2024 Edition Primary

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, DC

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 that has experienced an incredibly turbulent history

Irrigated land

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

Land boundaries

border countries

Egypt 13 km; Israel 59 km

total

72 km

Location

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

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

see entry for Israel note: effective 3 January 2009, the Gaza maritime area is closed to all maritime traffic and is under blockade imposed by Israeli Navy until further notice

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

26.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Child marriage

note

note: includes both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank

women married by age 15

0.7%

women married by age 18

13.4% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.1% (2019/20)

note

note: estimate is for Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Contraceptive prevalence rate

57.3% (2019/20)

note

note:  includes Gaza Strip and West Bank

Current health expenditure

NA

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

62.4% (2023 est.)

note

note: data includes Gaza and the West Bank

Death rate

2.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

6.1

note

note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

potential support ratio

16.5 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

74.3

youth dependency ratio

68.2

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 99% of population

improved: total

total: 98.9% of population

improved: urban

urban: 98.9% of population

note

note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

unimproved: rural

rural: 1% of population

unimproved: total

total: 1.1% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1.1% of population

Education expenditures

5.3% of GDP (2018 est.)

note

note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Ethnic groups

Palestinian Arab

Gross reproduction rate

1.58 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

1.3 beds/1,000 population (2019)

Infant mortality rate

female

13.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male

16.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total

15.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 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

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

96.2% (2020)

male

98.8%

note

note: estimates are for Gaza Strip and the West Bank

total population

97.5%

Major urban areas - population

778,000 Gaza (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

20 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

note

note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Median age

female

19.8 years

male

19.3 years

total

19.5 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

NA

noun

NA

Net migration rate

-3.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Physician density

2.71 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

female

1,055,303 (2024 est.)

male

1,086,340

total

2,141,643

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

2.02% (2024 est.)

Religions

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

note

note:  Israel dismantled its settlements in September 2005; Gaza has had no Jewish population since then

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 98.6% of population

improved: total

total: 99.6% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.9% of population

note

note: note includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

unimproved: rural

rural: 1.4% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.4% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.1% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

14 years (2021)

male

12 years

note

note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

total

13 years

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

3.26 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

note

note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

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")

local long form

none

local short form

Qita' Ghazzah

Agricultural products

tomatoes, milk, cucumbers/gherkins, olives, potatoes, sheep milk, eggplants, pumpkins/squash, grapes, chicken (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

expenditures

$5.002 billion (2020 est.)

note

see entry for the West Bank

revenues

$3.803 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2020

-$1.903 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$1.778 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$2.037 billion (2022 est.)

note

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

Exchange rates

see entry for the West Bank

Exports

Exports 2020

$2.385 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$3.14 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$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 - commodities

building stone, scrap iron, plastic products, furniture, seats (2022)

note

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

Exports - partners

Israel 81%, Jordan 10%, UAE 2%, US 1%, Turkey 1% (2022)

note

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

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

19.6% (2023 est.)

government consumption

20.2% (2023 est.)

household consumption

101.6% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-66.9% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

24.8% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

1.5% (2023 est.)

note

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

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

5.7% (2022 est.)

industry

17.4% (2022 est.)

note

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

services

58.3% (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$17.396 billion (2023 est.)

note

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

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2016

33.7 (2016 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

highest 10%

25.2% (2016 est.)

lowest 10%

2.9% (2016 est.)

note

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

Imports

Imports 2020

$8.065 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$10.094 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$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 - commodities

refined petroleum, electricity, animal food, cars, cement (2022)

note

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

Imports - partners

Israel 57%, Turkey 6%, Egypt 6%, Jordan 4%, China 4% (2022)

note

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

Industrial production growth rate

-8.57% (2023 est.)

note

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

Industries

textiles, food processing, furniture

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

1.24% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

3.74% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

5.87% (2023 est.)

note

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

Labor force

1.389 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

Population below poverty line

29.2% (2016 est.)

note

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

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

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

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$27.878 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$29.016 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$27.418 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

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

Real GDP growth rate 2021

7.01% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

4.08% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

-5.51% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

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

Real GDP per capita 2021

$5,700 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$5,800 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$5,300 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

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

Remittances 2021

20.77% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

21.13% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

21.84% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

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

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$872.541 million (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$896.9 million (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$1.323 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

21.47% (of GDP) (2021 est.)

note

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

Unemployment rate

note

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

Unemployment rate 2020

25.9% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

26.39% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

24.42% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

56.7% (2022 est.)

male

31.6% (2022 est.)

note

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

total

36% (2022 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from petroleum and other liquids

3.942 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

note

note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

total emissions

3.942 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

exports

(2022 est.) less than 1 metric ton

note

note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Electricity

consumption

6.746 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports

6.7 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

352,000 kW (2022 est.)

note

note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

transmission/distribution losses

880.312 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

note

note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels

77.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

note

note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

solar

22.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

note

note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

15.201 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Petroleum

note

note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

refined petroleum consumption

29,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

note

note: includes the West Bank

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

7 (2020 est.)

total

376,911 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

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

Internet country code

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

Internet users

note

note: includes the West Bank

percent of population

75% (2020 est.)

total

3,602,452 (2020 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line 9 per 100 and mobile-cellular 28 per 100 (includes West Bank) (2021)

general assessment

Israel, which controls Palestinian frequencies and telecom infrastructure, limits mobile internet speeds in the Palestinian territories to levels that are significantly lower than in Israel and Jewish West Bank settlements; the World Bank urged Israel to let Palestinian cellular companies set up more advanced networks, and to ease restrictions on the import of equipment needed to build and operate them; Israel is rolling out fifth generation technology for its citizens, while the West Bank operates on 3G and Gaza, 2G; Israeli mobile operators don’t officially service Palestinian areas, but many Palestinians use the faster Israeli networks with SIM cards; the Times of Israel reported in November that Israel tentatively agreed to let Palestinian operators launch 4G services (2022)

international

country code 970 or 972 (2018)

Telephones - fixed lines

note

note: entry includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

9 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

458,000 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

note

note: entry includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

78 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

4.388 million (2022 est.)

Roadways

note: see entry for the West Bank

Military - note

since seizing control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, the terrorist group HAMAS has had repeated clashes with Israel, including armed conflicts in 2008-09, 2012, 2014, 2021, and 2023-24; the Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist group also operates in the Gaza Strip and has cooperated with HAMAS (2024)

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 (2024)

Military and security service personnel strengths

prior to the start of the 2023-2024 conflict with Israel, the military wing of HAMAS had an estimated 20-25,000 fighters (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military wing is armed with light weapons, including an inventory of rocket, anti-tank, anti-aircraft, indirect fire (typically mortars), and armed UAV capabilities; HAMAS acquires its weapons through smuggling or local construction and receives significant military support from Iran (2024)

Military expenditures

not available

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

1.7 million or approximately 75% of the population (as of 26 January 2024, since HAMAS's attack on Israel on 7 October 2023)1.6 million (includes persons displaced within the Gaza Strip due to the intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict between June 2014 and 7 October 2023 and other Palestinian IDPs in the Gaza Strip and West Bank who fled as long ago as 1967, although confirmed cumulative data do not go back beyond 2006) (2022)

refugees (country of origin)

1.6 million (Palestinian refugees) (2022)

Terrorist group(s)

Army of Islam; Abdallah Azzam Brigades; al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade; HAMAS; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham - Sinai Province (ISIS-SP); Mujahidin Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem; Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ); Palestine Liberation Front; Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP); PFLP-General Command

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

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

3.23 megatons (2016 est.)

note

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

particulate matter emissions

30.82 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers

Environment - current issues

soil degradation; desertification; water pollution from chemicals and pesticides; salination of fresh water; improper sewage treatment; water-borne disease; depletion and contamination of underground water resources

Revenue from forest resources

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

840 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

note

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

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

162 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

32 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

181.2 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

note

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

Urbanization

note

note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

77.6% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

1.387 million tons (2016 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

6,935 tons (2013 est.)

note

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

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

0.5% (2013 est.)