2020 Edition

Background

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. 

Area

land

5,640 sq km

total

5,860 sq km

water

220 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Delaware

Climate

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

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

highest point

Khallat al Batrakh 1,020 m

lowest point

Dead Sea -431 m

Geographic coordinates

32 00 N, 35 15 E

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

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

Land boundaries

border countries

Israel 330 km; Jordan 148 km

total

478 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, west of Jordan, east of Israel

Major lakes (area sq km)

salt water lake(s)

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

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

droughts

Natural resources

arable land

Population distribution

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

Terrain

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

Age structure

0-14 years

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

15-64 years

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

65 years and over

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

Birth rate

27.24 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

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

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

6.8 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

14.8 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

68.2 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

61.4 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 98.4% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 98% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 1.6% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 2% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

5.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups

Palestinian Arab, Jewish, other

Gross reproduction rate

1.67 (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

12.6 deaths/1,000 live births

male

17.5 deaths/1,000 live births

total

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

Languages

Languages

Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and 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

78.8 years

male

74.4 years

total population

76.5 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

97% (2022 est.)

male

99% (2022 est.)

total population

98% (2022 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Median age

female

22.1 years

male

21.6 years

total

22 years (2025 est.)

Net migration rate

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

Physician density

3.25 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

female

1,628,061

male

1,682,493

total

3,310,554 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

2.03% (2025 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 99% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)

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

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.9 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

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

Total fertility rate

3.44 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

West Bank

etymology

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

selected World Heritage Site locales

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 &ndash; Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir

total World Heritage Sites

4 (all cultural)

Agricultural products

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

Budget

expenditures

$1.499 billion (2021 est.)

revenues

$1.409 billion (2021 est.)

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

Currency

new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

3.442 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

3.23 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

3.36 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

3.67 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

3.7 (2024 est.)

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

24.7% (2023 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

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

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.)

Public debt

Public debt 2013

23.8% of GDP (2013 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

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

.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.)

Airports

1 (2025)

Heliports

2 (2025)

Military - note

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)

Military and security forces

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)

Military and security service personnel strengths

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

Military expenditures

not available

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

2,032,011 (2024 est.)

Terrorist group(s)

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

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

adequacy of freshwater supply; sewage treatment

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.)