2020 Edition

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.

Area

land

360 sq km

total

360 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than twice the size of Washington, D.C.

Climate

temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers

Coastline

40 km

Elevation

highest point

Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Awdah) 105 m

lowest point

Mediterranean Sea 0 m

Geographic coordinates

31 25 N, 34 20 E

Geography - note

once a strategic strip of land along Mideast-North African trade routes

Irrigated land

(2013) 151 sq km; note - includes the West Bank

Land boundaries

border countries

Egypt 13 km; Israel 59 km

total

72 km

Land use

agricultural land

64.9% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 7% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 11.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 46.1% (2023 est.)

forest

1.8% (2023 est.)

other

32.1% (2023 est.)

Location

Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

see entry for Israel

Natural hazards

droughts

Natural resources

arable land, natural gas

Population distribution

population concentrated in major cities, particularly Gaza City in the north

Terrain

flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain

Age structure

0-14 years

38.8% (male 427,450/female 404,288)

15-64 years

58.3% (male 627,235/female 620,903)

65 years and over

2.9% (2024 est.) (male 31,655/female 30,112)

Birth rate

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

Child marriage

women married by age 15

0.7% (2020)

women married by age 18

13.4% (2020)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.1% (2020 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

62.4% (2020 est.)

Death rate

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

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

5.1 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

19.7 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

69.6 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

64.5 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: total

total: 98.9% of population

unimproved: total

total: 1.1% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

5.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups

Palestinian Arab

Gross reproduction rate

1.52 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

13.5% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

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

Infant mortality rate

female

13.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male

16.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total

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

Languages

Languages

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

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.

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.4 years

male

73.7 years

total population

75.5 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

97% (2022 est.)

male

99% (2022 est.)

total population

98% (2022 est.)

Major urban areas - population

778,000 Gaza (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

female

19.8 years

male

19.3 years

total

19.9 years (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

-3.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Physician density

2.17 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

female

1,076,430

male

1,108,222

total

2,184,652 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

1.96% (2025 est.)

Religions

Muslim 98.0 - 99.0% (predominantly Sunni), Christian <1.0%, other, unaffiliated, unspecified <1.0% (2012 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 99% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 99.8% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

14 years (2023 est.)

male

12 years (2023 est.)

total

13 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over

1.05 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

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

Total fertility rate

3.14 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

77.6% of total population (2023)

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Gaza, Gaza Strip

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

local long form

none

local short form

Qita' Ghazzah

Agricultural products

tomatoes, milk, cucumbers/gherkins, olives, potatoes, sheep milk, eggplants, pumpkins/squash, grapes, goat milk (2023)

Budget

see entry for the West Bank

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

-$2.037 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$2.895 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

-$2.899 billion (2024 est.)

Exchange rates

see entry for the West Bank

Exports

Exports 2022

$3.533 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$3.413 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$2.885 billion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

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

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

21% (2024 est.)

government consumption

20.7% (2024 est.)

household consumption

95.5% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services

-60.3% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital

21.8% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories

1.7% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

5.7% (2022 est.)

industry

17.4% (2022 est.)

services

58.3% (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$13.711 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2023

36.4 (2023 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

27.1% (2023 est.)

lowest 10%

2.5% (2023 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$12.257 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$11.637 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$8.264 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

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

Industrial production growth rate

-32.2% (2024 est.)

Industries

textiles, food processing, furniture

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

3.7% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

5.9% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

53.7% (2024 est.)

Labor force

1.391 million (2022 est.)

Population below poverty line

29.2% (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$29.016 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$27.694 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$20.339 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

4.1% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

-4.6% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

-26.6% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$5,800 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$5,400 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$3,800 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

24% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

18.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

5.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$896.9 million (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$1.323 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$1.328 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

21.5% (of GDP) (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2020

25.9% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

26.4% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

24.5% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

56.6% (2022 est.)

male

31.6% (2022 est.)

total

36.1% (2022 est.)

Coal

exports

1 metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

6.956 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports

6.925 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

352,000 kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

988 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

66.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

33.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

14.991 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption

29,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

8 (2023 est.)

total

431,000 (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

1 TV station and about 10 radio stations; satellite TV accessible

Internet country code

.ps

Internet users

percent of population

87% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

7 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

383,653 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

77 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

4,148,420 (2023 est.)

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 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)

Military expenditures

not available

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

2,032,011 (2024 est.)

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

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

3.913 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

3.913 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

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

Particulate matter emissions

31.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

837 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

158 million cubic meters (2022)

industrial

37 million cubic meters (2022)

municipal

251 million cubic meters (2022)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

1.387 million tons (2024 est.)