West Bank

World Book Index

Introduction

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.


Tip
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Definitions and Notes

Geography

Location
Middle East, west of Jordan, east of Israel

Geographic coordinates
32 00 N, 35 15 E

Map references
Middle East

Area
total : 5,860 sq km

land: 5,640 sq km

water: 220 sq km

note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967

comparison ranking: total 171

Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Delaware

Land boundaries
total: 478 km

border countries (2): Israel 330 km; Jordan 148 km

Coastline
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims
none (landlocked)

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

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

Elevation
highest point: Khallat al Batrakh 1,020 m

lowest point: Dead Sea -431 m

Natural resources
arable land

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.)

note: includes Gaza Strip

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

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

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

Natural hazards
droughts

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

People and Society

Population
total: 3,243,369 (2024 est.)

male: 1,648,450

female: 1,594,919

note: approximately 468,300 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank (2022); approximately 236,600 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusalem (2021)

comparison rankings: total 135; male 136; female 136

Ethnic groups
Palestinian Arab, Jewish, other

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.

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

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)

2024 population pyramid:

This is the population pyramid for the West Bank. 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: 68.1 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio: 61.6 (2024 est.)

elderly dependency ratio: 6.5 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio: 15.4 (2024 est.)

Median age
total: 21.9 years (2024 est.)

male: 21.6 years

female: 22.1 years

comparison ranking: total 189

Population growth rate
2.07% (2024 est.)

comparison ranking: 37

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

comparison ranking: 32

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

comparison ranking: 223

Net migration rate
-3.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

comparison ranking: 191

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

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

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

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

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: 132

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

male: 17.5 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 12.6 deaths/1,000 live births

comparison ranking: total 93

Life expectancy at birth
total population: 76.5 years (2024 est.)

male: 74.4 years

female: 78.8 years

comparison ranking: total population 108

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

comparison ranking: 34

Gross reproduction rate
1.69 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
improved:

urban: 98% of population (2022 est.)

rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

total: 98.4% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved:

urban: 2% of population (2022 est.)

total: 1.6% 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
3.25 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 (2022 est.)

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: 93

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) 46

Literacy
total population: 98% (2022 est.)

male: 99% (2022 est.)

female: 97% (2022 est.)

note: estimates are for Gaza 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
adequacy of freshwater supply; sewage treatment

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

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.)

note: includes Gaza Strip

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 143

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: 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
total World Heritage Sites: 4 (all cultural)

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 – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir

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: 154

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: 216

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: 185

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: 204

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 105; industry 152; services 101

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

government consumption: 20.7% (2024 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 24.7% (2023 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, cucumbers, olives, poultry, milk, potatoes, sheep milk, eggplants, gourds

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

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: 194

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: 137

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: 186

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 13

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: 62

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
revenues: $1.409 billion (2021 est.)

expenditures: $1.499 billion (2021 est.)

note: central government revenues and expenditures (excluding grants and social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

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: 39

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: 157

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: 156

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: 131

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: 138

Exchange rates
new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar -

Exchange rates:
3.7 (2024 est.)
3.67 (2023 est.)
3.36 (2022 est.)
3.23 (2021 est.)
3.442 (2020 est.)

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 157; consumption 118; imports 37; transmission/distribution losses 97

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: 140

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 100

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 133

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

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

Internet users
percent of population: 87% (2023 est.)

note: includes the Gaza Strip

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

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2023 est.)

note: includes the Gaza Strip

comparison ranking: total 104

Transportation
Airports
1 (2025)

comparison ranking: 211

Heliports
2 (2025)

comparison ranking: 134

Military and Security
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)

note: the National Security Forces conduct gendarmerie-style security operations in circumstances that exceed the capabilities of the Civil Police; it is the largest branch of the PA security services and acts as the internal Palestinian security force; the Presidential Guard protects facilities and provides dignitary protection; the Preventive Security Organization is responsible for internal intelligence gathering and investigations related to internal security cases, including political dissent

Military expenditures
not available

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 equipment inventories and acquisitions
the security services are lightly equipped with small arms, light weapons, and wheeled vehicles (2024)

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)

Terrorism
Terrorist group(s)
Terrorist group(s): Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade; HAMAS; Palestine Islamic Jihad; Palestine Liberation Front; Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

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 133rd out of 193 countries tested. (more information)

World Happiness Report

The World Happiness Report ranked the country 111th out of 158 countries tested with a score of 4.874. (more information)