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Demographics of the State of Palestine
Population pyramid of the State of Palestine in 2020
Population	1,997,328 (Gaza Strip – 2022 est.) 3,000,021 (West Bank – 2022 est.)
Growth rate	2.02% (Gaza Strip – 2022 est.) 1.69% (West Bank – 2022 est.)
Birth rate	27.67 births/1,000 population (Gaza Strip – 2022 est.) 24.42 births/1,000 population (West Bank – 2022 est.)
Death rate	2.91 deaths/1,000 population (Gaza Strip – 2022 est.) 3.4 deaths/1,000 population (West Bank – 2022 est.)
Language
Spoken	Arabic, Hebrew (by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians)

Demographic features of the population of the area commonly described as the Palestinian territories includes information on ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of that population.

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According to a commonly used definition as relating to an application of the 1949 Armistice Agreement green line, the Palestinian territories have contributory parts of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank (including East Jerusalem).

The Palestinian National Authority, the United Nations Security Council, the United Nations General Assembly, the European Union, the International Court of Justice, and the International Committee of the Red Cross use the terminology "Palestinian territories" or "occupied Palestinian territories". Israel refers to the administrative division encompassing Israeli-controlled Jewish-majority civilian areas of Area C of the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, as the Judea and Samaria Area (Hebrew: אֵזוֹר יְהוּדָה וְשׁוֹמְרוֹן, Ezor Yehuda VeShomron).

Overview

Palestine (region)

The demographic statistics of The World Factbook and the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics estimated that the collective Palestinian (including Israeli Arabs) population in the region of Palestine, including Israel, the Golan Heights, the West Bank including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, amounted to 5.79 million people in 2017. Of these, 2.16 million Palestinians lived in the West Bank, 1.84 million lived in Israel, and 1.79 million lived in the Gaza Strip.

Note: Israeli definitions

The definition of what constitutes the population of Israel varies depending on which territories are counted and which population groups are counted in each territory.

The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics ("CBS") definition of the Area of the State of Israel:

• includes East Jerusalem since 1967, which Israel unilaterally annexed
• includes the Golan Heights since 1982, which Israel unilaterally annexed
• excludes the West Bank other than East Jerusalem

The CBS' definition of the Population of Israel, however:

• includes non-Israeli Palestinians (as well as Israeli Arabs/Palestinians) in East Jerusalem who have permission to live there
• includes Israeli settlers and others with Israeli residency permits living in the Area C of West Bank
• excludes Palestinian/Arab/other residents of Area C and East Jerusalem who do not have Israeli citizenship or residence
• excludes persons who are not registered (from 2008 on) and/or entered illegally, and foreign workers

Palestinian Territories

Israeli estimates

The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics estimated (2017) that the collective population in the Palestinian territories amounted to 4,543,126 people in 2017. Thereof, 2,155,743 Arabs live in the West Bank, 1,795,183 Arabs live in the Gaza Strip, and 391,000 Jews live in the West Bank outside of East Jerusalem. Approximately 214,600 Jews live in East Jerusalem. East Jerusalem, once administered by Jordan, came under Israeli occupation after the 1967 Six-Day War. In the Palestinian territories, c. 86% of the population is Arab (predominantly Sunni), c. 13% is Jewish, other <1% (cf. Israel: Jewish 74%, Arab 21%, other 5%).

US CIA estimates

The demographic statistics of The World Factbook the 2023 estimated population of Israel including the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem is 9,043,387 (2023 est.). Of this population:

• Approximately 236,600 Israeli settlers lived in East Jerusalem (2021)
• The split by ethnoreligious groups was Jewish 73.5% (of which Israel-born 79.7%, Europe/America/Oceania-born 14.3%, Africa-born 3.9%, Asia-born 2.1%), Palestinian and other Arab non-Jews 21.1%, other 5.4% (2022 est.)
• By religion, the split was Jewish 73.5%, Muslim 18.1%, Christian 1.9%, Druze 1.6%, other 4.9% (2022 est.)

Palestinian estimates

According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the number of Palestinians in the Palestinian Territories was 3,935,249 in 2009, resulting in a calculated population density of 654 capita per km, of which 433 capita/km in the West Bank including Jerusalem and 4,073 capita/km in Gaza Strip. In the mid-2009, the share of population less than 15 years was 41.9% and above 65 years 3%.

UN estimates

According to the UN, the population in the State of Palestine was c. 4.9 million in 2017, resulting in an estimated population density of 817 capita per km. However, a Census held on 1 December 2017 resulted in a total of 4,781.245. The estimate of the Palestine Central Bureau of Statistics for mid 2023 showed a population total of 5,483,450.

Key derived statistics

Out of 224 listed countries and territories, in 2018, the West Bank ranked 48th with a total fertility rate (TFR) of 3.2, and the Gaza Strip ranked 31st with a TFR of 3.97 according to The World Factbook. In 2018, the West Bank had an estimated population growth rate of 1.81% (country comparison to the world: 56th) and the Gaza Strip had a population growth rate of 2.25% (35th).

Vital statistics

UN estimates

Births and deaths

Population pyramids

Census (01/12/2007) :

Source:

Palestinian Central Bureau

Source:

Life expectancy

Average life expectancy at age 0 of the total population.

Demographics of the Gaza Strip

The following demographic statistics are from The World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.

Population

Current: 2,098,389 (2023 est.)

In 2023 approximately 2.1 million Palestinians lived in the Gaza Strip, around 1.6 million of them UN-registered refugees.

The Strip's population has continued to increase since that time, one of the main reasons being a total fertility rate of 3.38 children per woman (2023 est). In a ranking by total fertility rate, this places Gaza 42nd of 224 regions.

Age structure

0–14 years: 44.1% (male 415,746/female 394,195)
15–24 years: 21.3% (male 197,797/female 194,112)
25–54 years: 28.5% (male 256,103/female 267,285)
55–64 years: 3.5% (male 33,413/female 30,592)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 24,863/female 22,607) (2018 est.)

Population growth rate

2.25% (2018 est.)

Birth rate

30.5 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Mortality rate

3 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Net migration rate

−5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Sex ratio

At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0–14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
25–54 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
55–64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate

Total population: 16/1,000 live births
Male: 17.1/1,000 live births
Female: 14.9/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total population: 74.4 years
Male: 72.7 years
Female: 76.2 years (2018 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.97 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Nationality

Noun: Palestinians
Demonym: Palestinian

Ethnic groups

Palestinian/Arab 98.7%

Religions

Sunni Muslim 98–99%, Arab Christians 0.2% (2,000 to 3,000 est.), other, unaffiliated, unspecified <1.0% (2012 est.).

Languages

Arabic (Palestinian Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic), Hebrew (spoken by many older Gaza Palestinians), English (widely understood)

Literacy

Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 96.9%
Male: 98.6%
Female: 95.2% (2016 est.)

Demographics of the West Bank

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (February 2024)

The following demographic statistics are from The World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.

Population

Total 2,939,418 (July 2018 est.); 71.72% of the population is Arab (predominantly Sunni), 28.28% is Jewish (cf. Israel: Jewish 74%, Arab 21%, other 5%; and Gaza: Arab 99%)

• Palestinian Arab 2,155,743 (July 2017 est.), 71.72%
• Israeli Jew 850,481 (2016, 2020 est.), 28.28%
  • Approximately 475,481 Israeli Jews thereof live in the West Bank (2020)
  • Approximately 375,000 Israeli Jews thereof live in East Jerusalem (2016)
• Around 380 Samaritans

Age structure

0–14 years: 36.1% (male 518,376/female 491,676)

15–24 years: 21.8% (male 302,474/female 289,852)

25–54 years: 34.5% (male 489,559/female 475,402)

55–64 years: 4.7% (male 68,317/female 64,233)

65 years and over: 3.5% (male 44,662/female 53,943) (2018 est.)

Population growth rate

1.81% (2018 est.)

Birth rate

26 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Mortality rate

3.5 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Net migration rate

−4.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Sex ratio

At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

0–14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15–24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

25–54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

55–64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female

Total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate

Total: 13.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Male: 15.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 11.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total population: 75.4 years
Male: 73.4 years
Female: 77.6 years (2018 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.2 children born/woman (2018 est.)

• Jewish population: 5.07 children born/woman (West Bank alone)

Nationality

Noun: Arabs: Palestinian

Ethnic groups

Palestinian Arab: 83%
Israeli Jewish and other: 17%

Religions

Muslim 80%–85% (predominantly Sunni)
Jewish 12%–14%
Christian 1.0%–2.5%, (mainly Greek Orthodox)
Other religious minorities include Palestinian Metawalis, Palestinian Druze, and Palestinian Baha'is.

Languages

Arabic (Palestinian Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic), English (compulsory in schools, widely spoken by Palestinians), and Hebrew (spoken by Israeli Jews in the West Bank, and spoken by many Palestinians) are commonly known.

Literacy

Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 96.9%
Male: 98.6%
Female: 95.2% (2016 est.)

See also

• Demographic history of Palestine (region)
• Demographics of Israel
• Demographics of the Middle East
• Economy of the State of Palestine
• Genetic history of the Middle East
• Palestinian National Authority (PNA)
• Politics of the Palestinian National Authority
• Population statistics for Israeli settlements in the West Bank

Notes

1. Samaritans in the West Bank have Palestinian citizenship. (Sabella 2011, p. 75, n.4).

References

1. Resolution 446, Resolution 465, Resolution 484, among others
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8. ^ "CIA – The World Factbook: West Bank". Cia.gov. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
9. ^ Gaza Strip and West Bank (except Jerusalem) estimate for mid-2023 as per "Estimated Population in the Palestine Mid-Year by Governorate,1997-2026". Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, State of Palestine. Retrieved 1 January 2024. Subtract a further est. 300,000 from the West Bank number which is the est. no. of Palestinians living in Area C under full Israeli control.
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16. Sum of Israeli and Palestinian estimates
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22. ^ Figure calculated from other sourced figures in table
23. Derived from total CBS Population of Israel 31-Dec-2023 minus estimates for East Jerusalem Israelis and non-Israeli Palestinians, minus Golan Heights, minus 1/1/24 estimate of settlers in Area C
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External links

• The World Factbook
• Forbes, Andrew, and Henley, David, People of Palestine (Chiang Mai: Cognoscenti Books, 2012), ASIN: B0094TU8VY
• "Demography of the Palestinian population with special emphasis on the occupied territories", 1995 paper by Arjun L. Adlakha, Kevin G. Kinsella and Marwan Khawaja. Available at Population Bulletin of ESCWA's website.

• Demographics by region
• Demographics of the Middle East
• Palestinian territories
• Society of the State of Palestine