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4.29 M Total Population of Palestinian Territory Mid 2012, says Statistics

RAMALLAH, July 10, 2012 (WAFA) - The total Population of the Palestinian Territory at mid 2012 was about 4.29 million; 2.65 million in the West Bank and 1.64 million in the Gaza Strip, Tuesday said a press release issued on the eve of the international population day by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).

Based on estimates prepared by PCBS according to the results of the Population, Housing and Establishment Census of 2007, the total population of the Palestinian Territory at mid 2012 was about 4.29 million; 2.18 million males and 2.11 million females.

It said the estimated population of the West Bank was 2.65 million of which 1.35 million males and 1.30 million females, while the estimated population of Gaza totaled 1.64 million of which 835,000 males and 809,000 females. The percentage of urban population mid-2012 was about 73.8%, while the percentage of population in rural and camps areas was 16.8% and 9.4% respectively.

Data revealed that the population of the Palestinian Territory is a young population; the percentage of individuals aged (0-14) constituted 40.4% of the total population at mid 2012 of which 38.4% in the West Bank and 43.7% in Gaza. The elderly population aged 65 years and over constituted 2.9% of the total population of which 3.3% in the West Bank and 2.4% in Gaza of mid 2012.

Fertility in the Palestinian Territory is considered high compared to other countries, although data of last decade of last century revealed that fertility is declining.

Population projections revealed that crude birth rate in Palestinian Territory is expected to drop from 32.7 births per 1000 of the population in 2012 to 31.9 births in 2015.

Data showed that crude death rates are relatively low compared to rates prevailing in Arab countries, where crude death rate is expected to decline in the Palestinian Territory from 3.9 deaths per 1000 of the population in 2012 to 3.6 deaths per 1000 in 2015, the crude death rate in the West Bank is expected to drop from 4.0 in 2012 to 3.8 deaths per one thousand in 2015, while in Gaza, it is expected to drop from 3.8 deaths in 2012 to 3.5 per one thousand in 2015.

The total estimated households in the Palestinian Territory was 736,000 households; of which 482,000 households in the West Bank and 254,000 households in Gaza mid 2012.

Data revealed a decline in the average of households’ size in the Palestinian Territory during the period between 1997 and 2011 from 6.4 persons in 1997 to 5.8 in 2011. This average declined in the West Bank from 6.1 persons in 1997 to 5.6 in 2011, while it declined in Gaza from 6.9 persons to 6.4 for the same period.

The results of labor force survey revealed that the labor force participation rate in the 1st quarter of 2012 is 43.4% of the total labor force (Persons aged 15 years and above) of which 45.4% in the West Bank and 39.9% in Gaza.

The females participation rate in labor force is very low compared to males participation rate in the 1st quarter of 2012 is 17.3% of which 19.3% in the West Bank and 13.7% in Gaza, against 68.9% for males; of which 70.8% in the West Bank and 65.5% in Gaza Strip.

More than one fifth of participants in the labor force were unemployed in the 1st quarter of 2012 at 23.9% as of 20.1% in the West Bank and 31.5% in Gaza. Unemployment rate reached 31.5% among females compared to 22.0% among males, said the release.

The results of the Palestinian expenditure and consumption survey of 2011 revealed that the average monthly household expenditure on various goods and services amounted to 945.4 JDs in the Palestinian Territory as of 1058.4 JDs in the West Bank compared to 729.3 JD in Gaza.

The relative poverty line and the deep poverty line according to consumption patterns for reference household consisted of two adults and three children in the Palestinian Territory in 2012 were 2,293 NIS, and 1,832 NIS respectively.

The poverty rate among Palestinian individuals was 25.8; 17.8% in the West Bank, and 38.8% in Gaza Strip.

The 2011 data revealed that the percentage of individuals 15 years and over who completed university education (A bachelor degree and above) was 11.3%, while the percentage of individuals who did not complete any stage of education reached 10.8%.

Illiteracy rate among individuals aged 15 years or over in the Palestinian Territory was 4.7% in 2011; illiteracy gap is significantly noticed among males and females at 2.1% and 7.4% respectively.

The results showed differences in illiteracy rate between the West Bank and Gaza at 4.9% and 4.5% respectively.

The percentage of households who had personal computers in 2011 in the Palestinian Territory was 50.9% of which 53.2% in the West Bank and 46.5% in Gaza.

30.4% of households in the Palestinian Territory had Internet access in 2011 of which 30.6% in the West Bank and 30.0% in Gaza, it said.

About 113,000 people with disabilities in the Palestinian Territory, of which 2.7% of the total population in the West Bank and 2.4% of the total population in the Gaza Strip are with disabilities, said the release.

In 2011, the percentage of Palestinian households that a family member owned a housing unit was about 85.1% of which 80.7% in the West Bank and 93.6% in Gaza, while the percentage of households who were living in a rented houses in the Palestinian Territory was 7.0% of which 8.7% in the West Bank and 3.7% in Gaza.

T.R./F.R.