West Bank Facts, Map, Population, GDP

Population

3,310,554 (2025 est.)

Area

5,860 sq km

Location

Middle East, west of Jordan, east of Israel

🧭 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.

🗺️ 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

Area — land

5,640 sq km

Area — water

220 sq km

Area - comparative

Slightly smaller than Delaware

Land boundaries — total

478 km

Land boundaries — border countries

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

Elevation — lowest point

Dead Sea -431 m

Natural resources

Arable land

Land use — agricultural land

64.9% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 7% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 11.8% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 46.1% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

1.8% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

32.1% (2023 est.)

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⬆️ Top

Population — total

3,310,554 (2025 est.)

Population — male

1,682,493

Population — female

1,628,061

Ethnic groups

Palestinian Arab, Jewish, other

Languages — Languages

Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)

Languages — 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.

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)

Age structure — 15-64 years

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

Age structure — 65 years and over

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

Dependency ratios — total dependency ratio

68.2 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — youth dependency ratio

61.4 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — elderly dependency ratio

6.8 (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios — potential support ratio

14.8 (2025 est.)

Median age — total

22 years (2025 est.)

Median age — male

21.6 years

Median age — female

22.1 years

Population growth rate

2.03% (2025 est.)

Birth rate

27.24 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

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

Net migration rate

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

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)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

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

Sex ratio — at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 15-64 years

1.03 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — 65 years and over

0.9 male(s)/female

Sex ratio — total population

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

Maternal mortality ratio

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

Infant mortality rate — total

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

Infant mortality rate — male

17.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Infant mortality rate — female

12.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth — total population

76.5 years (2024 est.)

Life expectancy at birth — male

74.4 years

Life expectancy at birth — female

78.8 years

Total fertility rate

3.44 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.67 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: urban

Urban: 98% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: rural

Rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — improved: total

Total: 98.4% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: urban

Urban: 2% of population (2022 est.)

Drinking water source — unimproved: total

Total: 1.6% of population (2022 est.)

Health expenditure

13.5% of national budget (2022 est.)

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

Urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: rural

Rural: 99% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — improved: total

Total: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: urban

Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: rural

Rural: 1% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access — unimproved: total

Total: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.1% (2020 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

62.4% (2020 est.)

Child marriage — women married by age 15

0.7% (2020)

Child marriage — women married by age 18

13.4% (2020)

Education expenditure

5.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Literacy — total population

98% (2022 est.)

Literacy — male

99% (2022 est.)

Literacy — female

97% (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — total

13 years (2023 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — male

12 years (2023 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) — female

14 years (2023 est.)

🌿 Environment⬆️ Top

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% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: arable land

Arable land: 7% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent crops

Permanent crops: 11.8% (2023 est.)

Land use — agricultural land: permanent pasture

Permanent pasture: 46.1% (2023 est.)

Land use — forest

1.8% (2023 est.)

Land use — other

32.1% (2023 est.)

Urbanization — urban population

77.6% of total population (2023)

Urbanization — rate of urbanization

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

Carbon dioxide emissions — total emissions

3.913 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions — from petroleum and other liquids

3.913 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

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.)

Total water withdrawal — municipal

251 million cubic meters (2022)

Total water withdrawal — industrial

37 million cubic meters (2022)

Total water withdrawal — agricultural

158 million cubic meters (2022)

Total renewable water resources

837 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

🏛️ Government⬆️ Top

Country name — conventional long form

None

Country name — conventional short form

West Bank

Country name — 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)

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 – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir

💹 Economy⬆️ Top

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$20.339 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$27.694 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) — Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$29.016 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2024

-26.6% (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2023

-4.6% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate — Real GDP growth rate 2022

4.1% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2024

$3,800 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2023

$5,400 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita — Real GDP per capita 2022

$5,800 (2022 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$13.711 billion (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

53.7% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

5.9% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) — Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

3.7% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — agriculture

5.7% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — industry

17.4% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin — services

58.3% (2022 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — household consumption

95.5% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — government consumption

20.7% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — investment in fixed capital

24.7% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — investment in inventories

1.7% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — exports of goods and services

21% (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use — imports of goods and services

-60.3% (2024 est.)

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.)

Labor force

1.391 million (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2022

24.5% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2021

26.4% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate — Unemployment rate 2020

25.9% (2020 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — total

36.1% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — male

31.6% (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) — female

56.6% (2022 est.)

Population below poverty line

29.2% (2016 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 — lowest 10%

2.5% (2023 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share — highest 10%

27.1% (2023 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2024

5.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2023

18.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances — Remittances 2022

24% of GDP (2022 est.)

Budget — revenues

$1.409 billion (2021 est.)

Budget — expenditures

$1.499 billion (2021 est.)

Public debt — Public debt 2013

23.8% of GDP (2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

21.5% (of GDP) (2021 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2024

-$2.899 billion (2024 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2023

-$2.895 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance — Current account balance 2022

-$2.037 billion (2022 est.)

Exports — Exports 2024

$2.885 billion (2024 est.)

Exports — Exports 2023

$3.413 billion (2023 est.)

Exports — Exports 2022

$3.533 billion (2022 est.)

Exports - partners

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

Exports - commodities

Scrap iron, tropical fruits, olive oil, building stone, prepared meat (2023)

Imports — Imports 2024

$8.264 billion (2024 est.)

Imports — Imports 2023

$11.637 billion (2023 est.)

Imports — Imports 2022

$12.257 billion (2022 est.)

Imports - partners

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

Imports - commodities

Cement, raw sugar, cars, baked goods, perfumes (2023)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$1.328 billion (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$1.323 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold — Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$896.9 million (2022 est.)

Exchange rates — Currency

New Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar -

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2024

3.7 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2023

3.67 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2022

3.36 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2021

3.23 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates — Exchange rates 2020

3.442 (2020 est.)

⚡ Energy⬆️ Top

Electricity access — electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity — installed generating capacity

352,000 kW (2023 est.)

Electricity — consumption

6.956 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — imports

6.925 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity — transmission/distribution losses

988 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — fossil fuels

66.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Electricity generation sources — solar

33.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal — exports

1 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum — refined petroleum consumption

29,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita — Total energy consumption per capita 2023

14.991 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

📡 Communications⬆️ Top

Telephones - fixed lines — total subscriptions

383,653 (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

7 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — total subscriptions

4,148,420 (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

77 (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.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — total

431,000 (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions — subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

8 (2023 est.)

🚚 Transportation⬆️ Top

Airports

1 (2025)

Heliports

2 (2025)

🛡️ Military and Security⬆️ Top

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 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 - 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⬆️ Top

Terrorist group(s)

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

🌐 Transnational Issues⬆️ Top

Refugees and internally displaced persons — IDPs

2,032,011 (2024 est.)