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 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 1993 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 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, another fully administered by Israel, and a third with shared control 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 HAMAS’s violent seizure of all PA military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip in June 2007. In December 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.
Since 1994, the PA has administered parts of the West Bank under its control, mainly the major Palestinian population centers and areas immediately surrounding them. Roughly 60% of the West Bank remains under full Israeli civil and military control, impeding movement of people and goods through the territory.
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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: 43.3% (2018 est.)
arable land: 7.4% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 11% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 24.9% (2018 est.)
forest: 1.5% (2018 est.)
other: 55.2% (2018 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; 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)
People and Society
Population
3,176,549 (2023 est.)
note: approximately 468,300 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank (2022); approximately 236,600 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusalem (2021)
comparison ranking: 135
Nationality
noun: NA
adjective: NA
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.
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: 34.07% (male 533,142/female 506,268)
15-64 years: 61.94% (male 960,379/female 929,324)
65 years and over: 3.99% (2023 est.) (male 57,449/female 64,198)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 74.3
youth dependency ratio: 68.2
elderly dependency ratio: 6.1
potential support ratio: 16.5 (2021 est.)
note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Median age
total: 21.7 years (2023 est.)
male: 21.5 years
female: 21.9 years
comparison ranking: total 186
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: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio
20 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank
comparison ranking: 125
Infant mortality rate
total: 16.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 18.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.3 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 90
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 75.9 years (2023 est.)
male: 73.7 years
female: 78.2 years
comparison ranking: total population 113
Gross reproduction rate
1.72 (2023 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
57.3% (2019/20)
note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 98.9% of population
rural: 99% of population
total: 98.9% of population
unimproved: urban: 1.1% of population
rural: 1% of population
total: 1.1% of population (2020 est.)
note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Physicians density
3.25 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
Hospital bed density
1.3 beds/1,000 population (2019)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 99.9% of population
rural: 98.6% of population
total: 99.6% of population
unimproved: urban: 0.1% of population
rural: 1.4% of population
total: 0.4% of population (2020 est.)
note: note includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Major infectious diseases
note: on 31 August 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Asia; the West Bank is currently considered a high risk to travelers for polio; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
2.1% (2019/20)
note: estimate is for Gaza Strip and the West Bank
comparison ranking: 101
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%
women married by age 18: 13.4% (2020 est.)
note: includes both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Education expenditures
5.3% of GDP (2018 est.)
note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank
comparison ranking: 65
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.5%
male: 98.8%
female: 96.2% (2020)
note: estimates are for Gaza and the West Bank
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 13 years
male: 12 years
female: 14 years (2021)
note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Environment
Environment - current 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: 43.3% (2018 est.)
arable land: 7.4% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 11% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 24.9% (2018 est.)
forest: 1.5% (2018 est.)
other: 55.2% (2018 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
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 30.82 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 3.23 megatons (2016 est.)
note: data represent combined total from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 1.387 million tons (2016 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 6,935 tons (2013 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 0.5% (2013 est.)
note: data represent combined total from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
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
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 200 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 220 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
note: data represent combined total from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Total renewable water resources
840 million cubic meters (2020 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 region of the British Mandate of Palestine that was occupied and administered by Jordan in 1948, as it is located 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 administration
Economy
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$27.779 billion (2021 est.)
$25.95 billion (2020 est.)
$29.262 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars and includes Gaza Strip
comparison ranking: 141
Real GDP growth rate
7.05% (2021 est.)
-11.32% (2020 est.)
1.36% (2019 est.)
note: excludes Gaza Strip
comparison ranking: 55
Real GDP per capita
$5,600 (2021 est.)
$5,400 (2020 est.)
$6,200 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars and includes Gaza Strip
comparison ranking: 170
GDP (official exchange rate)
$9.828 billion (2014 est.)
note: excludes Gaza Strip
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.24% (2021 est.)
-0.74% (2020 est.)
1.58% (2019 est.)
note: excludes Gaza Strip
comparison ranking: 189
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 2.9% (2017 est.)
industry: 19.5% (2017 est.)
services: 77.6% (2017 est.)
note: excludes Gaza Strip
comparison rankings: services 39; industry 155; agriculture 154
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 91.3% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 26.7% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 23% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 20% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -61% (2017 est.)
note: excludes Gaza Strip
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
Unemployment rate
24.9% (2021 est.)
25.89% (2020 est.)
25.34% (2019 est.)
note: excludes Gaza Strip
comparison ranking: 8
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 39.6% (2021 est.)
male: 33.7%
female: 69%
note: includes Gaza Strip
comparison ranking: total 14
Population below poverty line
18% (2011 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
33.7 (2016 est.)
note: includes Gaza Strip
comparison ranking: 117
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 28.2% (2009 est.)
note: includes Gaza Strip
Budget
revenues: $3.803 billion (2020 est.)
expenditures: $5.002 billion (2020 est.)
note: includes Palestinian Authority expenditures in the Gaza Strip
Fiscal year
calendar year
Current account balance
-$1.486 billion (2021 est.)
-$1.903 billion (2020 est.)
-$1.779 billion (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 146
Exports
$3.18 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars and includes Gaza Strip
$2.385 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars and includes Gaza Strip
$2.659 billion (2019 est.)
note: excludes Gaza Strip
comparison ranking: 146
Exports - commodities
building stone, scrap iron, plastic lids, furniture, seating, dates, olive oil (2021)
note: data includes both Gaza Strip and West Bank export commodities
Imports
$10.245 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars and includes Gaza Strip
$8.065 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars and includes Gaza Strip
$9.161 billion (2019 est.)
note: data include the Gaza Strip
comparison ranking: 113
Imports - commodities
food, consumer goods, construction materials, petroleum, chemicals
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$872.541 million (31 December 2021 est.)
$697.075 million (31 December 2020 est.)
$658.352 million (31 December 2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 151
Debt - external
$1.662 billion (31 March 2016 est.)
$1.467 billion (31 March 2015 est.)
note: data include the Gaza Strip
comparison ranking: 158
Exchange rates
new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
3.606 (2017 est.)
3.841 (2016 est.)
3.841 (2015 est.)
3.8869 (2014 est.)
3.5779 (2013 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
note: data for West Bank and Gaza Strip combined
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 215,000 kW (2020 est.) Data represented includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
consumption: 5,702,816,000 kWh (2019 est.) Data represented includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.) Data represented includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
imports: 5.9 billion kWh (2019 est.) Data represented includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
transmission/distribution losses: 847 million kWh (2019 est.) Data represented includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
comparison rankings: installed generating capacity 167; transmission/distribution losses 118; imports 36; exports 147; consumption 121
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) Data represented includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) Data represented includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) Data represented includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) Data represented includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) Data represented includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) Data represented includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) Data represented includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.) Data represented includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.) Data represented includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
refined petroleum consumption: 24,600 bbl/day (2019 est.) Data represented includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) Data represented includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.) Data represented includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.) Data represented includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
Natural gas
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
3.341 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) Data represented includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) Data includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
from petroleum and other liquids: 3.341 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) Data includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.) Data includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
comparison ranking: total emissions 146
Energy consumption per capita
13.604 million Btu/person (2019 est.) Data represented includes both the Gaza Strip and West Bank
comparison ranking: 144
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 485,829 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9 (2021 est.)
note: includes Gaza Strip
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 93
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 4,052,966 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 78 (2021 est.)
note: includes Gaza Strip
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 131
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: most telecommunications companies in the West Bank and Gaza import directly from international vendors; the major challenge they face are Israeli restrictions on telecommunication imports that are listed as “Dual Use” products; during a visit to the West Bank in July 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden announced that Israeli and Palestinian teams will work together immediately to roll out an advanced infrastructure for 4G by the end of 2023; currently, only 2G service is available in Gaza (2022)
domestic: fixed-line 9 per 100 and mobile-cellular subscriptions 78 per 100 (includes Gaza Strip) (2021)
international: country code 970 or 972; 1 international switch in Ramallah
Broadcast media
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
.ps; note - IANA has designated .ps for the West Bank, same as Gaza Strip
Internet users
total: 3,938,199 (2021 est.)
percent of population: 80% (2021 est.)
note: includes the Gaza Strip
comparison ranking: total 111
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 373,050 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7 (2020 est.)
note: includes the Gaza Strip
comparison ranking: total 102
Transportation
Airports - with paved runways
2
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
Heliports
1 (2021)
Military and Security
Military and security forces
per 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, Civil Defense, Preventive Security Organization, the General Intelligence Organization, and the Military Intelligence Organization (2023)
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 Palestinian army; 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 Security Forces have approximately 28,000 active personnel (2023)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the security services are armed mostly with small arms and light weapons; in recent years, they have received small amounts of equipment from Jordan, Russia, and the US (2023)
Military service age and obligation
not available
Military - note
the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are responsible for the West Bank, but PA security forces were granted security control of 17.5% (called Area A) under the 1993 Oslo accords; the PA has administrative control over Area B (about 22% of the West Bank), but security control is shared with Israeli authorities; Israel maintains all administrative and security control of Area C, which comprises about 61% of the West Bank (2023)
Terrorism
Terrorist group(s)
Terrorist group(s): Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade; HAMAS; Kahane Chai; 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 Appendix-T
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
West Bank-Israel: West Bank is Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; in 2002, Israel began construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; as of mid-2020, plans were to continue barrier construction
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 901,000 (Palestinian refugees) (2022)
IDPs: 12,000 (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) (2022); note - data represent Gaza Strip and West Bank