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Communications

Broadband - fixed subscriptions [time series]

total: 371,299 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2017 est.) | note: includes Gaza Strip

Broadcast media [time series]

the Palestinian Authority operates 1 TV and 1 radio station; about 20 private TV and 40 radio stations; both Jordanian TV and satellite TV are accessible

Internet country code [time series]

.psnote - same as Gaza Strip

Internet users [time series]

total: 2.673 million (includes Gaza Strip) | percent of population: 57.4% (July 2016 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: continuing political and economic instability has impeded liberalization of the telecommunications industry (2018) | domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed-line services; two Palestinian cellular providers, JAWWAL and WATANIYA MOBILE, launched 3G mobile networks in the West Bank in January 2018 after Israel lifted its ban (2018) | international: country code - 970; 1 international switch in Ramallah

Telephones - fixed lines [time series]

total subscriptions: 472,293 (includes Gaza Strip) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17 (includes Gaza Strip) (2017 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

total subscriptions: 4,135,363 (includes Gaza Strip) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 150 (includes Gaza Strip) (2017 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

olives, citrus fruit, vegetables; beef, dairy products

Budget [time series]

revenues: 1.314 billion (2017 est.) | expenditures: 1.278 billion (2017 est.) | note: includes Palestinian Authority expenditures in the Gaza Strip

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]

0.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]

5.8% (31 December 2017 est.) | 6.15% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current account balance [time series]

-$1.444 billion (2017 est.) | -$1.348 billion (2016 est.)

Debt - external [time series]

$1.662 billion (31 March 2016 est.) | $1.467 billion (31 March 2015 est.) | note: data include the Gaza Strip

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]

34.5 (2009 est.) | 38.7 (2007 est.) | note: includes Gaza Strip

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

In 2017, the economic outlook in the West Bank - the larger of the two areas comprising the Palestinian Territories – remained fragile, as security concerns and political friction slowed economic growth. Unemployment in the West Bank remained high at 19.0% in the third quarter of 2017, only slightly better than 19.6% at the same point the previous year, while the labor force participation rate remained flat, year-on-year. Longstanding Israeli restrictions on imports, exports, and movement of goods and people continue to disrupt labor and trade flows and the territory’s industrial capacity, and constrain private sector development. The PA’s budget benefited from an effort to improve tax collection, coupled with lower spending in 2017, but the PA for the foreseeable future will continue to rely heavily on donor aid for its budgetary needs and infrastructure development.

Exchange rates [time series]

new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar - | 3.606 (2017 est.) | 3.841 (2016 est.) | 3.841 (2015 est.) | 3.8869 (2014 est.) | 3.5779 (2013 est.)

Exports [time series]

$2.126 billion (2017 est.) | $1.827 billion (2016 est.) | note: excludes Gaza Strip

Exports - commodities [time series]

stone, olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$9.828 billion (2014 est.) (2014 est.) | note: excludes Gaza Strip

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]

$21.22 billion (2014 est.) | $20.15 billion (2013 est.) | $19.95 billion (2012 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars; includes Gaza Strip

GDP - composition, by end use [time series]

GDP - composition, by sector of origin [time series]

agriculture: 2.9% (2017 est.) | industry: 19.5% (2017 est.) | services: 77.6% (2017 est.) | note: excludes Gaza Strip

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]

$4,300 (2014 est.) | $4,400 (2013 est.) | $4,600 (2012 est.) | note: includes Gaza Strip

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

5.3% (2014 est.) | 1% (2013 est.) | 6% (2012 est.) | note: excludes Gaza Strip

Gross national saving [time series]

7.8% of GDP (2014 est.) | 9.5% of GDP (2013 est.) | 5% of GDP (2012 est.) | note: includes Gaza Strip

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 3.2% | highest 10%: 28.2% (2009 est.) | note: includes Gaza Strip

Imports [time series]

$6.565 billion (2017 est.) | $6.207 billion (2016 est.) | note: data include the Gaza Strip

Imports - commodities [time series]

food, consumer goods, construction materials, petroleum, chemicals

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

2.2% (2017 est.) | note: includes Gaza Strip

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

0.2% (2017 est.) | -0.2% (2016 est.) | note: excludes Gaza Strip

Labor force [time series]

1.24 million (2017 est.) | note: excludes Gaza Strip

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture: 11.5% | industry: 34.4% | services: 54.1% (2013 est.) | note: excludes Gaza Strip

Market value of publicly traded shares [time series]

$3.339 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $3.187 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $3.247 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

18% (2011 est.)

Public debt [time series]

24.4% of GDP (2014 est.) | 23.8% of GDP (2013 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]

$0 (31 December 2017 est.) | $583 million (31 December 2015 est.)

Stock of broad money [time series]

$416.5 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $317.8 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of domestic credit [time series]

$2.211 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $1.712 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of narrow money [time series]

$416.5 million (31 December 2017 est.) | $317.8 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes and other revenues [time series]

13.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

27.9% (2017 est.) | 27% (2016 est.) | note: excludes Gaza Strip

Energy

Carbon dioxide emissions (Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy) [time series]

3.113 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude oil - exports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports [time series]

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]

0 bbl (1 January 2018)

Electricity - consumption [time series]

6.489 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2016)

Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]

78% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]

22% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports [time series]

5.473 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]

170,000 kW (2016 est.) | note: includes Gaza Strip

Electricity - production [time series]

1.093 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access [time series]

electrification - total population: 100% (2016) | note: data for West Bank and Gaza Strip combined

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports [time series]

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports [time series]

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production [time series]

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]

24,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]

19 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]

22,740 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

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

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly smaller than Delaware

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation [time series]

lowest point: Dead Sea -431 m | highest point: Khallat al Batrakh 1,020 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

adequacy of freshwater supply; sewage treatment

Geographic coordinates [time series]

32 00 N, 35 15 E

Geography - note [time series]

landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are about 380 Israeli civilian sites, including about 213 settlements and 132 small outpost communities in the West Bank and 35 sites in East Jerusalem (2017)

Irrigated land [time series]

240 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip (2012)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 478 km | border countries (2): Israel 330 km, Jordan 148 km

Land use [time series]

agricultural land: 43.3% (2011 est.) | arable land: 7.4% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 11% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 24.9% (2011 est.) | forest: 1.5% (2011 est.) | other: 55.2% (2011 est.) | note: includes Gaza Strip

Location [time series]

Middle East, west of Jordan, east of Israel

Map references [time series]

Middle East

Maritime claims [time series]

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards [time series]

droughts

Natural resources [time series]

arable land

Population distribution [time series]

Palestinian settlements are primarily located in the central to western half of the territory; Jewish settlements are found in pockets throughout, particularly in the northeast, north-central, and around Jerusalem

Terrain [time series]

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

Government

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: none | conventional short form: West Bank | etymology: name refers to the location of the region - occupied and administered by Jordan after 1948 - that fell on the far side (west bank) of the Jordan River in relation to Jordan proper; the designation was retained following the 1967 Six-Day War and the subsequent changes in government

Introduction

Background [time series]

Inhabited since at least the 15th century B.C., the West Bank has been dominated by many different peoples throughout its history; it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in the early 16th century. The West Bank fell to British forces during World War I, becoming part of the British Mandate of Palestine. Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the West Bank was captured by Transjordan (later renamed Jordan), which annexed the West Bank in 1950; it was captured by Israel in the Six-Day War in 1967. Under a series of agreements known as the Oslo Accords signed between 1994 and 1999, Israel transferred to the newly created Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for many Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank as well as the Gaza Strip. In 2000, a violent intifada or uprising began, and in 2001 negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip stalled. Subsequent attempts to re-start direct negotiations have not resulted in progress toward determining final status of the area. Roughly 60% of the West Bank, remains under exclusive Israeli military control. In early 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) won a majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council election and since 2007, the PA has administered areas of the West Bank under its control while HAMAS maintains de facto control of Gaza. Fatah, the dominant Palestinian political party in the West Bank, and HAMAS have made several attempts at reconciliation, but the factions have been unable to implement any agreements reached; a reconciliation agreement signed in October 2017 remains unimplemented. In December 2018, the Palestinian Constitutional Court dissolved the Palestinian Legislative Council and called for new Legislative Council elections to be held.

Military and Security

Military and security forces [time series]

in accordance with the Oslo Accords, the PA is not permitted a conventional military but maintains security and police forces; PA security personnel have operated almost exclusively in the West Bank since HAMAS seized power in the Gaza Strip in 2007; PA forces include National Security Forces, Presidential Guard, Civil Police, Preventative Security Service, and the General Intelligence Service (2019)

People and Society

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 36.09% (male 518,376 /female 491,676) | 15-24 years: 21.17% (male 302,474 /female 289,852) | 25-54 years: 34.48% (male 489,559 /female 475,402) | 55-64 years: 4.74% (male 68,317 /female 64,233) | 65 years and over: 3.52% (male 44,662 /female 53,943) (2018 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Middle East :: West Bank Print Image Description 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 under the References tab.

Birth rate [time series]

26 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight [time series]

1.4% (2014) | note: estimate is for Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]

57.2% (2014) | note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Death rate [time series]

3.5 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios [time series]

total dependency ratio: 75.8 (2015 est.) | youth dependency ratio: 70.5 (2015 est.) | elderly dependency ratio: 5.2 (2015 est.) | potential support ratio: 19.1 (2015 est.) | note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Drinking water source [time series]

Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]

5.3% of GDP (2017) | note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Ethnic groups [time series]

Palestinian Arab, Jewish, other

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

Hospital bed density [time series]

1.3 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 13.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | male: 15.3 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 11.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 75.4 years (2018 est.) | male: 73.4 years | female: 77.6 years

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 96.9% | male: 98.6% | female: 95.2% (2016) | note: estimates are for Gaza and the West Bank

Maternal mortality ratio (Maternal mortality rate) [time series]

27 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.) | note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Median age [time series]

total: 21.4 years (2018 est.) | male: 21.2 years | female: 21.6 years

Nationality [time series]

noun: NA | adjective: NA

Net migration rate [time series]

-4.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Physician density (Physicians density) [time series]

1.3 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population [time series]

2,798,494 (July 2018 est.) | note: approximately 391,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank (2016); approximately 201,200 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusalem (2014)

Population distribution [time series]

Population growth rate [time series]

1.81% (2018 est.)

Religions [time series]

Muslim 80-85% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 12-14%, Christian 1-2.5% (mainly Greek Orthodox), other, unaffiliated, unspecified <1% (2012 est.) | MENA religious affiliation: PDF

Sanitation facility access [time series]

improved: urban: 93% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 90.2% of population (2015 est.) | total: 92.3% of population (2015 est.) | unimproved: urban: 7% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 9.8% of population (2015 est.) | total: 7.7% of population (2015 est.) | note: note includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]

total: 13 years | male: 12 years | female: 14 years (2017) | note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Sex ratio [time series]

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.2 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) (Unemployment, youth ages 15-24) [time series]

total: 46.9% | male: 40.5% | female: 75.3% (2018 est.) | note: includes Gaza Strip

Urbanization [time series]

urban population: 76.4% of total population (2019) | rate of urbanization: 3% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.) | note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s) (Terrorist groups - foreign based) [time series]

HAMAS: aim(s): grow its political and operational presence in the West Bank area(s) of operation: mostly political activity; small cells scattered throughout the West Bank for militant and illicit finance purposes (2018) | Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps -- Qods Force (IRGC-QF): aim(s): launch attacks against Israel, reduce Israel’s presence and influence in the West Bank, and destroy the state of Israel; works through proxies and allies such as Hamas, Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Palestine Liberation Front (PLF), and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) area(s) of operations: West Bank (2019) | Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ): aim(s): enhance its staging capabilities in the West Bank to launch attacks against Israel area(s) of operation: mostly political activity; strives to maintain an operational presence (2018) | Palestine Liberation Front (PLF): aim(s): enhance its networks in the West Bank and, ultimately, destroy the state of Israel; establish a secular, Marxist Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital area(s) of operation: maintains a recruitment and training presence in some of the West Bank's refugee camps (2018) | Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP): aim(s): bolster its recruitment networks in the West Bank area(s) of operation: mostly political activity, maintains a recruitment presence targeting youths (2018)

Terrorist group(s) (Terrorist groups - home based) [time series]

Kahane Chai (Kach): aim(s): restore the biblical state of Israel; expel Arabs from Israel's biblical lands area(s) of operation: present in West Bank Jewish settlements, especially the Qiryat Arba' settlement in Hebron, where operatives have conducted bombings and shootings against Muslim and Christian Palestinians; operationally inactive in recent years (2018)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

the current status of the West Bank is subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from Gaza and four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region

Refugees and internally displaced persons [time series]

refugees (country of origin): 846,465 (Palestinian refugees) (2019) | IDPs: 238,000 (includes persons displaced within the Gaza strip due to the intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since June 2014 and other Palestinian IDPs in the Gaza Strip and West Bank who fled as long ago as 1967, although confirmed cumulative data do not go back beyond 2006) (2018)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

2 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 2 (2013) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013) | under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Heliports [time series]

1 (2013)

Roadways [time series]

total: 4,686 km (2010) | paved: 4,686 km (2010) | note: includes Gaza Strip