so due to the pandemic during the period from 5/3/-25/5/2020. 9% of women did not receive postpartum health care during the same period.

In Palestine, the average family size declined in 2020 compared to 2007. It reached 4.7 individuals in the West Bank in 2020 compared to 5.5 individuals in 2007, and reached 5.7 individuals in the Gaza Strip in 2020 compared to 6.5 individuals in 2007.

Manpower and illiteracy

The results of the Labor Force Survey 2020 indicated that 11% of households are headed by females in Palestine, including 12% in the West Bank, and 9% in the Gaza Strip.

According to the Labor Force Survey 2020, illiteracy rates among individuals aged 15 and over reached 2.5%, and these rates varied greatly between males and females, as it reached 1.2% among males, and 3.8% among females.

The percentage of unemployment among the participants in the labor force is 26% which means the quarter, including 16% in the West Bank and 47% in the Gaza Strip.

Telephone and Internet access

About 80% of Palestinian households have access to home internet, including 84% in the West Bank and 73% in Gaza while the percentage of the individuals aged 10 and more and used the internet from everywhere in Palestine is 71%, including 74% in the West Bank and 65% in the Gaza Strip. In Palestine, 75% of people have a cell phone, including 82% in the West Bank and 64% in the Gaza Strip. The males accounted for 79% of the total, while females accounted for 71%.

COVID-19 and health care

The people who reviewed a COVID-19 virus-specialized health center reached 48%, compared to 96% adhered to a home quarantine. 80% took therapy and 83% used medicinal herbs without referring to a health center. 29% reviewed a public health center that is not specialized at COVID-19 virus.