عربي
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) Presents the Conditions of the Palestinian Population on the Occasion of
The World Population Day, 11/07/2025
"8 Billion People, Infinite Possibilities: A Matter of Rights and Responsibilities."
World Population Day 2025, under the theme "8 Billion People, Infinite Potential: A Matter of Rights and Responsibilities," comes at a time when Palestine, specifically Gaza Strip, is suffering an unprecedented humanitarian and demographic catastrophe due to the ongoing Israeli aggression since October 2023.
While the global theme calls for human empowerment, ensuring health and reproductive rights, and equal opportunities, the reality in Gaza reflects the opposite of these values. Fundamental rights, including the rights to life, health, housing, education, and human dignity, are systematically violated.
Since October 7th, 2023, the Israeli occupation forces have waged a systematic war of extermination against the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip, accompanied by horrific massacres and widespread destruction of buildings, facilities, and infrastructure. This has also led to a near-total collapse of basic health and food services, depriving the population of their most basic rights to healthcare, including reproductive health services, which this year's theme emphasizes. This aggression has so far resulted in the death of more than 57,000 Palestinians, most of them were children and women, while nearly two million people have been forced to flee their homes, out of a population of approximately 2.2 million who lived in Gaza Strip on the eve of the Israeli aggression. The declining birth rate and the high number of martyrs and missing persons have distorted the demographic structure and led to a decline in natural population growth, threatening long-term societal stability even after the aggression ends.
In this context, World Population Day represents an opportunity to highlight the demographic tragedy in Palestine and call for urgent international intervention to halt violations and enable Palestinians to exercise their basic rights, particularly in Gaza Strip, which has become one of the most densely populated areas affected by continuous crises.
About 15 Million Palestinians in Historical Palestine and Diaspora
Based on population estimates prepared by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, there are about 15.2 million Palestinians in the world as of mid-2025, half of them resides outside historical Palestine, where there are about 5.61 million Palestinians reside in the State of Palestine (2.8 million males and 2.7 million females), and 1.9 million in the 1948 Territories. Estimates also indicate that the number of Palestinians in Diaspora has reached about 7.8 million, including 6.5 million in Arab countries.
Number of the Palestinian Population by Country of Residence, Mid-2025
The demographic reality of the population on the eve of the Israeli occupation aggression:
In light of the Israeli occupation aggression, horrific numbers of martyrs and injured, most of whom are children and women:
Since the Israeli occupation aggression on October 7th, 2023, more than 57 thousand Palestinians were martyred, constituting 2.4% of the total population of Gaza Strip, of whom about 18 thousand were children and about 12 thousand were women, in addition to about 11 thousand missing persons until the end of June 2025. Approximately 100 thousand Palestinians have also left Gaza Strip since the beginning of the brutal and ongoing Israeli aggression. The number of martyrs who died of famine reached 66 martyrs, and there is a possibility of death for 14 thousand infants due to malnutrition and lack of food. The number of injured reached about 130 thousand, 70% of whom were women and children. Meanwhile, the number of martyrs in the West Bank reached 990 martyrs, and 6,700 others were injured due to attacks by the Israeli occupation forces and settlers.
Estimates revealed that 39,384 children in Gaza Strip lost one or both parents after 534 days of the Israeli aggression, including about 17,000 children who lost both parents, finding themselves facing a harsh life without support or care.
Systematic targeting of the health system and the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza Strip
With the onset of the aggression, the Israeli occupation forces directly and systematically targeted the health system. Until May 2025, more than 94% of hospitals were destroyed or damaged, and 144 ambulances were targeted and destroyed. The Israeli attacks did not stop at the infrastructure but also targeted medical personnel themselves. Thousands of doctors, nurses, and technicians lost the ability to work. The number of martyrs among the medical personnel reached 1,411, in addition to 1,312 injured and 362 detained, apart from those who are missing and displaced.
About 11,000 cancer patients face the risk of death, including 5,000 cases urgently referred abroad for diagnosis or chemotherapy/radiation therapy, and 3,000 patients with various diseases needing treatment abroad. Infectious diseases spread widely among displaced persons, with about 2.13 million infected, including 71 thousand displaced persons infected with viral hepatitis.
A 10% decrease in the population of Gaza Strip compared to the estimate of mid-2025
As a result of the Israeli aggression, and according to the latest data, Gaza Strip has witnessed an unprecedented decline in population, due to the rising number of martyrs and missing persons, and the departure of thousands from Gaza Strip, along with a significant decrease in birth rates.
Population estimates indicate that the population has declined to approximately 2,129,724, representing a 6% decrease compared to the projection of mid-2024 estimates. Furthermore, the population dropped to 2,114,301, a decrease of 10% from what was estimated for mid-2025.
A fundamental shift is expected in the age and population pyramid of Gaza Strip population due to the deliberate targeting of younger age groups by the Israeli army, particularly children and youth. This targeting threatens to distort the shape of the population pyramid, especially its base, which represents the foundation of natural population growth in any society.
The impact is not limited to the present, but is expected to extend into the medium and long term. The loss of a significant portion of men and women of reproductive age is likely to lead to a future decline in birth rates. This will contribute to a growing demographic gap at the base of the population pyramid and will affect the population structure for decades to come.
The Palestinian community remains young, with 65% of the population under
the age of 30
Demographic estimates show that the Palestinian community is characterized by a distinctly young population structure, with individuals under the age of 30 accounting for 65% of the total population in Palestine. The data also reveal regional disparities, with this percentage reaching 63% in the West Bank and rising to 68% in Gaza Strip.
Estimates indicate that children (0–4 years) make up 14% of the total population in Palestine, (13% in the West Bank and 15% in Gaza Strip). Meanwhile, individuals under the age of 15 constitute approximately 37% of the population (35% in the West Bank and 40% in Gaza Strip). Children under the age of 18 represent 43% of the total population (41% in the West Bank and 47% in Gaza).
This youthful demographic structure highlights the urgent need to invest in key sectors such as education, healthcare, and employment, in order to empower this segment of the population and enable it to play an active role in shaping the future of Palestine.
The unemployment rate in the West Bank reached 31% in 2024
The number of unemployed persons in the West Bank increased to reach 313 thousand in 2024 compared to about 183 thousand in 2023. Additionally, unemployment rates among participants in the labour force in the West Bank increased to about 31% in 2024 compared to 18% in 2023. The unemployment rate increased among both males and females to reach 31.7% and 30.1%, respectively, in 2024.
The number of employed persons from the West Bank in Israel decreased by 10% during 2023 - 2024.
The number of employed persons (excluding employees abroad) decreased from approximately 815,000 in 2023 to approximately 681,000 in 2024, equivalent to 20%.
The number of employed persons from the West Bank in Israel decreased sharply during 2023 - 2024 by about 85 thousand employed persons, because of the strict closures imposed by the Israeli occupation after the Israeli aggression against Gaza Strip, where the number of employed persons in Israel was about 21 thousand in 2024 compared to about 107 thousand in 2023. The number of employed persons in the Israeli settlements decreased from 16 thousand in 2023 to 15 thousand in 2024.
A decrease in the number of employed persons in the local market in the West Bank during 2023 - 2024
The number of employed persons in the local market in the West Bank decreased from 685 thousand in 2023 to 650 thousand in 2024, equivalent to about 5%.
More than 17 thousand martyrs among students enrolled in schools and higher education institutions in Palestine
The number of martyrs among students enrolled in schools in Palestine reached 16,124 martyrs, with 16,019 martyrs in Gaza Strip and 105 martyrs in the West Bank since 07/10/2023 till 08/07/2025. The number of injured students enrolled in schools in Palestine reached 24,614 (23,913 injured in Gaza Strip and 701 injured in the West Bank). Regarding the detained students enrolled in schools, 367 students were detained in the West Bank. While the number of martyrs since the beginning of the aggression among students enrolled in higher education institutions in Palestine reached 1,191 students (1,156 students in Gaza Strip and 35 students in the West Bank). The number of the injured reached 2,577 (2,351 in Gaza Strip and 226 in the West Bank). In addition, more than 401 male and female students enrolled in universities in the West Bank were detained.
928 martyrs among employees in schools and higher education institutions
The number of martyrs from teachers and administrators in schools in Palestine reached 707 martyrs, 703 of whom were martyred during the Israeli raids on Gaza Strip, and 4 martyr in the West Bank since 07/10/2023 till 08/07/2025. While 221 employees in higher education institutions in Gaza Strip were killed as a result of the ongoing airstrikes. The number of injured teachers and administrators in schools and higher education institutions in Palestine reached 4,452 (4,431 in Gaza Strip and 21 in the West Bank). Meanwhile, more than 199 individuals who are teachers and administrators in schools and higher education institutions in the West Bank were detained.
25 Schools in Gaza Strip were removed from the educational register
As a natural reaction to the continuous bombing and violent Israeli raids on Gaza Strip and the death toll of students and teachers and the destruction of the infrastructure of a significant number of schools and universities, where 178 schools and universal buildings were completely destroyed, of which 25 schools were completely destroyed and 436 schools and university buildings were partially destroyed, with all schools and universities in Gaza Strip being closed since the beginning of the Israeli aggression, depriving more than 620 thousand students of their right to school education. More than 88 thousand students were also deprived of going to their universities, while about 39 thousand students were deprived of their right to take the General Secondary Certificate Examination in Gaza Strip for the second year.