The annual population growth in Palestine decreased by 0.03 percentage points since the previous year. In total, the population growth amounted to 2.36 percent in 2024. Population growth refers to the annual change in population, and is based on the balance between birth and death rates, as well as migration.

The estimated population of the Gaza Strip for 2023 was around 2.1 million people. The Palestinian population of Gaza is relatively young when compared globally. More than half of Gazans are 19 years or younger. This is due to the comparably high fertility rate in the Gaza Strip of *** children per woman as of 2022.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the Palestine population over the last 20 plus years. It lists the population for each year, along with the year on year change in population, as well as the change in percentage terms for each year. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population change of Palestine across the last two decades. For example, using this dataset, we can identify if the population is declining or increasing. If there is a change, when the population peaked, or if it is still growing and has not reached its peak. We can also compare the trend with the overall trend of United States population over the same period of time.

Key observations

In 2023, the population of Palestine was 180, a 0% decrease year-by-year from 2022. Previously, in 2022, Palestine population was 180, a decline of 0.55% compared to a population of 181 in 2021. Over the last 20 plus years, between 2000 and 2023, population of Palestine increased by 6. In this period, the peak population was 198 in the year 2010. The numbers suggest that the population has already reached its peak and is showing a trend of decline. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP).

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP).

Data Coverage:

• From 2000 to 2023

Variables / Data Columns

• Year: This column displays the data year (Measured annually and for years 2000 to 2023)
• Population: The population for the specific year for the Palestine is shown in this column.
• Year on Year Change: This column displays the change in Palestine population for each year compared to the previous year.
• Change in Percent: This column displays the year on year change as a percentage. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for Palestine Population by Year. You can refer the same here

Population growth (annual %) in Palestine was reported at 2.3603 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Palestine - Population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Population Growth Rate: Gaza Strip data was reported at 2.900 % in 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3.000 % for 2017. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Population Growth Rate: Gaza Strip data is updated yearly, averaging 3.400 % from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2018, with 13 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.100 % in 1997 and a record low of 2.900 % in 2018. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Population Growth Rate: Gaza Strip data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) – Table PS.G002: Vital Statistics.

State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Population Growth Rate: West Bank data was reported at 2.200 % in 2018. This stayed constant from the previous number of 2.200 % for 2017. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Population Growth Rate: West Bank data is updated yearly, averaging 2.600 % from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2018, with 13 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.600 % in 1997 and a record low of 2.200 % in 2018. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Population Growth Rate: West Bank data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) – Table PS.G002: Vital Statistics.

The total population in Palestine was forecast to continuously increase up to more than 5.4 million people by 2023. The current total population is estimated to amount to 5.48 million people in 2023, however these estimates have not yet been adjusted to account for the impact of the 2023 Israel-Hamas War.

State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Population Growth Rate data was reported at 2.500 % in 2018. This stayed constant from the previous number of 2.500 % for 2017. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Population Growth Rate data is updated yearly, averaging 2.900 % from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2018, with 13 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.800 % in 1997 and a record low of 2.500 % in 2018. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Population Growth Rate data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) – Table PS.G002: Vital Statistics.

Rural population growth (annual %) in Palestine was reported at 1.0357 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Palestine - Rural population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

Key information about State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) population

• The State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) population reached 5.9 million people in Jun 2026, compared with the previously reported figure of 5.7 million people in Jun 2025
• The data reached an all-time high of 5.9 million people in Jun 2026 and a record low of 0.9 million people in Jun 1951

Urban population growth (annual %) in Palestine was reported at 2.7398 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Palestine - Urban population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

The total population in Palestine was estimated at 5.6 million people in 2024, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics. This dataset provides - Palestine Population - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Jews were the dominant religious group in the Israel-Palestine region at the beginning of the first millennia CE, and are the dominant religious group there today, however, there was a period of almost 2,000 years where most of the world's Jews were displaced from their spiritual homeland. Antiquity to the 20th century Jewish hegemony in the region began changing after a series of revolts against Roman rule led to mass expulsions and emigration. Roman control saw severe persecution of Jewish and Christian populations, but this changed when the Byzantine Empire adopted Christianity as its official religion in the 4th century. Christianity then dominated until the 7th century, when the Rashidun Caliphate (the first to succeed Muhammad) took control of the Levant. Control of region split between Christians and Muslims intermittently between the 11th and 13th centuries during the Crusades, although the population remained overwhelmingly Muslim. Zionism until today Through the Paris Peace Conference, the British took control of Palestine in 1920. The Jewish population began growing through the Zionist Movement after the 1880s, which sought to establish a Jewish state in Palestine. Rising anti-Semitism in Europe accelerated this in the interwar period, and in the aftermath of the Holocaust, many European Jews chose to leave the continent. The United Nations tried facilitating the foundation of separate Jewish and Arab states, yet neither side was willing to concede territory, leading to a civil war and a joint invasion from seven Arab states. Yet the Jews maintained control of their territory and took large parts of the proposed Arab territory, forming the Jewish-majority state of Israel in 1948, and acheiving a ceasefire the following year. Over 750,000 Palestinians were displaced as a result of this conflict, while most Jews from the Arab eventually fled to Israel. Since this time, Israel has become one of the richest and advanced countries in the world, however, Palestine has been under Israeli military occupation since the 1960s and there are large disparities in living standards between the two regions.

State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) PCBS Projection: Population: Mid Year data was reported at 5,227,193.000 Person in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 5,101,152.000 Person for 2020. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) PCBS Projection: Population: Mid Year data is updated yearly, averaging 3,922,130.000 Person from Jun 1997 (Median) to 2021, with 25 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,227,193.000 Person in 2021 and a record low of 2,783,084.000 Person in 1997. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) PCBS Projection: Population: Mid Year data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) – Table PS.G001: Population: Projection: Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) PCBS Projection: Population: Mid Year: Gaza Strip data was reported at 2,106,745.000 Person in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,047,969.000 Person for 2020. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) PCBS Projection: Population: Mid Year: Gaza Strip data is updated yearly, averaging 1,491,960.000 Person from Jun 1997 (Median) to 2021, with 25 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,106,745.000 Person in 2021 and a record low of 995,522.000 Person in 1997. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) PCBS Projection: Population: Mid Year: Gaza Strip data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) – Table PS.G001: Population: Projection: Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

Palestine: Population ages 65 and above, percent of total: The latest value from 2023 is 3.8 percent, an increase from 3.7 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 10.17 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Palestine from 1960 to 2023 is 2.71 percent. The minimum value, 2.08 percent, was reached in 1987 while the maximum of 3.91 percent was recorded in 1960.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the Palestine population over the last 20 plus years. It lists the population for each year, along with the year on year change in population, as well as the change in percentage terms for each year. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population change of Palestine across the last two decades. For example, using this dataset, we can identify if the population is declining or increasing. If there is a change, when the population peaked, or if it is still growing and has not reached its peak. We can also compare the trend with the overall trend of United States population over the same period of time.

Key observations

In 2022, the population of Palestine was 181, a 0.55% decrease year-by-year from 2021. Previously, in 2021, Palestine population was 182, a decline of 0.55% compared to a population of 183 in 2020. Over the last 20 plus years, between 2000 and 2022, population of Palestine increased by 7. In this period, the peak population was 198 in the year 2010. The numbers suggest that the population has already reached its peak and is showing a trend of decline. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP).

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP).

Data Coverage:

• From 2000 to 2022

Variables / Data Columns

• Year: This column displays the data year (Measured annually and for years 2000 to 2022)
• Population: The population for the specific year for the Palestine is shown in this column.
• Year on Year Change: This column displays the change in Palestine population for each year compared to the previous year.
• Change in Percent: This column displays the year on year change as a percentage. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for Palestine Population by Year. You can refer the same here

State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) PS: Prevalence of Stunting: Height for Age: % of Children Under 5 data was reported at 7.400 % in 2014. This records a decrease from the previous number of 10.900 % for 2010. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) PS: Prevalence of Stunting: Height for Age: % of Children Under 5 data is updated yearly, averaging 10.900 % from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2014, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16.100 % in 2002 and a record low of 7.400 % in 2014. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) PS: Prevalence of Stunting: Height for Age: % of Children Under 5 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. Prevalence of stunting is the percentage of children under age 5 whose height for age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59 months. For children up to two years old height is measured by recumbent length. For older children height is measured by stature while standing. The data are based on the WHO's new child growth standards released in 2006.; ; UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child malnutrition estimates (JME). Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (adjusted, comparable data) and methodology.; Linear mixed-effect model estimates; Undernourished children have lower resistance to infection and are more likely to die from common childhood ailments such as diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections. Frequent illness saps the nutritional status of those who survive, locking them into a vicious cycle of recurring sickness and faltering growth (UNICEF, www.childinfo.org). Estimates of child malnutrition, based on prevalence of underweight and stunting, are from national survey data. The proportion of underweight children is the most common malnutrition indicator. Being even mildly underweight increases the risk of death and inhibits cognitive development in children. And it perpetuates the problem across generations, as malnourished women are more likely to have low-birth-weight babies. Stunting, or being below median height for age, is often used as a proxy for multifaceted deprivation and as an indicator of long-term changes in malnutrition.

Palestine: Percent urban population: The latest value from 2024 is 77.88 percent, an increase from 77.58 percent in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 61.70 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Palestine from 1960 to 2024 is 65.94 percent. The minimum value, 44.04 percent, was reached in 1960 while the maximum of 77.88 percent was recorded in 2024.

State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Population: Ages 15-64: % of Total Population data was reported at 57.830 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 57.610 % for 2022. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Population: Ages 15-64: % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 53.290 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2023, with 34 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 57.830 % in 2023 and a record low of 48.800 % in 1990. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Population: Ages 15-64: % of Total Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) – Table PS.OECD.GGI: Social: Demography: Non OECD Member: Annual.