West Bank

Code: WE | Region: Middle East

Introduction

Background

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The landlocked West Bank -- the larger of the two Palestinian territories -- is home to some three million Palestinians. Inhabited since at least the 15th century B.C., the area currently known as the West Bank has been dominated by a succession of different powers. In the early 16th century, it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire. The West Bank fell to British forces during World War I, becoming part of the British Mandate of Palestine. After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Transjordan (later renamed Jordan) captured the West Bank and annexed it in 1950; Israel then captured it in the Six-Day War in 1967. Under the Oslo Accords -- a series of agreements that were signed between 1993 and 1999 -- Israel transferred to the newly created Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for the many Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank, as well as the Gaza Strip. In addition to establishing the PA as an interim government, the Oslo Accords divided the West Bank into three areas, with one fully managed by the PA (Area A), another fully managed by Israel (Area C), and a third with shared control (Area B) until a permanent agreement could be reached between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel. In 2000, a violent intifada, or uprising, began across the Palestinian territories, and in 2001, negotiations for a permanent agreement between the PLO and Israel on final status issues stalled. Subsequent attempts to re-start direct negotiations have not resulted in progress toward determining final status of the area. The PA last held national elections in 2006, when the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) won a majority of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). Fatah, the dominant Palestinian political faction in the West Bank, and HAMAS failed to maintain a unity government, leading to violent clashes between their respective supporters and to HAMAS's violent seizure of all PA military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip in 2007. In 2018, the Palestinian Constitutional Court dissolved the PLC. In recent years, Fatah and HAMAS have made several attempts at reconciliation, but the factions have been unable to implement agreements.

Geography

Location

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Middle East, west of Jordan, east of Israel

Geographic coordinates

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32 00 N, 35 15 E

Map references

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Middle East

Area

total

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5,860 sq km

land

text

5,640 sq km

water

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220 sq km

note

note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967

Area - comparative

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slightly smaller than Delaware

Land boundaries

total

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478 km

border countries

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Israel 330 km; Jordan 148 km

Coastline

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0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims

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none (landlocked)

Climate

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temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters

Terrain

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mostly rugged, dissected upland in west, flat plains descending to Jordan River Valley to the east

Elevation

highest point

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Khallat al Batrakh 1,020 m

lowest point

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Dead Sea -431 m

Natural resources

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arable land

Land use

agricultural land

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64.9% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

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arable land: 7% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

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permanent crops: 11.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

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permanent pasture: 46.1% (2023 est.)

forest

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1.8% (2023 est.)

other

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32.1% (2023 est.)

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note: includes Gaza Strip

Irrigated land

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(2013) 151 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip

Major lakes (area sq km)

salt water lake(s)

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Dead Sea (shared with Jordan and Israel) - 1,020 sq km note - endorheic hypersaline lake; 9.6 times saltier than the ocean; lake shore is 431 meters below sea level

Population distribution

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the most populous Palestinian communities in the West Bank are located in the central ridge and western half of its territory; Jewish settlements are located throughout the West Bank, the most populous in the Seam Zone -- between the 1949 Armistice Line and the separation barrier -- and around Jerusalem

Natural hazards

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droughts

Geography - note

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landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers (2017)

People and Society

Population

total

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3,310,554 (2025 est.)

male

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1,682,493

female

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1,628,061

note

note: approximately 468,300 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank (2022); approximately 236,600 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusalem (2021)

Ethnic groups

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Palestinian Arab, Jewish, other

Languages

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Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)

major-language sample(s)

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كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

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Muslim 80-85% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 12-14%, Christian 1-2.5% (mainly Greek Orthodox), other, unaffiliated, unspecified <1% (2012 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years

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36.7% (male 609,497/female 579,227)

15-64 years

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59.5% (male 979,719/female 949,746)

65 years and over

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3.9% (2024 est.) (male 59,234/female 65,946)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio

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68.2 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

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61.4 (2025 est.)

elderly dependency ratio

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6.8 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

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14.8 (2025 est.)

Median age

total

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22 years (2025 est.)

male

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21.6 years

female

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22.1 years

Population growth rate

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2.03% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

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27.24 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

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3.2 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

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-3.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Population distribution

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Urbanization

urban population

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77.6% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization

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2.85% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

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note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Sex ratio

at birth

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1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years

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1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

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1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over

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0.9 male(s)/female

total population

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1.03 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

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16 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

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note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Infant mortality rate

total

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14.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male

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17.5 deaths/1,000 live births

female

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12.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population

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76.5 years (2024 est.)

male

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74.4 years

female

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78.8 years

Total fertility rate

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3.44 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

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1.67 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban

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urban: 98% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

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rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

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total: 98.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

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urban: 2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

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total: 1.6% of population (2022 est.)

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note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Health expenditure

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13.5% of national budget (2022 est.)

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note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Physician density

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3.25 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Hospital bed density

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1.3 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban

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urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: rural

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rural: 99% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

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total: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

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urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

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rural: 1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

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total: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)

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note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

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2.1% (2020 est.)

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note: estimate is for Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

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62.4% (2020 est.)

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note: data includes Gaza and the West Bank

Child marriage

women married by age 15

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0.7% (2020)

women married by age 18

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13.4% (2020)

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note: includes both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Education expenditure

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5.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

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note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Literacy

total population

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98% (2022 est.)

male

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99% (2022 est.)

female

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97% (2022 est.)

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note: estimates are for Gaza and the West Bank

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total

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13 years (2023 est.)

male

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12 years (2023 est.)

female

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14 years (2023 est.)

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note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Environment

Environmental issues

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adequacy of freshwater supply; sewage treatment

Climate

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temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters

Land use

agricultural land

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64.9% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

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arable land: 7% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

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permanent crops: 11.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

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permanent pasture: 46.1% (2023 est.)

forest

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1.8% (2023 est.)

other

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32.1% (2023 est.)

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note: includes Gaza Strip

Urbanization

urban population

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77.6% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization

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2.85% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

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note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Carbon dioxide emissions

total emissions

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3.913 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

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3.913 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

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note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Particulate matter emissions

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31.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

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1.387 million tons (2024 est.)

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note: data represent combined total from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Total water withdrawal

municipal

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251 million cubic meters (2022)

industrial

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37 million cubic meters (2022)

agricultural

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158 million cubic meters (2022)

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note: data represent combined total from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Total renewable water resources

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837 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

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note: data represent combined total from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Government

Country name

conventional long form

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none

conventional short form

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West Bank

etymology

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name refers to the location of the British Mandate of Palestine that was occupied and administered by Jordan in 1948, on the west bank of the Jordan River; the designation was retained after the 1967 Six-Day War and subsequent changes in administration

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites

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4 (all cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales

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Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan; Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem; Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town; Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir

Economy

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

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$20.339 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

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$27.694 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

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$29.016 billion (2022 est.)

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note: data in 2021 dollars; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2024

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-26.6% (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

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-4.6% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

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4.1% (2022 est.)

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note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

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$3,800 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

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$5,400 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

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$5,800 (2022 est.)

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note: data in 2021 dollars; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

GDP (official exchange rate)

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$13.711 billion (2024 est.)

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note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

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53.7% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

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5.9% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

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3.7% (2022 est.)

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note: annual % change based on consumer prices; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

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5.7% (2022 est.)

industry

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17.4% (2022 est.)

services

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58.3% (2022 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption

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95.5% (2024 est.)

government consumption

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20.7% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

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24.7% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

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1.7% (2024 est.)

exports of goods and services

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21% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

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-60.3% (2024 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Agricultural products

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tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, poultry, milk, potatoes, sheep milk, eggplants, gourds

Industries

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small-scale manufacturing, quarrying, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs

Industrial production growth rate

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-32.2% (2024 est.)

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note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Labor force

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1.391 million (2022 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

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24.5% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

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26.4% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

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25.9% (2020 est.)

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note: % of labor force seeking employment; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total

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36.1% (2022 est.)

male

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31.6% (2022 est.)

female

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56.6% (2022 est.)

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note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Population below poverty line

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29.2% (2016 est.)

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note: % of population with income below national poverty line; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2023

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36.4 (2023 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%

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2.5% (2023 est.)

highest 10%

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27.1% (2023 est.)

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note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Remittances

Remittances 2024

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5.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Remittances 2023

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18.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2022

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24% of GDP (2022 est.)

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Budget

revenues

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$1.409 billion (2021 est.)

expenditures

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$1.499 billion (2021 est.)

note

note: central government revenues and expenditures (excluding grants and social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Public debt

Public debt 2013

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23.8% of GDP (2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

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21.5% (of GDP) (2021 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Current account balance

Current account balance 2024

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-$2.899 billion (2024 est.)

Current account balance 2023

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-$2.895 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2022

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-$2.037 billion (2022 est.)

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note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Exports

Exports 2024

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$2.885 billion (2024 est.)

Exports 2023

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$3.413 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2022

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$3.533 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Exports - partners

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Jordan 51%, Turkey 12%, UAE 8%, Saudi Arabia 5%, UK 4% (2023)

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note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports; entry includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Exports - commodities

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scrap iron, tropical fruits, olive oil, building stone, prepared meat (2023)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars; entry includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Imports

Imports 2024

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$8.264 billion (2024 est.)

Imports 2023

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$11.637 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2022

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$12.257 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Imports - partners

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Egypt 25%, Jordan 17%, China 8%, Germany 7%, UAE 7% (2023)

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note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports; entry includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Imports - commodities

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cement, raw sugar, cars, baked goods, perfumes (2023)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars; entry includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

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$1.328 billion (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

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$1.323 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

text

$896.9 million (2022 est.)

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Exchange rates

Currency

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new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

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3.7 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

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3.67 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

text

3.36 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

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3.23 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

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3.442 (2020 est.)

Energy

Electricity access

electrification - total population

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100% (2022 est.)

note

note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Electricity

installed generating capacity

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352,000 kW (2023 est.)

consumption

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6.956 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports

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6.925 billion kWh (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

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988 million kWh (2023 est.)

note

note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

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66.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

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33.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

note

note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Coal

exports

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1 metric tons (2023 est.)

note

note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

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29,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

note

note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

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14.991 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

note

note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions

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383,653 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

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7 (2023 est.)

note

note: entry includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions

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4,148,420 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

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77 (2023 est.)

note

note: entry includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Broadcast media

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the Palestinian Authority operates 1 TV and 1 radio station; about 20 private TV and 40 radio stations; Jordanian TV and satellite TV accessible

Internet country code

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.ps

note

note: IANA has designated .ps for the West Bank, same as Gaza Strip

Internet users

percent of population

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87% (2023 est.)

note

note: includes the Gaza Strip

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total

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431,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

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8 (2023 est.)

note

note: includes the Gaza Strip

Transportation

Airports

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1 (2025)

Heliports

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2 (2025)

Military and Security

Military and security forces

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per the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority (PA) is not permitted a conventional military but maintains security and police forces; PA security personnel have operated exclusively in the West Bank since HAMAS seized power in the Gaza Strip in 2007; PA forces include the Palestinian National Security Forces, Presidential Guard, Civil Police, Civil Defense, Preventive Security Organization, the General Intelligence Organization, and the Military Intelligence Organization (2024)

note

note: the National Security Forces conduct gendarmerie-style security operations in circumstances that exceed the capabilities of the Civil Police; it is the largest branch of the PA security services and acts as the internal Palestinian security force; the Presidential Guard protects facilities and provides dignitary protection; the Preventive Security Organization is responsible for internal intelligence gathering and investigations related to internal security cases, including political dissent

Military expenditures

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not available

Military and security service personnel strengths

text

the PA police and security forces have approximately 28,000 active personnel, including about 11,500 National Security Forces (2024)

Military - note

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Palestinian Authority security forces maintain security control of 17.5% (called Area A) of the West Bank, as agreed by the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel in the Oslo Accords, although Israeli security forces frequently conducted security operations there; Israeli security forces maintain responsibility for the remaining 82.5% of the West Bank, including Area B (22.5%), where the Palestinian Authority has administrative control, and Area C (60%), where Israel maintains administrative control (2024)

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s)

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Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade; HAMAS; Palestine Islamic Jihad; Palestine Liberation Front; Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Transnational Issues

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

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2,032,011 (2024 est.)