Demography and Labour Forces

The Palestinian human resource is an important economic resource, with its cultural, experiential and competitive advantages. The Palestinian society is characterized as a young society, in which its population of 1 to 14 years old (41%) is of the total population (5,164,173).

Labour Law
The PA recently passed a draft to harmonize the separate laws between the West Bank and Gaza. The following table outlines the new amalgamated labour practices and policies

Issue	Policy
Work Day / Week	Maximum 45 hrs/week; no daily
Weekly Holiday	One day per-week, any day
Overtime Pay	150% of salary for overtime
Annual Leave	Minimum of 14 days for the first 5 years of employment; minimum of 21 days thereafter. **
Severance Pay	1 month of salary (excluding overtime hours) accrued per year, with no accumulation .
Worker's Accident Insurance	All employers are required to carry insurance for employees.
Sick Leave	Days 1-14=100% of salary; Days 15 - 28=50% of salary.
Minimum Wage	1,880 NIS
Transportation Reimbursement	None required.
Maternity Leave	100% of pay for a total leave period of 10 weeks, providing that 6 weeks are taken after the delivery day.
Social Security	None

Source: Labour Law

Percentage Distribution of Population Aged 15 Years and Above in Palestine by Labour Force Status and Region, 2020(ILO Definition)

Southern Governorates	Northern Governorates	Palestine	Labour Force Status (Inside Labour Force)
424,300	886,800	1,291,100	NO. (Inside Labour Force)
52.2	83.1	72.9	Full Employment
1.2	1.2	1.2	Time Related Underemployment
46.6	15.7	25.9	Unemployment

Southern Governorates	Northern Governorates	Palestine	Labour Force Status (Outside Labour Force)
778,100	1,084,400	1,862,500	NO. (Outside Labour Force)
16.6	14.0	15.1	Housekeeping
36.7	49.4	44.1	Study
27.1	28.6	28.0	Old/ill
19.6	8.0	12.8	Other

Persons Aged 15 Years and Above in Palestine by Labour Force Characteristics and Region, 2017-2020 (ILO Definition)

Labour Force Characteristics and Region	2017	2018	2019	2020
Palestine
Labour Force Participation Rate	45.4	46.4	44.3	40.9
Unemployment Rate	27.2	26.2	25.3	25.9
Northern Governorates
Labour Force Participation Rate	46.2	45.9	46.4	44.4
Unemployment Rate	13.2	17.3	14.6	15.7
Southern Governorates
Labour Force Participation Rate	44.2	39.6	40.9	35.3
Unemployment Rate	48.2	43.1	45.1	46.6

Percentage Distribution of Employed Persons Aged 15 Years and Above in Palestine by Economic Activity, 2020

Economic Activity	Number	Percentage
Agricultural, Hunting, Forestry & Fishing	60,700	6.4
Mining, Quarrying & Manufacturing	125,000	13.1
Construction	160,200	16.8
Commerce, Hotels & Restaurants	176,300	18.5
Transportation, Storage	46,500	4.9
Information and communication	12,300	1.3
Accommodation and food service activities	26,100	2.7
Human health and social work activities	44,700	4.7
Education	107,800	11.3
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	7,300	0.8
Other service activities	188,100	19.5
Total	955,000	100

Estimated Population in Palestine by Region and Sex End 2021

Region	Both Sex	Sex
Region	Both Sex	Male	Female
Palestine	5,290,925	2,689,117	2,601,808
Northern Governorates	3,154,418	1,606,571	1,547,847
Southern Governorates	2,136,507	1,082,546	1,053,961

Average Household Size in Palestine by Region, 2018-2020

Region	2018	2019	2020
Palestine	5.0	5.1	5.1
Northren Governorates (West Bank)	4.6	4.9	4.7
Southren governorates (Gaza Strip)	5.7	5.5	5.7

General Education Palestine, 2017/2018 – 2019/2020

Indicators	Scholastic Years
	2017/2018	2018/2019		2019/2020
Schools
Government	2,203	2,234		2,259
UNRWA	370	370		372
Private	425	433		443
Total	2,998	3,037		3,074
Students
Males	620,597	635,662		649,320
Females	632,641	646,392		659,845
Total	1,253,238	1,282,054		1,309,165
Teachers
Males	26,343		26,549		27,159
Females	42,008		42,954		44,467
Total	68,351		69,413		71,626

Note: The data doesn’t include school affiliated with Israeli Municipality and Culture Committee in Jerusalem

Higher Education Indicators in Palestine, 2017/2018 – 2019/2020

Indicators	Scholastic Years
Indicators	2017/2018	2018/2019	2019/2020
University Students
Males	25,042	24,188	25,506
Females	35,847	35,904	36,745
Total	60,889	60,092	61,251
University Graduates
Males	18,841	16,967	15,636
Females	28,558	28,746	26,758
Total	47,399	45,722	42,394
Teaching Staff at Universities
Males	5,066	5,853	18,827
Females	1,459	1,693	28,541
Total	6,525	7,546	47,368
Teaching Staff at Community Collage
Males	11,618	11,847	12,085
Females	4,398	4,569	4,680
Total	16,016	16,416	16,765

* University data include Students and graduates of intermediate diploma, bachelor and graduate studies in universities and university colleges

** Full time and Part time

Cultural Institutions Operating in Palestine by Type and Governorate, 2020

Region	Type of Institution
Region	Cultural Centers	Museums	Theaters	Cinemas	Total
Palestine	528	32	16	2	578
Northern Governorates	473	27	13	2	515
Southern Governorates	55	5	3	0	63