The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) issued a press release on 16 October 2023 concerning the impact of Israeli occupation on socio-economic indicators in the Gaza Strip.

According to the press release, 3,000 Palestinians have been martyred in Palestine during 2023 of which 2,793 were martyred in the Gaza Strip. Since the beginning of this year, Palestine has witnessed an accelerating Israeli escalation against all components of the Palestinian society, affecting people and the environment in addition to increasing restrictions on the resources of the Palestinian people.

Approximately, 2.2 million people reside in the Gaza Strip, majority of whom are refugees. The population density in Gaza Strip is 6,102 individuals/km², which is one of the highest densely populated areas in the world. Gaza Strip is under demographic pressure due to increasing unemployment and poverty rates. The unemployment rate exceeded 45% in the first half of 2023. In addition, more than 50% of the young graduates are unemployed.

On the other hand, the press release by PCBS also reported that the per capita of water in Gaza Strip has reached 80 liters per day, which is less than the minimum recommended share (150 liters per day per capita) by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The press release also highlighted that the economic indicators for the first half of 2023 indicate a decline in Gaza Strip contribution to the gross domestic product in the State of Palestine from 34% to fall below 18%, which is led by a structural distortion in the ability of Gaza Strip to recover.

For more details, please visit:

https://www.pcbs.gov.ps/site/512/default.aspx?tabID=512&lang=en&ItemID=4606&mid=3171&wversion=Staging