Demographics of the Palestinian territories
Encyclopedia
This article is about the demographic
features of the population
of the Palestinian territories
, including ethnicity
, education level, health of the populous, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
The Palestinian territories
in this context are defined to include West Bank
, East Jerusalem
and the Gaza strip
. It is one of a number of designations for those portions of the British Mandate of Palestine captured and occupied by Jordan and by Egypt in the late 1940s, and captured and occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War.
According to Guardian
(2008) the Palestinia
n territories have one of the fastest growing populations in the world, with numbers surging 30% in the past decade (2008). There was 3.76 million Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, up from 2.89 million 10 years earlier.
According to the U.S. Census population growth
mid 1990-2008 in Gaza
and West Bank
was 106 % from 1.9 million (1990) to 3.9 million persons.
According to UN (2010) Palestinian population is 4.4 million. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
(PCBS) population density in 2009 was 654 capita/km2, of which 433 capita/km2 in the West Bank
including Jerusalem and 4,073 capita/km2 in Gaza Strip
. In the mid 2009 the share of population less than 15 years was 41.9 % and above 65 years 3 %.
3,092,555 including 524,000 Israeli settlers
in the West Bank.
15-64 years: 60.5% (male 796,421/female 757,227)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 39,546/female 55,637) (2011 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
male: 16.73 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)
male: 72.97 years
female: 77.17 years (2011 est.)
(few hundreds). All of the Jews in the Palestinian territories are Israeli citizens.
, Hebrew
(spoken by Israeli inhabitants and many Palestinians), English
(compulsory in schools, widely spoken by Palestinians and even more by Israelis)
total population: 92.4%
male: 96.7%
female: 88% (2011 est.)
44.7% (male 343,988/female 325,856)
15-64 years:
52.7% (male 403,855/female 386,681)
65 years and over:
2.7% (male 16,196/female 23,626) (2008 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.71 male(s)/female
total population:
1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
22.4/1,000 live births
male:
23.48/1,000 live births
female:
21.27/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
71.97 years
male:
70.67 years
female:
73.34 years (2006 est.)
, Hebrew
(spoken by many Palestinians), English
(widely understood)
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
91.9%
male:
96.3%
female:
87.4% (2003 est.)
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
features of the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of the Palestinian territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
, including ethnicity
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
, education level, health of the populous, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
The Palestinian territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
in this context are defined to include West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
, East Jerusalem
East Jerusalem
East Jerusalem or Eastern Jerusalem refer to the parts of Jerusalem captured and annexed by Jordan in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and then captured and annexed by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War...
and the Gaza strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
. It is one of a number of designations for those portions of the British Mandate of Palestine captured and occupied by Jordan and by Egypt in the late 1940s, and captured and occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War.
Overview
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) estimated Palestinians at mid year 2009 as 10.7 million persons as follows: 3.9 million in the Palestinian Territory (36.6%), 1.2 million (11.5%) in Israel; 5.0 million in Arab countries (46.2%), 0.6 million in foreign countries (5.7%).According to Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
(2008) the Palestinia
State of Palestine
Palestine , officially declared as the State of Palestine , is a state that was proclaimed in exile in Algiers on 15 November 1988, when the Palestine Liberation Organization's National Council adopted the unilateral Palestinian Declaration of Independence...
n territories have one of the fastest growing populations in the world, with numbers surging 30% in the past decade (2008). There was 3.76 million Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, up from 2.89 million 10 years earlier.
According to the U.S. Census population growth
Population growth
Population growth is the change in a population over time, and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals of any species in a population using "per unit time" for measurement....
mid 1990-2008 in Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
and West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
was 106 % from 1.9 million (1990) to 3.9 million persons.
According to UN (2010) Palestinian population is 4.4 million. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics is the statistical organization under the umbrella of the Palestinian Cabinet of the Palestinian National Authority....
(PCBS) population density in 2009 was 654 capita/km2, of which 433 capita/km2 in the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
including Jerusalem and 4,073 capita/km2 in Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
. In the mid 2009 the share of population less than 15 years was 41.9 % and above 65 years 3 %.
| Population (mid year) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | West Bank West Bank The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan... |
Gaza Gaza Strip thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of... |
Total |
| 1970 | 0.69 | 0.34 | 1.03 |
| 1980 | 0.90 | 0.46 | 1.36 |
| 1990 | 1.25 | 0.65 | 1.90 |
| 2000 | 1.98 | 1.13 | 3.11 |
| 2004 | 2.20 | 1.30 | 3.50 |
| 2008 | 2.41 | 1.5 | 3.91 |
| 2010 | 2.52 | 1.60 | 4.12 |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau | |||
| 2006 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 4.0 |
| 2009 | 2.48 | 1.45 | 3.94 |
| Source: Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics is the statistical organization under the umbrella of the Palestinian Cabinet of the Palestinian National Authority.... |
|||
| Region | Population |
|---|---|
| West Bank | 2,568,555 |
| East Jerusalem | 192,800 |
| Gaza Strip | 1,657,155 |
| Name | Population (2007) | Area (km2) | Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Bank West Bank The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan... |
2,369,700 | 5,671 | 417.86 |
| Gaza Strip Gaza Strip thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of... |
1,416,539 | 360 | 3934.83 |
| Total | 3,786,239 | 6,031 | 627.80 |
Demographics of the West Bank
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.Population
2,568,555 including East Jerusalem population in the West Bank, excluding Israeli settlers.3,092,555 including 524,000 Israeli settlers
Population statistics for Israeli West Bank settlements
- Footnotes :Population data for Tzurit as of 2002. Source: http://www.cbs.gov.il/population/new_2002/tab_5.pdf- External links :* *...
in the West Bank.
Age structure
0–14 years: 35.8% (male 471,908/female 447,816)15-64 years: 60.5% (male 796,421/female 757,227)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 39,546/female 55,637) (2011 est.)
Sex ratioSex ratioSex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. The primary sex ratio is the ratio at the time of conception, secondary sex ratio is the ratio at time of birth, and tertiary sex ratio is the ratio of mature organisms....
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 14.92 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 16.73 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 75.01 yearsmale: 72.97 years
female: 77.17 years (2011 est.)
Total fertility rate
- Palestinian population: 3.05 children born/woman (2011 est.)
- Jewish population: 5.10 children born/woman
Ethnic groups
Including Israeli settlements and East Jerusalem: Arab and other (Kurd, Circassian, Armenian) 83%, Jewish 17%, SamaritanSamaritan
The Samaritans are an ethnoreligious group of the Levant. Religiously, they are the adherents to Samaritanism, an Abrahamic religion closely related to Judaism...
(few hundreds). All of the Jews in the Palestinian territories are Israeli citizens.
Religions
Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8%, if East Jerusalem is excluded.Languages
ArabicArabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
(spoken by Israeli inhabitants and many Palestinians), English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
(compulsory in schools, widely spoken by Palestinians and even more by Israelis)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 92.4%
male: 96.7%
female: 88% (2011 est.)
Demographics of the Gaza Strip
The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.Age structure
0-14 years:44.7% (male 343,988/female 325,856)
15-64 years:
52.7% (male 403,855/female 386,681)
65 years and over:
2.7% (male 16,196/female 23,626) (2008 est.)
Sex ratioSex ratioSex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. The primary sex ratio is the ratio at the time of conception, secondary sex ratio is the ratio at time of birth, and tertiary sex ratio is the ratio of mature organisms....
at birth:1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.71 male(s)/female
total population:
1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total population:22.4/1,000 live births
male:
23.48/1,000 live births
female:
21.27/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population:71.97 years
male:
70.67 years
female:
73.34 years (2006 est.)
Languages
ArabicArabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
(spoken by many Palestinians), English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
(widely understood)
Literacy
definition:age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
91.9%
male:
96.3%
female:
87.4% (2003 est.)
See also
- Palestinian economyPalestinian economyThe economy of the Palestinian territories refers to the economy of the territories under the administration of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.- History :...
- Palestinian peoplePalestinian peopleThe Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
- Palestinian National AuthorityPalestinian National AuthorityThe Palestinian Authority is the administrative organization established to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip...
(PNA) - Politics of the Palestinian National AuthorityPolitics of the Palestinian National AuthorityThe politics of the Palestinian National Authority take place within the framework of a semi-presidential multi-party republic, with a Legislative Council, an executive President, and a Prime Minister leading the Cabinet. The PNA is not an internationally recognized independent sovereign state...
- CIA World Fact Book
- Demographics of IsraelDemographics of IsraelThe State of Israel has a population of approximately 7,798,600 inhabitants as of September 2011. 75.3% of them are Jewish , 20.5% are Arabs , while the remaining 4.3% are defined as "others" The State of Israel has a population of approximately 7,798,600 inhabitants as of September 2011. 75.3% of...
- Population statistics for Israeli West Bank settlementsPopulation statistics for Israeli West Bank settlements- Footnotes :Population data for Tzurit as of 2002. Source: http://www.cbs.gov.il/population/new_2002/tab_5.pdf- External links :* *...
External links
- CIA World Fact Book
- PA demographics American-Israel Demographic Research Group