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 3.5 children per woman as of 2022.

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

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.

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.

According to estimates for 2023, the number of Palestinians in Gaza aged 0 to 4 was 278,511. That year, more than half of Gaza's estimated 2.06 million inhabitants were below 20 years old.

Population growth (annual %) in Palestine was reported at 2.3933 % in 2023, 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 June of 2025.

The total population in Palestine was estimated at 5.4 million people in 2023, 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.

Abstract

IPUMS-International is an effort to inventory, preserve, harmonize, and disseminate census microdata from around the world. The project has collected the world's largest archive of publicly available census samples. The data are coded and documented consistently across countries and over time to facillitate comparative research. IPUMS-International makes these data available to qualified researchers free of charge through a web dissemination system.

The IPUMS project is a collaboration of the Minnesota Population Center, National Statistical Offices, and international data archives. Major funding is provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Additional support is provided by the University of Minnesota Office of the Vice President for Research, the Minnesota Population Center, and Sun Microsystems.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

Dwelling

UNITS IDENTIFIED: - Dwellings: Yes - Vacant units: No - Households: Yes - Individuals: Yes - Group quarters: No

UNIT DESCRIPTIONS: - Dwellings: A building or part of a building constructed for one household only, with one or more independent entrance leading to the public road without passing through another housing unit. - Households: One person or a group of persons with or without a family relationship who live in the same housing unit or part of the same housing unit, share meals, and make joint provisions of food and other essentials of living. - Group quarters: Elderly homes, orphan homes, psycho-therapy clinics and hospitals, and other collective households - Special populations: Camp residents

Universe

(1) All persons living in the Palestinian Territory on the census date, regardless of nationality, citizenship, reason of presence, and place of residence in the Palestinian Territory. (2) All Palestinians who live abroad temporarily and for less than a year whose usual place of residence is in the Palestinian Teritory (these persons are counted with their households). (3) All Palestinians who are studying abroad, regardless of the study period and length of residence abroad, and all Palestinian persons detained in Israeli jails regardless of the detention period. NOTE: Sample includes West Bank only; it excludes Gaza Strip.

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data [cen]

Sampling procedure

MICRODATA SOURCE: Palestinian National Authority, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics

SAMPLE DESIGN: A systematic random sample of 20 percent of households. IPUMS drew a systematic sample of every second household.

SAMPLE UNIT: household

SAMPLE FRACTION: 10%

SAMPLE SIZE (person records): 455,019

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Population, Housing and Establishment Census - 2007 questionnaire, including form number 19/1 PHC

Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) in Palestine was reported at 38.37 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Palestine - Population ages 0-14 (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

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.

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.

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.

IPUMS-International is an effort to inventory, preserve, harmonize, and disseminate census microdata from around the world. The project has collected the world's largest archive of publicly available census samples. The data are coded and documented consistently across countries and over time to facillitate comparative research. IPUMS-International makes these data available to qualified researchers free of charge through a web dissemination system. The IPUMS project is a collaboration of the Minnesota Population Center, National Statistical Offices, and international data archives. Major funding is provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Additional support is provided by the University of Minnesota Office of the Vice President for Research, the Minnesota Population Center, and Sun Microsystems.

West Bank and Gaza immigration statistics for 2015 was 255,507, a 0.98% decline from 2010.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>West Bank and Gaza immigration statistics for 2010 was <strong>258,032</strong>, a <strong>3.22% decline</strong> from 2005.</li>
<li>West Bank and Gaza immigration statistics for 2005 was <strong>266,617</strong>, a <strong>3.12% decline</strong> from 2000.</li>
<li>West Bank and Gaza immigration statistics for 2000 was <strong>275,202</strong>, a <strong>2.33% decline</strong> from 1995.</li>
</ul>International migrant stock is the number of people born in a country other than that in which they live. It also includes refugees. The data used to estimate the international migrant stock at a particular time are obtained mainly from population censuses. The estimates are derived from the data on foreign-born population--people who have residence in one country but were born in another country. When data on the foreign-born population are not available, data on foreign population--that is, people who are citizens of a country other than the country in which they reside--are used as estimates. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 people living in one of the newly independent countries who were born in another were classified as international migrants. Estimates of migrant stock in the newly independent states from 1990 on are based on the 1989 census of the Soviet Union. For countries with information on the international migrant stock for at least two points in time, interpolation or extrapolation was used to estimate the international migrant stock on July 1 of the reference years. For countries with only one observation, estimates for the reference years were derived using rates of change in the migrant stock in the years preceding or following the single observation available. A model was used to estimate migrants for countries that had no data.

Abstract

Objectives: To provide information about the general characteristics of persons with disability or difficulty through a specialized questionnaire designed to meet the needs of the Palestinian Territory, the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Washington Group for Disability Statistics.

Reference Period: 1st quarter of 2011

Periodicity of Data Collection: Every 10 years

Geographic coverage

Areas excluded: Israeli settlements

Analysis unit

Individuals

Universe

Population groups: All age groups

Total population covered: 97.6%

Economic activities: All economic activities

Sectors covered: All sectors

Labor force status: Employed persons, unemployed persons, persons outside labour force

Status in Employment: Employees, employers, own-account workers, contributing family workers, members of producers' cooperatives

Establishments: NR

Other limitations: No

Classifications: Sex, age, level of education, other personal characteristics (e.g. marital status), status in employment, occupation, economic activity

Cross-classification: No

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data [cen]

Frequency of data collection

Periodicity of Data collection: Every 10 years

Abstract

The main objective of the PHC-2007 is to provide figures for the Palestinian population and their geographical distribution in accordance with a number of relatively stable basic characteristics to inform socioeconomic development purposes. Preparations for conducting censuses take usually 3-5 years for piloting, testing tools, work plans, human and physical needs and timetable. The census is one of the most important statistical activities as it provides statistical data on the distribution of population, and their demographic, social and economic characteristics in a certain reference period of time for all the individuals within the borders of the state.

Geographic coverage

West Bank and Gaza Strip

Analysis unit

individual, household

Universe

The PHC-2007 covered all individuals who were in the Palestinian Territory on the census reference night (30/11-1/12/2007) regardless of nationality and citizenship. It also covered all Palestinians who have usual residence in the Palestinian Territory (including those who were temporarily absent for less than one year for the purpose of visit, tourism, treatment, etc. while their households are still living at their permanent places of residence in the Palestinian Territory). All Palestinian students abroad while their households are still living at their permanent places of residence were also included, in addition to all prisoners and detainees in the Israeli jails regardless of the duration of detention. The census excluded all Palestinians holding identity cards who were absent for more than one year (except for the students), even if their households are still living in their places of residence in the Palestinian Territory

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data [cen]

Sampling procedure

It consists of all the enumerated households in the Census 2007 and who are staying in the west bank at the time of enumeration. We select a systematic random sample from each enumeration area in the Census, and we select a 20% of the total households concluding all the individuals in the household

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The census questionnaire for the buildings is divided into four parts: Part one: includes identification data, such as: governorate, locality name, locality code, booklet no. in locality, total booklets in locality, no. of completed pages in booklet, enumeration area.
Part two: includes data for all buildings, such as: 1. Building Serial No. in the page 2. Building No. in Enumeration Area 3. Name of the Owner of the Building or Building Name and Address 4. Building Municipality No. 5. Type of Building 6. Type of Ownership 7. Material of External Walls 8. No. of Stories 9. Current Use of Building 10. Establishments Year 11. Total No. Houses in Building Part three: includes data for all Houses, such as: 1. No. of Houses in the Building 2. Current Use of Houses 3. The reason for Closed, Vacant and Deserted Houses Part four: includes data for all Houses used for habitation or work and habitation, such as: 1. Name of the Head of Household No. of Household Members

Cleaning operations

The data processing stage contain of the following operations: 1. Editing before Data Entry At this stage all booklets were edited in the office using the instructions previously prepared for checking to ensure consistent data. 2. Data Entry Program The data entry program was prepared and designed according to the census questionnaire. The program was prepared by using the Oracle database. 3. Data Entry After the completion of the design and the testing of the data entry program and training of data keyers, work began on data entry.

Response rate

100%

Sampling error estimates

Not Applicaple

State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Population: Ages 0-14: % of Total Population data was reported at 38.370 % in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 38.690 % for 2022. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Population: Ages 0-14: % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 44.015 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2023, with 34 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 49.120 % in 1990 and a record low of 38.370 % in 2023. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Population: Ages 0-14: % 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.

State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Population: Ages 65 and Above: % of Total Population data was reported at 3.800 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 3.700 % for 2022. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Population: Ages 65 and Above: % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 2.700 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2023, with 34 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.800 % in 2023 and a record low of 2.080 % in 1993. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Population: Ages 65 and Above: % 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.

According to estimates for 2023, the fertility rate in Gaza was 3.38 children per woman. Compared to the fertility rate of 2005, the fertility rate of Gazan women has decreased by almost half. The fertility rate describes the average number of children a woman gives birth to, given a constant average child-bearing age between 15 and 49 years.