Ramallah – Ma’an – The first Monday of October of each year marks the World Habitat Day, approved by the United Nations/United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), and the Arab Housing Day, based on the decision of the Council of Arab Ministers of Housing and Construction. The Council approved that the slogan of the Arab Housing Day for the year 2024 is “Promoting the principle of participation and transparency in the urban planning process.”

On this occasion, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics reviews the most important indicators of housing conditions in Palestine related to sustainable development indicators.

384,000 housing units damaged as a result of the Israeli occupation aggression on the Gaza Strip

The number of housing units partially damaged as a result of the Israeli occupation’s aggression on the Gaza Strip since 10/07/2023 amounted to about 297,000 housing units, while the number of completely destroyed housing units amounted to 87,000 housing units, according to data p
ublished on the agency’s website regarding the Israeli occupation’s aggression on Palestine since 10/07/2023.

Data from the United Nations Satellite Center (UNOSAT) indicated that the number of buildings damaged as a result of the Israeli occupation’s aggression on the Gaza Strip since 10/07/2023 amounted to about 156,423 buildings.

81% of households in the West Bank live in homes owned by a family member residing in them

81% of households in the West Bank had their home owned by a family member in 2023.

The percentage of families living in rented housing in the West Bank reached 8%, while the percentage of families living in housing without compensation or in exchange for work in the West Bank reached 11%, during the year 2023.

More than half of households in the West Bank have a home type of housing unit.

The total number of households in the West Bank living in a house was 54%, while 45% of households live in an apartment, less than 1% of households live in a villa, and less than 1% of households liv
e in other dwellings such as a separate room, tent, shed, or other in 2023.

On average, 1.4 people live per room in West Bank housing.

The average housing density (number of people per room) in the West Bank was 1.4 people per room in 2023 (1.4 people per room in urban areas, 1.5 people per room in rural areas, and 1.6 people per room in camps).

5% of West Bank families live in overcrowded housing

5% of households in the West Bank live in housing units with high housing density (3 or more individuals per room), and at the level of the type of settlement, it reached 4% in urban areas and 7% in rural areas, and rose to 9% in camps in 2023.

It is also worth noting that the average number of rooms in a dwelling reached 3.5 rooms in 2023 in the West Bank, and the average reached 3.5 rooms in urban areas and 3.6 rooms in rural areas, compared to 3.2 rooms in camps.

42% of households in the West Bank live in housing connected to a public sewage network

42% of households in the West Bank in 2023 live in dwelli
ngs connected to septic tanks, 15% of households rely on sealed septic tanks to dispose of wastewater, and less than 1% of households use other sanitation methods, while 42% of households in the West Bank live in dwellings connected to a public sewage network.

Most homes in the West Bank have improved sanitation facilities.

99% of households in the West Bank in 2023 have improved sanitation, including (a toilet connected to a public sewer network, a toilet connected to a septic tank, or a toilet connected to a non-permeable pit).

135 m2 is the average area of ??a house in the West Bank.

13% of West Bank households in 2023 live in homes with an area of ??80 m2 or less, while the percentage of households living in homes with an area of ??200 m2 or more reached 10%, and the largest percentage of households, 41%, lived in homes with an area of ??(120-159) m2. At the level of the type of population center, the average housing area in urban areas was 137 m2, in rural areas 136 m2, and in camps it reached 110 m2
.

59% of West Bank homes are 20 years old or older

59% of West Bank families in 2023 live in homes that are 20 years old or older. At the level of the type of population center, this percentage reached 57% in urban areas, 62% in rural areas, and 72% in camps.

Decrease in the number of licensed housing units for the year 2023 compared to previous years

The number of licensed housing units in Palestine (new and existing) reached 18,997 licensed housing units, with an average area of ??166.4 m2, of which 14,866 are new housing units with an average area of ??167.3 m2, and 4,131 are existing housing units, with an average area of ??163.1 m2, according to the administrative records of building license statistics for the year 2023.

Source: Maan News Agency