Marking the World Habitat Day and the Arab Housing Day, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) said that among the 5.48 million population of Palestine by mid-2023, 78% of them are living in urban areas while 14% are living in rural areas and 8% in refugee camps. Also, the population density was estimated at 910 persons/km2 in mid-2023 in Palestine (575 persons/km2 in the West Bank and 6,102 persons/km2 in the Gaza Strip). According to the data, 81% of the households in Palestine live in owned housing units (87% in the West Bank and 70% in the Gaza Strip in 2022). In addition, 7% of households in Palestine live in rented housing units (5% in the West Bank and 10% in the Gaza Strip). Results also showed that 12% of households in Palestine live without payment and in exchange for labor (7% in the West Bank and 20% in the Gaza Strip) in 2022. More than half of the Palestinian Households (54%) live in apartment type of housing units, 43% of the households live in houses, less than half a percent of the households live in villas, and 3% of the households live in other types of housing units as an independent room, tent, marginal…etc, in 2022. Results showed that the average housing density (number of persons per room) in Palestine in 2022 was 1.5 persons per room: 1.5 persons per room in urban and rural areas, and 1.8 persons per room in refugee camps. The average housing density (number of persons per room) by region was 1.4 persons per room in the West Bank and 1.7 persons per room in the Gaza Strip. Data indicated that 6% of households in Palestine live in housing units with three persons or more per room (5% in the West Bank, and 9% in the Gaza Strip), and by type of locality: 6% of households in urban and rural areas, and 9% in refugee camps in 2022. Data indicated that the average number of rooms in a housing unit in Palestine was 3.5 rooms in 2022, where 3.5 rooms in urban and 3.6 rooms in rural areas, compared to 3.2 rooms in refugee camps. The average number of rooms in a housing unit in each of the West Bank and Gaza Strip was 3.5 rooms in 2022. As for safely managed water resources (defined as improved sources, used in the dwelling, available when needed, and free from pollution (free of E-Coli bacteria)), data indicates that 40% of the population in Palestine have access to safely managed water, (66% in the West Bank, compared to 4% in Gaza Strip). As for the type of localities, these percentages were distributed to 36% in urban areas, 67% in rural areas, and 25% of the population in refugee camps in 2020. Data indicated that 59% of Palestinian households in 2020 used wastewater networks to dispose of their wastewater, 28% of households used septic tanks, 12% of households used pit latrines and 2% of households used other methods to dispose of their wastewater; 96% of households in refugee camps, 64% in urban areas and 10% in rural areas, respectively. Data indicated that 99% of Palestinian households in 2020 used improved sanitation, which includes piped sewer system, septic tanks and pit latrines. By type of locality, 99% of households in urban areas and refugee camps, and 97% in rural areas use improved sanitation. The number of new and existing licensed housing units for the year 2022 reached 23,148 licensed housing units in Palestine, with an average area of 167.3 m2, distributed over 21,447 licensed housing units in the West Bank with an average area of 167.0 m2 and 1,701 licensed housing units in Gaza Strip with an average area of 171.0 m2 according to the administrative records of building licenses in 2022.

Source: En – Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA