Gaza, Gaza Strip

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Gaza, Gaza Strip

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Overview

Background: The Gaza Strip has been under the de facto governing authority of the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) since 2007 and has faced years of conflict, poverty, and humanitarian crises. Inhabited since at least the 15th century B.C., the Gaza Strip area has been dominated by many different peoples and empires throughout its history; it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in the early 16th century. The Gaza Strip fell to British forces during World War I, becoming a part of the British Mandate of Palestine. Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Egypt administered the newly formed Gaza Strip; Israel captured it 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 Gaza Strip, as well as the West Bank.
In 2000, a violent intifada or uprising began in response to perceived Israeli provocations, and in 2001, negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip stalled. Subsequent attempts to re-start negotiations have not resulted in progress toward determining final status and resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel in 2005 unilaterally withdrew all of its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip, but it continues to control the Gaza Strip’s land borders, maritime territorial waters, cyberspace, telecommunications, and airspace. In 2006, HAMAS won a majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council election. 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 2007. Since HAMAS's takeover, Israel and Egypt have enforced tight restrictions on movement and access of goods and individuals into and out of the territory. Fatah and HAMAS have since negotiated a series of agreements aimed at restoring political unity between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank but have struggled to enact them.
Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip and the Israel Defense Forces periodically exchange projectiles and air strikes, respectively, threatening broader conflict. In 2021, HAMAS launched rockets into Israel, sparking an 11-day conflict that also involved other Gaza-based militant groups. Egypt, Qatar, and the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process negotiated ceasefires, averting a broader conflict. Since 2018, HAMAS has coordinated demonstrations along the Gaza-Israel security fence. HAMAS has also stood by while other militant groups, such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad, fought brief conflicts with Israel, most recently in August 2022 and May 2023.

On 7 October 2023, HAMAS militants inside the Gaza Strip launched a combined unguided rocket and ground attack into Israel. The attack began with a barrage of more than 3,000 rockets fired toward Israel from Gaza, and included thousands of terrorists infiltrating Israel by land, sea, and air via paragliders. Militants attacked military bases, clashed with security forces mostly in southern Israel, and simultaneously infiltrated civilian communities. During the attack, terrorists carried out massacres and murdered civilians, including torture, acts of abuse and rape, a massacre at the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re'im, as well as kidnapping approximately 240 civilians, including men, women, children, and soldiers. These attacks were followed soon after by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) air strikes inside Gaza. The next day, Israeli Prime Minister NETANYAHU formally declared war on Gaza. The IDF on 28 October launched a large-scale ground assault inside Gaza that is ongoing as of April 2024.

Geography

Area

Land: 360 sq km
Water: 0 sq km
Total: 360 sq km

Climate: temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
Terrain: flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain

Land Use

Other: 32.1% (2023 est.)
Forest: 1.8% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 64.9% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 7% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 11.8% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 46.1% (2023 est.)

Location: Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel
Coastline: 40 km

Elevation

Lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
Highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Awdah) 105 m

Irrigated land: (2013) 151 sq km; note - includes the West Bank
Map references: Middle East

Land Boundaries

Total: 72 km
Border countries: Egypt 13 km; Israel 59 km

Maritime claims: see entry for Israel
Natural hazards: droughts
Geography note: once a strategic strip of land along Mideast-North African trade routes
Natural resources: arable land, natural gas
Area comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, D.C.
Geographic coordinates: 31 25 N, 34 20 E
Population distribution: population concentrated in major cities, particularly Gaza City in the north

People & Society

Literacy

Male: 99% (2022 est.)
Note: note: estimates are for Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Female: 97% (2022 est.)
Total population: 98% (2022 est.)

Languages

Languages: Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by 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 98.0 - 99.0% (predominantly Sunni), Christian <1.0%, other, unaffiliated, unspecified <1.0% (2012 est.)

Sex Ratio

At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0 14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15 64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female

Birth rate: 26.05 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 2.77 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median Age

Male: 19.3 years
Total: 19.9 years (2025 est.)
Female: 19.8 years

Population

Male: 1,108,222
Total: 2,184,652 (2025 est.)
Female: 1,076,430

Urbanization

Note: note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Urban population: 77.6% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.85% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Age Structure

0 14 years: 38.8% (male 427,450/female 404,288)
15 64 years: 58.3% (male 627,235/female 620,903)
65 years and over: 2.9% (2024 est.) (male 31,655/female 30,112)

Ethnic groups: Palestinian Arab

Child Marriage

Note: note: includes both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Women married BY age 15: 0.7% (2020)
Women married BY age 18: 13.4% (2020)

Dependency Ratios

Total dependency ratio: 69.6 (2025 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 64.5 (2025 est.)
Potential support ratio: 19.7 (2025 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.1 (2025 est.)

Physician density: 2.17 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
Health expenditure: 13.5% of national budget (2022 est.)
Net migration rate: -3.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Hospital bed density: 1.3 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.14 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Note: note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Improved: total: total: 98.9% of population
Unimproved: total: total: 1.1% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure: 5.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

Male: 16.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 14.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Female: 13.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Population growth rate: 1.96% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 1.52 (2025 est.)
Population distribution: population concentrated in major cities, particularly Gaza City in the north

Life Expectancy at Birth

Male: 73.7 years
Female: 77.4 years
Total population: 75.5 years (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 16 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Note: note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Improved: rural: rural: 99% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 99.8% of population
Improved: urban: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 1% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Major urban areas population: 778,000 Gaza (2023)
Currently married women (ages 15 49): 62.4% (2020 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 2.1% (2020 est.)

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

Male: 12 years (2023 est.)
Note: note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Total: 13 years (2023 est.)
Female: 14 years (2023 est.)

Government

Country Name

Etymology: named for the largest city in the enclave, Gaza, whose settlement can be traced back to at least the 15th century B.C. (as "Ghazzat"); "Strip" refers to its elongated shape along the Mediterranean
Local long form: none
Local short form: Qita' Ghazzah
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Gaza, Gaza Strip

Economy

Budget: see entry for the West Bank

Exports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $3.533 billion (2022 est.)

Note: note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Exports 2022: $3.533 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023: $3.413 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2024: $2.885 billion (2024 est.)

Imports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $12.257 billion (2022 est.)

Note: note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Imports 2022: $12.257 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023: $11.637 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2024: $8.264 billion (2024 est.)

Industries: textiles, food processing, furniture
Labor force: 1.391 million (2022 est.)

Remittances

Note: note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Remittances 2022: 24% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023: 18.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2024: 5.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Exchange rates: see entry for the West Bank

Unemployment Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 24.5% (2022 est.)

Note: note: % of labor force seeking employment; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Unemployment rate 2020: 25.9% (2020 est.)
Unemployment rate 2021: 26.4% (2021 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 24.5% (2022 est.)

Exports partners: Jordan 51%, Turkey 12%, UAE 8%, Saudi Arabia 5%, UK 4% (2023)
Imports partners: Egypt 25%, Jordan 17%, China 8%, Germany 7%, UAE 7% (2023)

Real GDP Per Capita

Civica canonical (reconciled): $3,800 (2024 est.)

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Real GDP per capita 2022: $5,800 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $5,400 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024: $3,800 (2024 est.)

Real GDP Growth Rate

Note: note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 4.1% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: -4.6% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2024: -26.6% (2024 est.)

Agricultural products: tomatoes, milk, cucumbers/gherkins, olives, potatoes, sheep milk, eggplants, pumpkins/squash, grapes, goat milk (2023)
Exports commodities: scrap iron, tropical fruits, olive oil, building stone, prepared meat (2023)
Imports commodities: cement, raw sugar, cars, baked goods, perfumes (2023)

Current Account Balance

Note: note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Current account balance 2022: -$2.037 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023: -$2.895 billion (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2024: -$2.899 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 21.5% (of GDP) (2021 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $13.711 billion (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Household consumption: 95.5% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 20.7% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.7% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 21.8% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 21% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -60.3% (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line: 29.2% (2016 est.)

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Civica canonical (reconciled): 53.7% (2024 est.)

Note: note: annual % change based on consumer prices; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 3.7% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 5.9% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 53.7% (2024 est.)

Industrial production growth rate: -32.2% (2024 est.)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Civica canonical (reconciled): $20.339 billion (2024 est.)

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $29.016 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $27.694 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $20.339 billion (2024 est.)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Male: 31.6% (2022 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 36.1% (2022 est.)
Female: 56.6% (2022 est.)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold

Note: note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $896.9 million (2022 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $1.323 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $1.328 billion (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Industry: 17.4% (2022 est.)
Services: 58.3% (2022 est.)
Agriculture: 5.7% (2022 est.)

Note: note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Lowest 10%: 2.5% (2023 est.)
Highest 10%: 27.1% (2023 est.)

Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income

Note: note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2023: 36.4 (2023 est.)

Energy

Coal

Note: note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Exports: 1 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

Note: note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Refined petroleum consumption: 29,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Electricity

Note: note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Imports: 6.925 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Consumption: 6.956 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 352,000 kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 988 million kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity Access

Note: note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Electrification total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Note: note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 14.991 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Electricity Generation Sources

Note: note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Solar: 33.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Fossil fuels: 66.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Communications

Internet Users

Note: note: includes the West Bank
Percent of population: 87% (2023 est.)

Broadcast media: 1 TV station and about 10 radio stations; satellite TV accessible
Internet country code: .ps

Telephones Fixed Lines

Note: note: entry includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Total subscriptions: 383,653 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7 (2023 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Note: note: entry includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Total subscriptions: 4,148,420 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 77 (2023 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Note: note: includes the West Bank
Total: 431,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2023 est.)

Environment

Climate: temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers

Land Use

Other: 32.1% (2023 est.)
Forest: 1.8% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 64.9% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 7% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 11.8% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 46.1% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Note: note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Urban population: 77.6% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.85% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and Recycling

Note: note: data represent combined total from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Municipal solid waste generated annually: 1.387 million tons (2024 est.)

Environmental issues: soil degradation; desertification; water pollution from chemicals and pesticides; salination of fresh water; improper sewage treatment; depletion and contamination of underground water resources

Total Water Withdrawal

Note: note: data represent combined total from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Municipal: 251 million cubic meters (2022)
Industrial: 37 million cubic meters (2022)
Agricultural: 158 million cubic meters (2022)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Note: note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Total emissions: 3.913 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 3.913 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Particulate matter emissions: 31.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 837 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Military & Security

Military expenditures: not available
Military and security forces: HAMAS maintains security forces inside Gaza in addition to its military wing, the 'Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades; the military wing ostensibly reports to the HAMAS Political Bureau but operates with considerable autonomy; there are several other militant groups operating in the Gaza Strip, most notably the Al-Quds Brigades of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which are usually but not always beholden to HAMAS's authority (2025)
Military and security service personnel strengths: prior to the start of the 2023-2025 conflict with Israel, the military wing of HAMAS was estimated to have 20-30,000 fighters (2024)

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s): Army of Islam; Abdallah Azzam Brigades; al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade; HAMAS; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ); Palestine Liberation Front; Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP); PFLP-General Command

Transnational Issues

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

Idps: 2,032,011 (2024 est.)

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Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Gaza, Gaza Strip — vintage 2026-Q1: Gaza, Gaza Strip factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/gaza-gaza-strip

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Sources: CIA World Factbook

Gaza, Gaza Strip

Area

Land Use

Elevation

Land Boundaries

Literacy

Languages

Sex Ratio

Median Age

Population

Urbanization

Age Structure

Child Marriage

Dependency Ratios

Drinking Water Source

Infant Mortality Rate

Life Expectancy at Birth

Sanitation Facility Access

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

Country Name

Exports

Imports

Remittances

Unemployment Rate

Real GDP Per Capita

Real GDP Growth Rate

Current Account Balance

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share

Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income

Coal

Petroleum

Electricity

Electricity Access

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Electricity Generation Sources

Internet Users

Telephones Fixed Lines

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Land Use

Urbanization

Waste and Recycling

Total Water Withdrawal

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons

Cite this page