Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
8 (2023 est.)
Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total
431,000 (2023 est.)
Communications: Broadcast media
1 TV station and about 10 radio stations; satellite TV accessible
Communications: Internet country code
.ps
Communications: Internet users: percent of population
87% (2023 est.)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
7 (2023 est.)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions
383,653 (2023 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
77 (2023 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions
4,148,420 (2023 est.)
Economy: Agricultural products
tomatoes, milk, cucumbers/gherkins, olives, potatoes, sheep milk, eggplants, pumpkins/squash, grapes, goat milk (2023)
Economy: Budget
see entry for the West Bank
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2022
-$2.037 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2023
-$2.895 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2024
-$2.899 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates
see entry for the West Bank
Economy: Exports - commodities
scrap iron, tropical fruits, olive oil, building stone, prepared meat (2023)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2022
$3.533 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2023
$3.413 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2024
$2.885 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: exports of goods and services
21% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: government consumption
20.7% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption
95.5% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: imports of goods and services
-60.3% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in fixed capital
21.8% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in inventories
1.7% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture
5.7% (2022 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: industry
17.4% (2022 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: services
58.3% (2022 est.)
Economy: GDP (official exchange rate)
$13.711 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2023
36.4 (2023 est.)
Economy: Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%
27.1% (2023 est.)
Economy: Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
2.5% (2023 est.)
Economy: Imports - commodities
cement, raw sugar, cars, baked goods, perfumes (2023)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2022
$12.257 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2023
$11.637 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2024
$8.264 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Industrial production growth rate
-32.2% (2024 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
3.7% (2022 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
5.9% (2023 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
53.7% (2024 est.)
Economy: Labor force
1.391 million (2022 est.)
Economy: Population below poverty line
29.2% (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
$29.016 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
$27.694 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
$20.339 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2022
4.1% (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2023
-4.6% (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2024
-26.6% (2024 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2022
$5,800 (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2023
$5,400 (2023 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2022
24% of GDP (2022 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2023
18.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2024
5.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
$896.9 million (2022 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
$1.323 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
$1.328 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Taxes and other revenues
21.5% (of GDP) (2021 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2020
25.9% (2020 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2021
26.4% (2021 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2022
24.5% (2022 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): female
56.6% (2022 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): male
31.6% (2022 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): total
36.1% (2022 est.)
Energy: Coal: exports
1 metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - total population
100% (2022 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels
66.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: solar
33.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: consumption
6.956 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: imports
6.925 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: installed generating capacity
352,000 kW (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: transmission/distribution losses
988 million kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2023
14.991 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: refined petroleum consumption
29,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from petroleum and other liquids
3.913 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions
3.913 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Climate
temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
Environment: Environmental issues
soil degradation; desertification; water pollution from chemicals and pesticides; salination of fresh water; improper sewage treatment; depletion and contamination of underground water resources
Environment: Land use: agricultural land
64.9% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 7% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 11.8% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 46.1% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: forest
1.8% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: other
32.1% (2023 est.)
Environment: Particulate matter emissions
31.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Environment: Total renewable water resources
837 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: agricultural
158 million cubic meters (2022)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: industrial
37 million cubic meters (2022)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: municipal
251 million cubic meters (2022)
Environment: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
2.85% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: urban population
77.6% of total population (2023)
Environment: Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually
1.387 million tons (2024 est.)
Geography: Area - comparative
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, D.C.
Geography: Area: land
360 sq km
Geography: Area: water
0 sq km
Geography: Coastline
40 km
Geography: Elevation: highest point
Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Awdah) 105 m
Geography: Elevation: lowest point
Mediterranean Sea 0 m
Geography: Geographic coordinates
31 25 N, 34 20 E
Geography: Geography - note
once a strategic strip of land along Mideast-North African trade routes
Geography: Irrigated land
(2013) 151 sq km; note - includes the West Bank
Geography: Land boundaries: border countries
Egypt 13 km; Israel 59 km
Geography: Land boundaries: total
72 km
Geography: Land use: agricultural land
64.9% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 7% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 11.8% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 46.1% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: forest
1.8% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: other
32.1% (2023 est.)
Geography: Map references
Middle East
Geography: Maritime claims
see entry for Israel
Geography: Natural hazards
droughts
Geography: Population distribution
population concentrated in major cities, particularly Gaza City in the north
Geography: Terrain
flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
Government: Country name: conventional short form
Gaza, Gaza Strip
Government: Country name: etymology
named for the largest city in the enclave, Gaza, whose settlement can be traced back to at least the 15th century B.C. (as "Ghazzat"); "Strip" refers to its elongated shape along the Mediterranean
Government: Country name: local long form
none
Government: Country name: local short form
Qita' Ghazzah
Introduction: Background
The Gaza Strip has been under the de facto governing authority of the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) since 2007 and has faced years of conflict, poverty, and humanitarian crises. Inhabited since at least the 15th century B.C., the Gaza Strip area has been dominated by many different peoples and empires throughout its history; it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in the early 16th century. The Gaza Strip fell to British forces during World War I, becoming a part of the British Mandate of Palestine. Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Egypt administered the newly formed Gaza Strip; Israel captured it in the Six-Day War in 1967. Under a series of agreements known as the Oslo Accords signed between 1993 and 1999, Israel transferred to the newly-created Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for many Palestinian-populated areas of the Gaza Strip, as well as the West Bank. In 2000, a violent intifada or uprising began in response to perceived Israeli provocations, and in 2001, negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip stalled. Subsequent attempts to re-start negotiations have not resulted in progress toward determining final status and resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel in 2005 unilaterally withdrew all of its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip, but it continues to control the Gaza Strip’s land borders, maritime territorial waters, cyberspace, telecommunications, and airspace. In 2006, HAMAS won a majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council election. 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 HAMAS's violent seizure of all PA military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip in 2007. Since HAMAS's takeover, Israel and Egypt have enforced tight restrictions on movement and access of goods and individuals into and out of the territory. Fatah and HAMAS have since negotiated a series of agreements aimed at restoring political unity between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank but have struggled to enact them. Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip and the Israel Defense Forces periodically exchange projectiles and air strikes, respectively, threatening broader conflict. In 2021, HAMAS launched rockets into Israel, sparking an 11-day conflict that also involved other Gaza-based militant groups. Egypt, Qatar, and the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process negotiated ceasefires, averting a broader conflict. Since 2018, HAMAS has coordinated demonstrations along the Gaza-Israel security fence. HAMAS has also stood by while other militant groups, such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad, fought brief conflicts with Israel, most recently in August 2022 and May 2023. On 7 October 2023, HAMAS militants inside the Gaza Strip launched a combined unguided rocket and ground attack into Israel. The attack began with a barrage of more than 3,000 rockets fired toward Israel from Gaza, and included thousands of terrorists infiltrating Israel by land, sea, and air via paragliders. Militants attacked military bases, clashed with security forces mostly in southern Israel, and simultaneously infiltrated civilian communities. During the attack, terrorists carried out massacres and murdered civilians, including torture, acts of abuse and rape, a massacre at the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re'im, as well as kidnapping approximately 240 civilians, including men, women, children, and soldiers. These attacks were followed soon after by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) air strikes inside Gaza. The next day, Israeli Prime Minister NETANYAHU formally declared war on Gaza. The IDF on 28 October launched a large-scale ground assault inside Gaza that is ongoing as of April 2024.
Military and Security: Military and security forces
HAMAS maintains security forces inside Gaza in addition to its military wing, the 'Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades; the military wing ostensibly reports to the HAMAS Political Bureau but operates with considerable autonomy; there are several other militant groups operating in the Gaza Strip, most notably the Al-Quds Brigades of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which are usually but not always beholden to HAMAS's authority (2025)
Military and Security: Military and security service personnel strengths
prior to the start of the 2023-2025 conflict with Israel, the military wing of HAMAS was estimated to have 20-30,000 fighters (2024)
People and Society: Age structure: 0-14 years
38.8% (male 427,450/female 404,288)
People and Society: Age structure: 15-64 years
58.3% (male 627,235/female 620,903)
People and Society: Age structure: 65 years and over
2.9% (2024 est.) (male 31,655/female 30,112)
People and Society: Birth rate
26.05 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Child marriage: women married by age 15
0.7% (2020)
People and Society: Child marriage: women married by age 18
13.4% (2020)
People and Society: Children under the age of 5 years underweight
2.1% (2020 est.)
People and Society: Currently married women (ages 15-49)
62.4% (2020 est.)
People and Society: Death rate
2.77 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: elderly dependency ratio
5.1 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: potential support ratio
19.7 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio
69.6 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: youth dependency ratio
64.5 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: total
total: 98.9% of population
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: total
total: 1.1% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditure
5.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
People and Society: Ethnic groups
Palestinian Arab
People and Society: Gross reproduction rate
1.52 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Health expenditure
13.5% of national budget (2022 est.)
People and Society: Hospital bed density
1.3 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.)
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: female
13.8 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: male
16.3 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: total
14.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
People and Society: Languages: Languages
Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
People and Society: Languages: major-language sample(s)
كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: female
77.4 years
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: male
73.7 years
People and Society: Literacy: female
97% (2022 est.)
People and Society: Literacy: male
99% (2022 est.)
People and Society: Literacy: total population
98% (2022 est.)
People and Society: Major urban areas - population
778,000 Gaza (2023)
People and Society: Maternal mortality ratio
16 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
People and Society: Median age: female
19.8 years
People and Society: Median age: male
19.3 years
People and Society: Net migration rate
-3.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Physician density
2.17 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
People and Society: Population distribution
population concentrated in major cities, particularly Gaza City in the north
People and Society: Population growth rate
1.96% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Population: female
1,076,430
People and Society: Population: male
1,108,222
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: rural
rural: 99% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: total
total: 99.8% of population
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: urban
urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: rural
rural: 1% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: total
total: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: urban
urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): female
14 years (2023 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): male
12 years (2023 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total
13 years (2023 est.)
People and Society: Sex ratio: 0-14 years
1.06 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 15-64 years
1.01 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 65 years and over
1.05 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: at birth
1.06 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: total population
1.03 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
People and Society: Total fertility rate
3.14 children born/woman (2025 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
2.85% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: urban population
77.6% of total population (2023)
Terrorism: Terrorist group(s)
Army of Islam; Abdallah Azzam Brigades; al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade; HAMAS; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ); Palestine Liberation Front; Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP); PFLP-General Command
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: IDPs
2,032,011 (2024 est.)
Warning: Some information might be outdated or incorrect, please check statistics before using(most of the economical stats are correct, its mostly the Population stats that are incorrect). Some dates are listed but some are missed, if you have any issues please report it to the Github at github.com.