In 2022, the total fertility rate in Palestine did almost not change in comparison to the previous year. The total fertility rate remained around 3.44 children per woman. The total fertility rate is the average number of children that a woman of childbearing age (generally considered 15 to 44 years) is expected to have throughout her reproductive years. Unlike birth rates, which are based on the actual number of live births in a given population, fertility rates are estimates (similar to life expectancy) that apply to a hypothetical woman, as they assume that current patterns in age-specific fertility will remain constant throughout her reproductive years.

In Palestine, the median age of the population was 19.76 years in 2023, meaning that almost half of the total population is comprised of children. The median age of a population is an index that divides the population into two equal groups: half of the population is older than the median age and the other half younger. In 2020, the median age of Palestine's population was estimated to be around 19 years.

State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) PS: Mortality Rate: Infant: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 17.900 Ratio in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 18.300 Ratio for 2016. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) PS: Mortality Rate: Infant: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 28.500 Ratio from Dec 1975 (Median) to 2017, with 43 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 76.900 Ratio in 1975 and a record low of 17.900 Ratio in 2017. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) PS: Mortality Rate: Infant: per 1000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) – Table PS.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Infant mortality rate is the number of infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 live births in a given year.; ; Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Weighted average; Given that data on the incidence and prevalence of diseases are frequently unavailable, mortality rates are often used to identify vulnerable populations. Moreover, they are among the indicators most frequently used to compare socioeconomic development across countries. Under-five mortality rates are higher for boys than for girls in countries in which parental gender preferences are insignificant. Under-five mortality captures the effect of gender discrimination better than infant mortality does, as malnutrition and medical interventions have more significant impacts to this age group. Where female under-five mortality is higher, girls are likely to have less access to resources than boys.

State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) PS: Diarrhea Treatment: % of Children Under 5 who Received ORS Packet data was reported at 31.500 % in 2014. This records an increase from the previous number of 31.400 % for 2010. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) PS: Diarrhea Treatment: % of Children Under 5 who Received ORS Packet data is updated yearly, averaging 31.450 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2014, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 31.500 % in 2014 and a record low of 31.400 % in 2010. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) PS: Diarrhea Treatment: % of Children Under 5 who Received ORS Packet data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) – Table PS.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Percentage of children under age 5 with diarrhea in the two weeks preceding the survey who received oral rehydration salts (ORS packets or pre-packaged ORS fluids).; ; UNICEF, State of the World's Children, Childinfo, and Demographic and Health Surveys.; Weighted average;

State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) PS: Diarrhea Treatment: % of Children Under 5 Receiving Oral Rehydration and Continued Feeding data was reported at 38.200 % in 2014. This records a decrease from the previous number of 43.300 % for 2010. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) PS: Diarrhea Treatment: % of Children Under 5 Receiving Oral Rehydration and Continued Feeding data is updated yearly, averaging 40.750 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2014, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 43.300 % in 2010 and a record low of 38.200 % in 2014. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) PS: Diarrhea Treatment: % of Children Under 5 Receiving Oral Rehydration and Continued Feeding data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) – Table PS.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Children with diarrhea who received oral rehydration and continued feeding refer to the percentage of children under age five with diarrhea in the two weeks prior to the survey who received either oral rehydration therapy or increased fluids, with continued feeding.; ; UNICEF, State of the World's Children, Childinfo, and Demographic and Health Surveys.; Weighted average;

The Occupied Palestinian territories, namely the West Bank and Gaza Strip, had the highest average births per woman in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA), reaching almost 3.5 and 3.3 births per woman respectively in 2024. Qatar and Saudi Arabia had the lowest birth rates per woman in the region.

Abstract

The survey is designed to collect, analyze and disseminate demographic and health data pertaining to the Palestinian population living in the Palestinian territory, with a focus on demography, fertility, family planning and maternal and child health.

Geographic coverage

The data are representative at region level (West Bank, Gaza Strip), locality type (urban, rural, camp)

Analysis unit

Household Individual

Universe

The survey covered all the Palestinian households who are a usual residence in the Palestinian Territory.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Sample frame and sample design: The list of all Palestinian households has been constructed by updating some identification variables from the data collected through the Population Census of 1997. The master sample was drawn up to be used for different sample surveys. It consists of 481 enumeration areas (EA) (the average size of about 150 households). The master sample was the sample frame for the current Demographic and Heath Survey of 2004. The selected EA were divided into small units called cells (with an average size of 25 households). One cell per EA was selected.

The sample type was a stratified two-stage random sample: First stage: 260 EAs were selected from all Palestinian territory. Second stage: A systematic random sample of 25 households was selected from each EA in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. For the part of Jerusalem that was annexed by Israel after the 1967 war, 30 households were selected from each EA.

Sample size: The number of households in the sample was 6,574 households: 4,456 in the West Bank and 2,118 in the Gaza Strip.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The questionnaire was consisted of the following parts:

• Household part: consisted household roster including demographic variables such as age, sex, date of birth, smoking, health insurance,disability, child labor for children aged 10 years and over and education section for persons aged 5-17 years.
• Dwelling part: including questions on housing conditions such as main drinking water source, iodized salt and other socio-economic indicators. -Women (15-54 years) questionnaire
• Women part: this part was designed to collect data from all ever-married women 15-54 years old. It consists of seven sections: Reproduction, Contraception, Pregnancy and Breast Feeding, Tetanus Toxoid (TT), Health Awareness and Public Health, Awareness of AIDS, Fertility Preference.
• Child part: this part was designed to collect data from all children aged less than 5 years, it consists Child Education, Child health and Immunization, and Anthropometry.

Cleaning operations

Data editing took place at a number of stages through the processing including:

1. office editing and coding
2. during data entry
3. structure checking and completeness
4. structural checking of SPSS data files

Response rate

The survey sample consists of about 6,574 households of which 5,799 households completed the interview; whereas 3,746 households from the West Bank and 2,053 households in Gaza Strip. Weights were modified to account for non-response rate. The response rate in the West Bank reached 84.1% while in the Gaza Strip it reached 96.9%. The response rate in the Palestinian Territory reached 88.2%.

Sampling error estimates

Detailed information on the sampling Error is available in the Survey Report downloadable under the "Documentation" tab.

Data appraisal

Detailed information on the data appraisal is available in the Survey Report downloadable under the "Documentation" tab.

Abstract

The Household Culture Survey aims to provide quantifiable indicators related to cultural activities and role of mass media in spreading the culture; examples of such information include: 1. Availability of a home library, type of library collection, the culture of reading "the habit of reading and reading newspapers." 2. Tendency to listen to the radio or watching television and time spent by each person in these activities, and the programs that are being watched or listened to. 3. Popularity to visit cultural institutions and the practice of individuals to cultural activities. 4. Popularity of TV and broadcasting stations, and the sources of news and information, and the main sources of entertainment and recreation. 5. Proliferation of newspapers and magazines and how to obtain them, and the sections of the newspapers that have the largest number of readers. 6. Connection to the Internet. 7. The scope of using computers and the Internet; and the intended purpose of such usage. 8. The scope of household monitoring to the type of television programs being watched by children, and the number of hours being spent watching television.

Geographic coverage

West Bank , Jerusalem and Gaza Strip governorate and type of locality

Analysis unit

Household. Person 10 years and over .

Universe

All Palestinian households and individuals whose usual place of residence in the Palestinian Territory with focus on persons aged 10 years and over in year 2009

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Target population: All Palestinian households and individuals whose usual place of residence in the Palestinian Territory with focus on persons aged 10 years and over in year 2009.

Sample frame The sampling frame consists of 4917 enumeration areas adopted in the Population, Housing and Establishment census 2007. Each enumeration area has an average size of about 120-150 households. These were used in the first phase as Preliminary Sampling Units in the process of selecting the survey sample. In the second phase of sample selection, households sampling frame from census- 2007 was used and it contains identification data such as the names and addresses of heads of household, in addition to buildings and housing unit numbers.

Sample size The sample size of the survey was estimated to about 6,150 household. Two levels of stratification were made: Stratification by governorate (16 Governorate including J1) Stratification locality type (urban, rural, camp)

Sample design The sample is stratified clustered systematic random sample. The design is comprised of three phases: Phase I: Random sample of 246 enumeration areas Phase II: Selection of (25) household from each enumeration area, selected in phase one, using systematic random manner Phase III: Selection of a person (aged 10 years or more) in the field from the selected households; and KISH TABLES are used in the process of persons selection to ensure indiscriminate selection. Note: in Jerusalem Governorate (J1), 17 enumeration areas were selected; then in the second phase, a group of households from each enumeration area were chosen using census-2007 method of delineation and enumeration. This method was adopted to ensure household response is to the maximum to comply with the percentage of non-response as set in the sample design.

Sample distribution Distribution of the sample was stratified by governorate and type of locality to ensure that the size of the sampled households in each stratum fits with the actual number of households in that stratum as in the sampling frame.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The survey questionnaire was developed based on the identified needs and after discussion with stakeholders. A workshop was conducted at the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics as part of the user producer dialogue to discuss the indicators of the survey. The questionnaires were developed in arabic

Cleaning operations

The project’s management developed a clear mechanism for editing the data and trained a team of editors accordingly. The mechanism was as follows: Receiving completed questionnaires on daily basis; Checking each questionnaire to make sure that they were completed and that the data covered all eligible household members. Returning the uncompleted questionnaires as well as those with errors to the field for completion.

Response rate

The sample size was 6,150 households distributed as 4,025 in the West Bank and 2,125 in the Gaza Strip. The total number of household whose data was collected in the survey amounted to 5,132 household including 3,300 in the West Bank, 405 households in Jerusalem (J1), and 1,427 household in the Gaza Strip. Weights were modified accordingly on the level of stratum design to compensate for refusal and non-response cases.

Sampling error estimates

sampling error available in the report of survey

Data appraisal

you can found it in the report of survey

State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) PS: Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff: % of Total data was reported at 99.600 % in 2014. This records an increase from the previous number of 99.000 % for 2010. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) PS: Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff: % of Total data is updated yearly, averaging 97.400 % from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2014, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 99.600 % in 2014 and a record low of 94.900 % in 1996. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) PS: Births Attended by Skilled Health Staff: % of Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) – Table PS.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Births attended by skilled health staff are the percentage of deliveries attended by personnel trained to give the necessary supervision, care, and advice to women during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period; to conduct deliveries on their own; and to care for newborns.; ; UNICEF, State of the World's Children, Childinfo, and Demographic and Health Surveys.; Weighted average; Assistance by trained professionals during birth reduces the incidence of maternal deaths during childbirth. The share of births attended by skilled health staff is an indicator of a health system’s ability to provide adequate care for pregnant women.

Sociodemographic characteristics of normal weight mother/normal weight child and overweight mother/underweight child pairs.

Female fertility was the highest in Yemen in 2019 at an approximate of 3.7 births per woman, followed by Iraq and Palestine at about 3.6 and 3.56 births per woman respectively. In comparison, the United Arab Emirates had the lowest fertility rate of about 1.4 births per woman in 2019.

Fertility rates over time

Fertility rates have been declining over the years from 2.9 in 2010 to 2.8 in 2018 in the Middle East and Africa region. The population of a country starts declining due to the decline in fertility rates when the fertility rate drops below the threshold of approximately 2.1. This effect is more prominent in countries with high child mortality rates as child survival is one of the main factors affecting fertility rates. Parents are more likely to attempt to replace lost children or have more children as insurance when experiencing early child mortality. In the MENA region, child mortality witnessed a significant decline over the past decade.

Factors affecting female fertility

The variation in fertility rates across countries is very evident. Developed countries have lower fertility rates between 1 to 3 births per female, while developing countries have higher rates that could reach 7 births per female. Female fertility rates drop as countries develop economically. It was found that a higher income and education decreases female fertility. Increasing the employment of women also reduces female fertility as it increases their opportunity cost of bearing children.