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Population, Housing and Establishment Census-1997

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Indicator Number* Percentage
Total Population(1997)**  
Male 132,818 50.8
Female 128,522 49.2
Total 261,340 100.0
Population Counted  
Male 127,788 50.8
Female 123,604 49.2
Total 251,392 100.0
Estimated of Post Enumeration  
Male 5,030 50.6
Female 4,918 49.4
Total 9,948 100.0
Total Households Counted  
Private Households 42,925 100.0
Institutional Households 10 0.0
Total 42,935 100.0
Population Distribution by Household Type  
Population of Private Households 251,114 99.9
Population of Institutional Households 278 0.1
Total 251,392 100.0
Distribution of Private Households by Nationality of Head
of Household		  
Private Palestinian Households 42,886 99.9
Private Foreign Households 39 0.1
Total 42,925 100.0
Distribution of Population in Private Households by Nationality of Head
of Household		  
Population of Private Palestinian Households 250,994 100.0
Population of Private Foreign Households 120 0.0
Total 251,114 100.0
Sex Ratio (Male Per 100 Female) 103.3 -
Average Household Size 5.9 -
Households by Sex of Head of Household  
Male 38,732 90.2
Female 4,193 9.8
Total 42,925 100.0
Household Type  
Nuclear 31,470 73.3
Extended 9,623 22.4
Composite 217 0.5
One Person 1,615 3.8
Total 42,925 100.0
Refugee Status  
Refugee 63,879 25.4
Not Refugee 186,020 74.1
Not Stated 1,182 0.5
Total 251,081 100.0
Age Distribution  
Age 0 - 4 41,724 16.6
5 - 14 65,136 25.9
15 - 64 134,162 53.4
65+ 10,251 4.1
Not Stated 119 0.0
Total 251,392 100.0
Median Age (Years) 18.0 -
Population Nationality  
Palestinians 251,081 99.9
Not Palestinians 309 0.1
Not Stated 2 0.0
Total 251,392 100.0
Palestinians 12 Years and Over by Marital Status  
Never or Legally Engaged  
Male 37,875 46.6
Female 28,896 36.4
Married  
Male 42,507 52.3
Female 43,057 54.2
Divorced  
Male 264 0.3
Female 911 1.1
Widowed  
Male 557 0.7
Female 6,360 8.0
Not Stated  
Male 116 0.1
Female 180 0.2
Total  
Male 81,319 100.0
Female 79,404 100.0
Median Age at First Marriage  
Male 24.0 -
Female 18.0 -
Dependency Ratio 87.3 -
Palestinians 15 Years and Over According to Ability to Read/ Write  
Illiterate  
Male 4,411 6.1
Female 12,396 17.4
Literate  
Male 68,190 93.6
Female 57,942 81.2
Not stated  
Male 267 0.4
Female 1,056 1.5
Total  
Male 72,868 100.0
Female 71,394 100.0
Palestinians 10 Years and Over by Educational Attainment  
Illiterate 17,284 10.0
Can Read and Write 28,738 16.7
Secondary and below 106,846 62.0
Associate Diploma 8,657 5.0
Bachelor 8,265 4.8
Higher Diploma and above 1,222 0.7
Not stated 1,347 0.8
Total 172,359 100.0
School Attendance for Palestinians 6-18 Years  
Attending 67,832 87.4
Not Attending 9,764 12.6
Not Stated 12 0.0
Total 77,608 100.0
Palestinians by Disability Status  
With Disability 4,575 1.8
Without Disability 246,506 98.2
Not stated - 0.0
Total 251,081 100.0
Disabled Palestinians by Type of Disability  
Seeing 653 14.3
Hearing 213 4.7
Speaking 273 6.0
Mental 596 13.0
Moving 1,554 34.0
Hearing and Speaking 296 6.5
Mental and Moving 175 3.8
Multiple 317 6.9
Grasping 167 3.7
Other 331 7.2
Total 4,575 100.0
Palestinians by Place of Birth  
Inside Palestinian Territories 227,570 90.6
Outside Palestinian Territories 23,456 9.3
Not stated 55 0.0
Total 251,081 100.0
Total Fertility Rate 4.8 -
Palestinians 10 Years and Over by Employment Status  
Economically Active 67,630 39.2
Employed 57,996 85.8
Unemployed Ever Worked 6,440 9.5
Unemployed Never Worked 3,194 4.7
Not Economically Active 104,036 60.4
Students 44,903 43.2
House Wife 49,066 47.2
Unable to Work 5,810 5.6
Not Working & Not Looking for Work 2,347 2.3
Others 1,910 1.8
Not Stated 693 0.4
Total 172,359 100.0
Palestinians 10 Years and Over Employed and Unemployed Ever Worked by Occupation  
Legislators and Managers 1,691 2.6
Professionals 4,943 7.7
Technicians and Associate Professionals 4,161 6.5
Clerks 2,768 4.3
Services and Sales Workers 10,649 16.5
Skilled Agricultural and Fishery Workers 2,518 3.9
Crafts and Related Workers 17,572 27.3
Plant, Machine Operators and Assemblers 6,091 9.5
Elementary Occupations 13,600 21.1
Not Sated 443 0.7
Total 64,436 100.0
Palestinians 10 Years and Over Employed and Unemployed Ever Worked by
Economic Activity		  
Agriculture, Hunting and Forestry 3,924 6.1
Fishing 1 0.0
Mining and Quarrying 475 0.7
Manufacturing 13,145 20.4
Electricity, Gas and Water Supply 93 0.1
Construction 13,778 21.4
Whole sale and Retail Trade 11,112 17.2
Hotels and Restaurants 1,239 1.9
Transport, Storage and Communication 2,939 4.6
Financial Intermediation 1,024 1.6
Real-estate, Renting and Business Activities 1,221 1.9
Public Administration and Defense 6,516 10.1
Education 4,936 7.7
Health and Social Work 1,952 3.0
Other Community Social and Personal service Activities 1,318 2.0
Private Households with Employed Persons 16 0.0
Extraterritorial Organizations and Bodies 157 0.2
Not Stated 590 0.9
Total 64,436 100.0
Average Number of Persons per Room 1.8 -
Average Number of Room in Housing Unit 3.3 -
Occupied Housing Units by Type  
Villa 279 0.7
House 16,717 40.0
Apartment 24,312 58.2
Independent Room 338 0.8
Tent 75 0.2
Marginal 21 0.1
Others 10 0.0
Not Stated 18 0.0
Total 41,770 100.0
Private Households by Tenure of Housing Unit  
Owned 29,146 67.9
Rented Unfurnished 7,145 16.6
Rented Furnished 224 0.5
Without Payment 6,037 14.1
For Work 117 0.3
Others 59 0.1
Not Stated 197 0.5
Total 42,925 100.0
Occupied Housing Units by Connection to Water Network in Housing Unit  
Public Network 31,923 76.4
Private System 7,409 17.7
No Piped Water 2,388 5.7
Not Stated 50 0.1
Total 41,770 100.0
Occupied Housing Units by Connection to Electricity Network in Housing Unit  
Public Network 40,820 97.7
Private Generator 405 1.0
No Electricity 500 1.2
Not Stated 45 0.1
Total 41,770 100.0
Occupied Housing Units by Connection to Sewage System in Housing Unit  
Public Sewage System 20,995 50.3
Cesspit 20,258 48.5
No Sewage System 458 1.1
Not Stated 59 0.1
Total 41,770 100.0
Private Household by Availability of Durable Goods  
Private Car  
Available 10,097 23.5
Not Available 32,636 76.0
Not Stated 192 0.4
Refrigerator  
Available 36,317 84.6
Not Available 6,438 15.0
Not Stated 170 0.4
Solar Boiler  
Available 26,061 60.7
Not Available 16,689 38.9
Not Stated 175 0.4
Central Heating  
Available 678 1.6
Not Available 42,075 98.0
Not Stated 172 0.4
Home Library  
Available 7,502 17.5
Not Available 35,234 82.1
Not Stated 189 0.4
Cooking Stove  
Available 42,130 98.1
Not Available 643 1.5
Not Stated 152 0.4
Washing Machine  
Available 33,585 78.2
Not Available 9,155 21.3
Not Stated 185 0.4
T.V.  
Available 38,136 88.8
Not Available 4,601 10.7
Not Stated 188 0.4
Video  
Available 5,827 13.6
Not Available 36,910 86.0
Not Stated 188 0.4
Computer  
Available 2,268 5.3
Not Available 40,469 94.3
Not Stated 188 0.4
Phone Line  
Available 11,451 26.7
Not Available 31,281 72.9
Not Stated 193 0.4
Buildings by Type  
Villa 321 1.0
House 22,910 69.2
Building 5,159 15.6
Tent 80 0.2
Marginal 135 0.4
Establishment 2,344 7.1
Under Construction 2,067 6.2
Other 68 0.2
Not Stated - 0.0
Total 33,084 100.0
Completed Buildings by Utilization  
Habitation 22,368 72.1
Habitation & Work 3,434 11.1
Work 2,507 8.1
Closed 1,293 4.2
Vacant 1,415 4.6
Not Stated - 0.0
Total 31,017 100.0
Number of Establishments by Status  
In Operation 11,053 79.3
Temporarily Closed 921 6.6
Permanently Closed 783 5.6
Under Preparation. 128 0.9
Auxiliary Acting Unit 1,049 7.5
Total 13,934 100.0
Number of Establishments in Operation in the Private Sector by
Principal Economic Activity		  
Agriculture 404 3.9
Mining and Quarrying 111 1.1
Manufacturing 2,498 23.8
Electricity And Water Supply 6 0.1
Construction 92 0.9
Wholesale, Retail Trade & Repairs 5,299 50.6
Hotels & Restaurants 424 4.0
Transport, Storage & Communications 78 0.7
Financial Intermediation 118 1.1
Real estate, Renting & Business Activities 393 3.8
Education 184 1.8
Health & Social Work 412 3.9
Other Community, Social & Personal Services 456 4.4
Total 10,475 100.0
Number of Persons Engaged in the Private Sector  
Male 24,308 83.8
Female 4,685 16.2
Total 28,993 100.0

*Includes population counted during the period of 10-24/12/1997.
**Includes population counted during the period of 10-24/12/1997, uncounted population estimates according to post enumeration survey.