The demographics of Palestine, as defined by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), includes general population information for all Palestinians, including those not residing in the Palestinian territories. As of mid-2025, there are about 15.2 million Palestinians in the world, 7.8 million of them residing outside historic Palestine. Of those within the territories that comprise their historic homeland, 5.61 million Palestinians reside in the 1967 Palestinian territories, and 1.9 million in the 1948 territories (now modern Israel). Specific information on education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects is provided by the PCBS mainly for the Palestinian territories alone.
According to a commonly used definition as relating to an application of the 1949 Armistice Agreement green line, the Palestinian territories have contributory parts of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank (including East Jerusalem).
The Palestinian National Authority, the United Nations Security Council, the United Nations General Assembly, the European Union, the International Court of Justice, and the International Committee of the Red Cross use the terminology "Palestinian territories" or "occupied Palestinian territories". Israel refers to the administrative division encompassing Israeli-controlled Jewish-majority civilian areas of Area C of the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, as the Judea and Samaria Area (, Ezor Yehuda VeShomron).
The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics estimated (2017) that the collective population in the Palestinian territories amounted to 4,543,126 people in 2017. Thereof, 2,155,743 Arabs live in the West Bank, 1,795,183 Arabs live in the Gaza Strip, and 391,000 Jews live in the West Bank outside of East Jerusalem. Approximately 214,600 Jews live in East Jerusalem. East Jerusalem, once administered by Jordan, came under Israeli occupation after the 1967 Six-Day War. In the Palestinian territories, c. 86% of the population is Arab (predominantly Sunni), c. 13% is Jewish, other <1% (cf. Israel: Jewish 74%, Arab 21%, other 5%).
The demographic statistics of The World Factbook the 2023 estimated population of Israel including the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem is 9,043,387 (2023 est.). Of this population:
According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the number of Palestinians in the Palestinian Territories was 3,935,249 in 2009, resulting in a calculated population density of 654 capita per km<sup>2</sup>, of which 433 capita/km<sup>2</sup> in the West Bank including Jerusalem and 4,073 capita/km<sup>2</sup> in Gaza Strip. In the mid-2009, the share of population less than 15 years was 41.9% and above 65 years 3%.
According to the UN, the population in the State of Palestine was c. 4.9 million in 2017, resulting in an estimated population density of 817 capita per km<sup>2</sup>. However, a Census held on 1 December 2017 resulted in a total of 4,781.245. The estimate of the Palestine Central Bureau of Statistics for mid 2023 showed a population total of 5,483,450.
Out of 224 listed countries and territories, in 2018, the West Bank ranked 48th with a total fertility rate (TFR) of 3.2, and the Gaza Strip ranked 31st with a TFR of 3.97 according to The World Factbook. In 2018, the West Bank had an estimated population growth rate of 1.81% (country comparison to the world: 56th) and the Gaza Strip had a population growth rate of 2.25% (35th).
Census (01/12/2007) :
Source:
Source:
Average life expectancy at age 0 of the total population.
The following demographic statistics are from The World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.
Current: 2,098,389 (2023 est.)
In 2023 approximately 2.1 million Palestinians lived in the Gaza Strip, around 1.6 million of them UN-registered refugees.
0âÂÂ14 years: 44.1% (male 415,746/female 394,195)<br />15âÂÂ24 years: 21.3% (male 197,797/female 194,112)<br />25âÂÂ54 years: 28.5% (male 256,103/female 267,285)<br />55âÂÂ64 years: 3.5% (male 33,413/female 30,592)<br />65 years and over: 2.6% (male 24,863/female 22,607) (2018 est.)
Palestinian/Arab 98.7%
Sunni Muslim 98âÂÂ99%, Arab Christians 0.2% (2,000 to 3,000 est.), other, unaffiliated, unspecified <1.0% (2012 est.).
Arabic (Palestinian Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic), Hebrew (spoken by many older Gaza Palestinians), English (widely understood)
The following demographic statistics are from The World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.
Total 3,243,369 (2024 est.); 71.72% of the population is Arab (predominantly Sunni), 28.28% is Jewish (cf. Israel: Jewish 74%, Arab 21%, other 5%; and Gaza: Arab 99%)
Palestinian Arab: 83%<br />Israeli Jewish and other: 17%
Muslim 80âÂÂ85% (predominantly Sunni)<br />Jewish 12âÂÂ14%<br />Christian 1.0âÂÂ2.5%, (mainly Greek Orthodox)<br />Other religious minorities include Palestinian Metawalis, Palestinian Druze, and Palestinian Baha'is.
Arabic (Palestinian Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic), English (compulsory in schools, widely spoken by Palestinians), and Hebrew (spoken by Israeli Jews in the West Bank, and spoken by many Palestinians) are commonly known.