Gaza Strip

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.

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Definitions and Notes

Geography

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

Geographic coordinates
31 25 N, 34 20 E

Map references
Middle East

Area
total : 360 sq km

land: 360 sq km

water: 0 sq km

comparison ranking: total 206

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

Land boundaries
total: 72 km

border countries (2): Egypt 13 km; Israel 59 km

Coastline
40 km

Maritime claims
see entry for Israel

Climate
temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers

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

Elevation
highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Awdah) 105 m

lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m

Natural resources
arable land, natural gas

Land use
agricultural land: 64.9% (2022 est.)

arable land: 7% (2022 est.)

permanent crops: 11.8% (2022 est.)

permanent pasture: 46.1% (2022 est.)

forest: 1.7% (2022 est.)

other: 33.4% (2022 est.)

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

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

Natural hazards
droughts

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

People and Society

Population
total: 2,141,643 (2024 est.)

male: 1,086,340

female: 1,055,303

comparison rankings: total 148; male 148; female 149

Ethnic groups
Palestinian Arab

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.

Arabic audio sample:
Religions
Muslim 98.0 - 99.0% (predominantly Sunni), Christian <1.0%, other, unaffiliated, unspecified <1.0% (2012 est.)

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

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)

2024 population pyramid:

This is the population pyramid for the Gaza Strip. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends.

For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page.
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 71.6 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio: 66.6 (2024 est.)

elderly dependency ratio: 4.9 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio: 20.2 (2024 est.)

Median age
total: 19.5 years (2024 est.)

male: 19.3 years

female: 19.8 years

comparison ranking: total 208

Population growth rate
2.02% (2024 est.)

comparison ranking: 40

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

comparison ranking: 38

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

comparison ranking: 225

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

comparison ranking: 190

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

Urbanization
urban population: 77.6% of total population (2023)

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

note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Major urban areas - population
778,000 Gaza (2023)

Sex ratio
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

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

total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

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

note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

comparison ranking: 133

Infant mortality rate
total: 15.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male: 16.3 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 13.8 deaths/1,000 live births

comparison ranking: total 91

Life expectancy at birth
total population: 75.5 years (2024 est.)

male: 73.7 years

female: 77.4 years

comparison ranking: total population 126

Total fertility rate
3.26 children born/woman (2024 est.)

comparison ranking: 42

Gross reproduction rate
1.58 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
improved:

total: 98.9% of population

unimproved:

total: 1.1% of population (2022 est.)

note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Health expenditure
13.5% of national budget (2022 est.)

note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Physician density
2.17 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

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

Sanitation facility access
improved:

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

rural: 99% of population (2022 est.)

total: 99.8% of population

unimproved:

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

rural: 1% of population (2022 est.)

total: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)

note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Children under the age of 5 years underweight
2.1% (2019/20)

note: estimate is for Gaza Strip and the West Bank

comparison ranking: 94

Currently married women (ages 15-49)
62.4% (2023 est.)

note: data includes Gaza and the West Bank

Child marriage
women married by age 15: 0.7% (2020)

women married by age 18: 13.4% (2020)

note: includes both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Education expenditure
5.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

comparison ranking: Education expenditure (% GDP) 47

Literacy
total population: 98% (2022 est.)

male: 99% (2022 est.)

female: 97% (2022 est.)

note: estimates are for Gaza Strip and the West Bank

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 13 years (2023 est.)

male: 12 years (2023 est.)

female: 14 years (2023 est.)

note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

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

Climate
temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers

Land use
agricultural land: 64.9% (2022 est.)

arable land: 7% (2022 est.)

permanent crops: 11.8% (2022 est.)

permanent pasture: 46.1% (2022 est.)

forest: 1.7% (2022 est.)

other: 33.4% (2022 est.)

Urbanization
urban population: 77.6% of total population (2023)

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

note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Carbon dioxide emissions
3.913 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 3.913 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

comparison ranking: total emissions 142

Particulate matter emissions
31.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 1.387 million tons (2024 est.)

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

Total water withdrawal
municipal: 251 million cubic meters (2022)

industrial: 37 million cubic meters (2022)

agricultural: 158 million cubic meters (2022)

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

Total renewable water resources
837 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

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

Government

Country name
conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Gaza, Gaza Strip

local long form: none

local short form: Qita' Ghazzah

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

Economy

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$20.339 billion (2024 est.)
$27.694 billion (2023 est.)
$29.016 billion (2022 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 155

Real GDP growth rate
-26.6% (2024 est.)
-4.6% (2023 est.)
4.1% (2022 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 217

Real GDP per capita
$3,800 (2024 est.)
$5,400 (2023 est.)
$5,800 (2022 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 184

GDP (official exchange rate)
$13.711 billion (2024 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)
53.7% (2024 est.)
5.9% (2023 est.)
3.7% (2022 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 205

GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 5.7% (2022 est.)

industry: 17.4% (2022 est.)

services: 58.3% (2022 est.)

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

comparison rankings: agriculture 103; industry 150; services 100

GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 95.5% (2024 est.)

government consumption: 20.7% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 21.8% (2024 est.)

investment in inventories: 1.7% (2024 est.)

exports of goods and services: 21% (2024 est.)

imports of goods and services: -60.3% (2024 est.)

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

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

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Industries
textiles, food processing, furniture

Industrial production growth rate
-32.2% (2024 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 195

Labor force
1.391 million (2022 est.)

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

comparison ranking: 136

Unemployment rate
24.5% (2022 est.)
26.4% (2021 est.)
25.9% (2020 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 187

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 36.1% (2022 est.)

male: 31.6% (2022 est.)

female: 56.6% (2022 est.)

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

comparison ranking: total 14

Population below poverty line
29.2% (2016 est.)

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

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
36.4 (2023 est.)

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

comparison ranking: 63

Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 2.5% (2023 est.)

highest 10%: 27.1% (2023 est.)

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

Remittances
5.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
18.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
24% of GDP (2022 est.)

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

Budget
see entry for the West Bank

Taxes and other revenues
21.5% (of GDP) (2021 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 38

Current account balance
-$2.899 billion (2024 est.)
-$2.895 billion (2023 est.)
-$2.037 billion (2022 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 156

Exports
$2.885 billion (2024 est.)
$3.413 billion (2023 est.)
$3.533 billion (2022 est.)

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

comparison ranking: 157

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

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

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

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

Imports
$8.264 billion (2024 est.)
$11.637 billion (2023 est.)
$12.257 billion (2022 est.)

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

comparison ranking: 130

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

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

Imports - commodities
cement, raw sugar, cars, baked goods, perfumes (2023)

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

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$1.328 billion (2024 est.)
$1.323 billion (2023 est.)
$896.9 million (2022 est.)

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

comparison ranking: 139

Exchange rates
see entry for the West Bank

Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Electricity
installed generating capacity: 352,000 kW (2023 est.)

consumption: 6.956 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports: 6.925 billion kWh (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 988 million kWh (2023 est.)

note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

comparison rankings: installed generating capacity 158; consumption 119; imports 38; transmission/distribution losses 98

Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 66.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar: 33.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Coal
exports: 1 metric tons (2023 est.)

note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Petroleum
refined petroleum consumption: 29,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Energy consumption per capita
14.991 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

comparison ranking: 139

Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 384,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7 (2023 est.)

note: entry includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

comparison ranking: total subscriptions 101

Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 4.15 million (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 78 (2021 est.)

note: entry includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

comparison ranking: total subscriptions 134

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
percent of population: 87% (2023 est.)

note: includes the West Bank

Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 431,000 (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2023 est.)

note: includes the West Bank

comparison ranking: total 103

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 (2024)

Military expenditures
not available

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 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)

Terrorism
Terrorist group(s)
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

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

Transnational Issues
Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 2,032,011 (2024 est.)

Human Development Index

The country's Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.674, ranking it 133th out of 193 countries tested. (more information)