Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)

 In line with the policy of proactive dissemination and on the occasion of International Children’s Day, PCBS presents the following statistics on children in Palestine.

Children form almost half of the Palestinian population

In 2012, there were 2.05 million children under the age of 18, constituting 47.7 percent of the total population in the Palestinian Territory: 45.5 percent in the West Bank and 51.0 percent in the Gaza Strip.

Demographic figures show that the Palestinian population is young. Children under the age of five make up 14.7 percent of the total population residing in the Palestinian Territory: 13.3 percent of children are aged between 5-9 years; 12.5 percent are in the 10-14 years age group; and 7.2 percent are in the 15-17 year age group.

Poverty greater among children in Gaza than in West Bank

The average poverty level among Palestinian households based on patterns of consumption was 20.7 percent in 2011: 14.5 percent in the West Bank and 32.6 percent in the Gaza Strip. Also, 27.2 percent of all children suffer from poverty: 18.5 percent in the West Bank and 39.3 percent in the Gaza Strip. Greater poverty is apparent in Gazan households with children: 56.5 percent of poor households have children versus 43.5 percent in the West Bank.

Children in the labor market

Some 4.6 percent of all children aged 10-17 years were working, with or without pay, in the second quarter 2012: 6.7 percent in the West Bank and 1.3 percent in the Gaza Strip.

The number of male children engaged in work was higher than for females: 8.5 percent of male children compared to 0.6 percent of female children.

The proportion of children attending school and also engaged in child labor was

2.5 percent in the second quarter 2012: 4.1 percent in the West Bank and 0.2 percent in the Gaza Strip, and was higher among male children: 4.7 percent of male children compared to 0.4 percent of female children.

Drop-out rate from elementary school higher among males

The drop-out rate from elementary school for the 2010/2011 academic year was 1.3 percent among male children compared to 0.6 percent among females. In secondary schools, the rate was 3.2 percent of males compared to 3.3 percent of females. Failure rates at elementary school level during 2010/2011 were 2.8 percent of males and 2.6 percent of females. At secondary level, the rate was 2.4 percent of males and 2.1 percent of females.

Low enrolment in early education programmes

Just 15.3 percent of children aged 3-4 years attended an organized early education programme in 2010: 15.6 percent of males compared to 14.9 percent of females. The rate rose to 25.0 percent among children aged 4 years compared to 5.3 percent among those aged 3 years.

About quarter of fathers don’t engage with their children in any activities that promote learning and school readiness

More than half of children aged 3-4 years participated in more than four activities that promote learning and school readiness with an adult household member in the three days prior to data collection in 2010. 

The average number of activities engaged in was four. Over the same period, 77 percent of fathers participated in at least one activity with their children.

Higher computer use among West Bank children than in Gaza

The percentage of children aged 10-17 years using a computer was 75.1 percent: 81.9 percent in the West Bank and 64.4 percent in the Gaza Strip. There was no significant difference in use between males (76.7 percent) and females (73.5 percent) in 2011.

About four out of ten children (43.6 percent) have access to the Internet and how to use it. Around two out of ten children (17.4 percent) have Internet access but do not use it, while four out of ten children (39.0 percent) lack even minimal knowledge of the Internet.

Parental violence against children

Around 51.0 percent of children aged      12-17 years had been exposed to violence inside the household by an individual member of the household in the 12 months preceding July 2011: 45.8 percent in the West Bank compared to 59.4 percent in the Gaza Strip. Of these, 69.0 percent had been

exposed to psychological violence by their parents and 34.4 percent to physical violence. Mothers were responsible for 66.4 percent of psychological violence and 34.5 percent of physical violence inflicted on children.

Orphans in the Palestinian Territory

In 2010, 3 percent of children aged 0-17 years were orphans (had lost one or both parents): 2.6 percent in the West Bank and 2.7 percent in the Gaza Strip. 

Childhood marriage

Some 35.5 percent of women in the 15-49 year age group were married before the

age of 18: 34.3 percent in the West Bank and 37.6 percent in the Gaza Strip. In addition, 4.6 percent of females were married below the age of 15.