
Population growth in Palestine
From 1990 to 2020 the population of Palestine increased from 1.98 m to 4.80 m people. This is a growth by 142.8 percent in 30 years. The highest increase in West Bank was recorded in 1991 with 4.58%. The smallest increase in 2017 with 2.01%.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 47.0 percent.
Around 77% of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 2.9% annually.
› Population growth in worldwide comparison
Back to overview: West Bank
Population development in Palestine since 1990
(Data in millions of inhabitants)Year | Population Palestine | Change | Birthrate | Deathrate | Population World | Change | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1991 | 2.07 M | 4.58 % | 44.9 ‰ | 6.5 ‰ | 5,368 M | 1.67 % | |
1992 | 2.16 M | 4.58 % | 44.5 ‰ | 6.2 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
1993 | 2.26 M | 4.58 % | 44.1 ‰ | 5.9 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
1994 | 2.37 M | 4.58 % | 43.8 ‰ | 5.7 ‰ | 5,622 M | 1.52 % | |
1995 | 2.47 M | 4.58 % | 43.4 ‰ | 5.4 ‰ | 5,707 M | 1.51 % | |
1996 | 2.59 M | 4.58 % | 43.1 ‰ | 5.2 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
1997 | 2.71 M | 4.58 % | 42.7 ‰ | 4.9 ‰ | 5,872 M | 1.43 % | |
1998 | 2.78 M | 2.59 % | 42.1 ‰ | 4.8 ‰ | 5,954 M | 1.39 % | |
1999 | 2.85 M | 2.59 % | 41.4 ‰ | 4.6 ‰ | 6,034 M | 1.35 % | |
2000 | 2.92 M | 2.59 % | 40.9 ‰ | 4.5 ‰ | 6,114 M | 1.32 % | |
2001 | 3.00 M | 2.59 % | 40.2 ‰ | 4.4 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
2002 | 3.08 M | 2.59 % | 39.6 ‰ | 4.3 ‰ | 6,273 M | 1.28 % | |
2003 | 3.15 M | 2.59 % | 38.8 ‰ | 4.2 ‰ | 6,352 M | 1.26 % | |
2004 | 3.24 M | 2.59 % | 38.1 ‰ | 4.1 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
2005 | 3.32 M | 2.59 % | 37.3 ‰ | 4.0 ‰ | 6,512 M | 1.25 % | |
2006 | 3.41 M | 2.59 % | 36.7 ‰ | 3.9 ‰ | 6,593 M | 1.24 % | |
2007 | 3.49 M | 2.59 % | 35.9 ‰ | 3.7 ‰ | 6,674 M | 1.24 % | |
2008 | 3.59 M | 2.79 % | 33.9 ‰ | 3.5 ‰ | 6,757 M | 1.24 % | |
2009 | 3.69 M | 2.70 % | 33.8 ‰ | 3.5 ‰ | 6,840 M | 1.22 % | |
2010 | 3.79 M | 2.63 % | 33.6 ‰ | 3.5 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.20 % | |
2011 | 3.88 M | 2.56 % | 33.3 ‰ | 3.5 ‰ | 7,004 M | 1.18 % | |
2012 | 3.98 M | 2.50 % | 32.9 ‰ | 3.5 ‰ | 7,089 M | 1.22 % | |
2013 | 4.08 M | 2.43 % | 32.5 ‰ | 3.5 ‰ | 7,176 M | 1.22 % | |
2014 | 4.17 M | 2.37 % | 31.9 ‰ | 3.5 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
2015 | 4.27 M | 2.32 % | 31.2 ‰ | 3.5 ‰ | 7,348 M | 1.18 % | |
2016 | 4.37 M | 2.27 % | 30.6 ‰ | 3.5 ‰ | 7,434 M | 1.17 % | |
2017 | 4.45 M | 2.01 % | 29.9 ‰ | 3.5 ‰ | 7,519 M | 1.15 % | |
2018 | 4.57 M | 2.57 % | 29.3 ‰ | 3.5 ‰ | 7,602 M | 1.11 % | |
2019 | 4.69 M | 2.54 % | 28.7 ‰ | 3.5 ‰ | 7,683 M | 1.06 % | |
2020 | 4.80 M | 2.52 % | 7,762 M | 1.02 % |

Birth- and deathrate in Palestine
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. The example of the year 2019 in the graph: The population in West Bank increased by about 116,000 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 3.5 per 1000 people (~ 15,800 deaths) and the birth rate was 28.7 per 1000 people (~ 131,000 births). As a result, around 800 inhabitants have to be added by migration from other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 14,726 in West Bank. The number of births was 132,123 annually.
The development of births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1000 inhabitants.
Birthrate Deathrate