عربي
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)
On the Eve of World Elderly Day 01/10/2014
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics presents this release about the situation of the elderly 60 years and over in the occasion of the international elderly day October 1st.
This press release has been prepared in a period of a month after the end of the Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip, which lasted for 51 days, where death toll reached among Palestinians in Gaza Strip reached 2,150 martyrs, most of them were civilians, including 600 children and 102 elderly, as the number of wounded reached about 11,000. About half a million were displaced from their homes.
Elderly People in Palestine represent 4.4% of the total population in mid 2014
The Palestinian society is considered a young society where the percentage of youth is about half of the society and the percentage of the elderly is relatively small. In mid of the year 2014, the percentage of the elderly aged 60 and over reached 4.4% of the population in Palestine (4.9% in West Bank and 3.7% in Gaza strip). Even though, the percentage of the elderly will be increasing during the coming years in Palestine, their percentage will stay relatively low not exceeding 4.5% during the upcoming 10 years. The elderly percentage may start increasing after year 2020.
Palestine witnesses improvement in life expectancy since the beginning of the last two decades. Life expectancy has increased about 5-7 years during the last two decades. In particular life expectancy increased for both males and females from 67.0 years in 1992 to 71.8 years for males and 74.7 years for females in mid of the year 2014. The life expectancy is expected to increase during the coming years to reach 72.8 years for males and 75.7 years for females in the year 2020. The increase of life expectancy rate at birth resulted in the increase of the elderly number in Palestine which requires studying and researching the elderly situation in Palestine.
Distribution of Population in Palestine by Age Groups, Mid-2014
Increase of females percentage against males percentage
The percentage of males aged 60 and over in Palestine reached about 3.9% in 2014 against 4.9% for females with sex ratio 82.5 males against 100 females.
One household out of six households is headed by an elderly person
The percentage of households headed by an elderly person in the 2nd quarter of 2014 reached 17.3% in Palestine (18.7% in West Bank and 14.6% in Gaza Strip). The data indicates that the average size of the households headed by an elderly person is relatively small reached 3.4 individuals (3.1 in West Bank and 3.9 in Gaza Strip), against 5.8 for the households not presided over headed by an elderly person in the 2nd quarter of 2014.
Average of Household Size Headed by an Elderly person in Palestine by Region,
the Second Quarter of the year 2014
About Half of elderly females are widows
About 90.5% of the elderly males in Palestine are married against 40.7% of the elderly married females. The percentage of the elderly widowed males reached 8.9% against 52.2% for females in the 2nd quarter of the year 2014.
More than half of the working elderly are self-employed
The percentage of the elderly aged 60 and over participation in the labor force reached about 14.8% of the total labor force in Palestine during 2nd quarter of 2014, (17.0% in West Bank and 10.0%. in Gaza strip). The unemployed rate of elderly in Palestine reached 1.2% (0.5% in West Bank and 2.8% in Gaza strip). The unemployed rate of elderly males reached 2.5%. Data also indicates that 57.4% of the working elderly are self-employed; while 18.9% are paid employees.
Distribution of Labor Force of the Elderly by Region in Second Quarter 2014
More than one fifth of the elderly are living in poor families in 2011
The data indicated that the percentage of the elderly living in poor families in 2011 reached 22.2% which is equivalent to 4.7% of the total number of poor people in Palestine, knowing that the percentage of the elderly does not exceed 4.4% of the total population in Palestine . The percentage of the elderly living in poor families in West Bank reached 16.5% against 35.5% in Gaza Strip.
Knowing that the unemployment rate and poverty is expected to be doubled in Gaza Strip during Israeli aggression to reach record levels.
Percentage of the Elderly Living in Poor Families by Region, 2011
High percentage of illiterate elderly in 2013
Data indicates that there is a high percentage of illiterate elderly in 2013. The percentage of the elderly who have not completed any educational stage reached 51.8% (32.9% males and 67.3% females), and the percentage of illiteracy for elderly is 33.7% of the total elderly persons. They represent about 66.7% of the illiterate persons in Palestine. The percentage of the elderly who obtained diploma and higher is 11.5% in Palestine. Data on illiteracy of 2013 indicates that there is an obvious difference between males and females in receiving education where the percentage of the elderly males who have obtained a diploma and higher reached 18.6% against 5.8% for elderly females. Needless to note that the illiteracy percentage of individuals aged 15 and over does not exceed 3.7% (1.6% males against 5.9% females). The percentage of individuals aged 15 and over who obtained diploma and higher reached 17.1% of total population aged 15 and over in Palestine (17.4% males and 16.7% females).
Prevalence of chronic diseases among the elderly
The Palestinian Family Survey 2010 data indicates that 70.7% of the elderly aged 60 and over are infected with at least one chronic disease (71.6% in West Bank and 68.7% in Gaza strip) in Palestine. The data indicated that females are more infected with 75.4% against 64.7% males.
Percentage of the Prevalence of Chronic Diseases Among the Elderly by Region, 2010
Elderly males smoke 11 times more than elderly females
2010 data indicated that 15.0% of the total elderly in Palestine smoke (30.9% males and 2.7% females) and 18.0% in West Bank and 9.0% in Gaza Strip.