Palestine Population 2024 (Live)

5,456,866

Palestine Population Growth

The above-average birth rate in Palestine has kept the annual growth rate very high for the past few decades. Despite consistent negative net migration, the population continues to swell while the average woman in Palestine gives birth to around 4 children. The growth rate has slowed somewhat in recent years, but not by much. As of 2019, the population in Palestine was growing 2.65% annually.

Palestine Population Projections

The trend of declining growth rate is expected to continue in years to come. Current projections believe that the annual growth rate in Palestine will peak in 2020 at 2.68% before dropping over an entire percentage point by 2050. If these predictions prove true, the population of Palestine will be close to 5,322,629 in 2020, 6,739,073 in 2030, 8,208,074 in 2040 and 9.704,205 by 2050.

Population Rank
Growth Rate
2024 World Percentage
Land Area
6,020
The current population of Palestine is 5,456,866 based on projections of the latest United Nations data. The UN estimates the July 1, 2024 population at 5,494,963.

Palestine Growth Rate

Palestine Population 2024 (Live)

Palestine Population Clock

Palestine Population (as of 3/11/2024)5,456,866
Next UN Estimate (July 1, 2024)5,494,963
Births per Day404
Deaths per Day47
Migrations per Day-14
Net Change per Day343
Population Change Since Jan. 124,353

Components of Population Change

One birth every 3.57 minutes
One death every 30.63 minutes
One emigrant every 102.85 minutes
Net gain of one person every 4.2 minutes

Palestine Population Clock

City
2024 Population
East Jerusalem428,304
Gaza410,000
Khan Yunis173,183
Jabalya168,568
Hebron160,470
Nablus130,326
Rafah126,305
Dayr al Balah59,504
Bayt Lahya56,919
Tulkarm44,169

Palestine Area and Population Density

The State of Palestine claims two territories: the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The U.N. considers both regions occupied by Israel, although Palestinians do control some parts of both. Palestine is broken into Area A, which is fully governed by Palestinians; Area B, which has shared control; and Area C, which is under full Israeli control. In 2014, negotiations between Palestine and Israel failed and escalated into a war between Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, and Israel. The entire surface area of the country is 2,402 square miles (6,220 square kilometers), which ranks 170th in the world in terms of size.

The Palestine population in Gaza and the West Bank is estimated at 4.817 million as of 2017. Using this figure, the population density of Palestine is 2,005 people per square mile (774 people per square kilometer,) which is roughly the 7th most densely populated country in the world, but this number is not official because of the border discrepancies.

Largest Cities in Palestine

Near three-quarters of people living in Palestine reside in an urban environment. As a city-state, technically Palestine is the only city within itself, although the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem are considered to be part of it. Regardless, no real data is available about metropolitan areas in Palestine because of its status as a city-state.

Palestine Population Density Map

Download Table Data

Enter your email below, and you'll receive this table's data in your inbox momentarily.

Year
Population
Growth Rate
Density (/km²)
Population Rank
Density Rank
20245,494,9632.28%91312113
20235,371,2302.25%89212113
20205,019,4012.23%83412412
20194,909,7752.17%81612412
20184,805,5472.23%79812512
20174,700,9472.33%78112512
20154,484,6142.35%74512512
20103,992,2782.43%66312613
20053,541,1932.43%58812916
20003,139,9543.66%52213216
19952,623,1444.31%43613319
19902,124,6094.18%35313823
19851,731,0853.56%28814329
19801,453,6202.84%24114430
19751,263,7062.48%21014333
19701,118,241-0.53%18614335
19651,148,5171.35%19113830
19601,073,8421.49%17813731
1955997,1171.08%16613630

Palestine Population by Year (Historical)

Download Table Data

Enter your email below, and you'll receive this table's data in your inbox momentarily.

Year
Population
Growth Rate
Density (/km²)
Population Rank
Density Rank
20245,494,9632.28%91312113
20255,620,6052.29%93411913
20306,256,9492.17%1,03911613
20356,907,3062%1,14711313
20407,568,4881.85%1,25711212
20458,226,3081.68%1,36611111
20508,861,7471.5%1,47210811
20559,466,0681.33%1,57210411
206010,036,1501.18%1,6671029
206510,568,5151.04%1,7561009
207011,056,6180.91%1,837989
207511,496,8650.78%1,910988
208011,876,8200.65%1,973978
208512,196,2800.53%2,026978
209012,454,8540.42%2,069978
209512,658,1400.32%2,103968

Palestine Population by Year (Projections)

Palestine Population Pyramid 2024

Palestine Median Age

21.9

Total

21.7

Male

22.2

Female

Palestine Population by Age

There are people over age 18 in Palestine.

Census Years

Year
Date
20172017
200716 December 2007
19979 December 1997

Palestine Population Pyramid

Palestine is a region between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, although adjacent territories are sometimes considered a part of Palestine. The region is between Egypt, Arabia and Syria and it is the birthplace of Christianity and Judaism. Palestine is also known as the Land of Israel, the Promised Land and the Holy Land. The boundaries of Palestine have changed many times.

Palestine is now considered a country by the U.N. and most of its members. While it is recognized as a sovereign state, Palestine does not actually possess any land, and most of the territory called Palestine is controlled by Israel.

Palestine Demographics

There are estimated to be 4.43 million Palestinians in the State of Palestine in 2014, with 1.7 million living in the Gaza Strip and 2.8 million in the West Bank. According to the UN, over 1.5 million Palestinian refugees live in camps in countries in the area, with about 4 million Palestinian refugees in neighboring countries but outside of refugee camps.

The number of Palestinians in Israel, the Occupied Gaza Strip, Occupied East Jerusalem and the Occupied West Bank is now estimated at over 5.3 million, exceeding the Jewish population of 5.2 million.

By 2035, the Jewish population in Israel/Palestine is projected to reach 46%. The Palestinian population in Palestine is growing at about 2.4% per year, which is 33% higher than Israel's growth rate. The population is also the youngest in the region, with a birth rate of over 4 children to every woman.

40% of the Palestinian population is under 14 years old, while people at least 65 years old account for just 2.9% of the population.

Palestine Religion, Economy and Politics

Islam is the predominant religion in Palestine, with nearly 85% of people practicing it in Palestine as a whole, and 99% practicing it in the Gaza Strip. The majority of Muslims in Palestine practice Shafi'i Islam. Shia Islam is common in the Gaza Strip and Ahmadiyya Islam is often found in the West Bank. Aside from Islam, 6% of Palestinians are practicing Christians of a variety of denominations. There are also pockets of Jewish people within Eastern Jerusalem. There is no official religion in Palestine and it is generally assumed that there is freedom of religion.

The economy in Palestine has no been very strong in recent years with nearly 80% of the nation's GDP coming from foreign aid. The restrictive regime of Israel and the internal divide between the West Bank and Gaza has kept the private sector from being able to flourish.

There are two competing governments within Palestine: the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with the latter claiming to be able to govern the former. The government of the Palestinian National Authority is a semi-presidential multi-party republic. This means that the president is the head of state, elected by popular vote, and a prime minister is appointed by the president to direct the parliament.

Palestine Population History

The region of Palestine has a long and very tumultuous history, with a strategic location and as the birthplace of major religions. It has been controlled by many groups, including the Ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, Persians, Ancient Greeks, Romans, early Muslims, later Muslims, modern Israelis and Palestinians. The region was one of the first in the world to see civilization.

While both Jews and Arab Muslims have claimed the land for thousands of years, today's conflict began in the start of the 20th century as Jews fleeing persecution in Europe attempted to establish a homeland in what was then a Muslim and Arab majority territory of the British Empire. The Arabs resisted. An early attempt by the U.S. to give each part of the land failed, and several wars have been fought over the region. The war of 1967 left Israel in control of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, which are home to large Palestinian populations.

Palestine Population Rank 2024
Area (km²)
6,220
2024 Growth Rate
Capital
GDP (IMF '23)
-
GDP (UN '22)
$19.11 Bn

Palestine - General Info

Sources