Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) 

Press Release by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) on the Occasion of Arab Housing Day -

Housing and Housing Conditions in the Palestinian Territory

 
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) presents the main indicators of Palestinian housing for 2011. The first Monday of October was designated as Arab Housing Day in a decision by the Council of Arab Housing and Reconstruction Ministers within the framework of the League of Arab States.

Around 920 Thousand Housing Units in the Palestinian Territory

PCBS projections for mid-2012 showed that there were an estimated 919.8 thousand housing units in the Palestinian Territory, an increase of 31% compared to the 2007 figures.

Most Common Housing Unit is Apartment in Gaza Strip and House in West Bank

Data indicated that 0.9% of households in the Palestinian Territory live in a villa, 52.8% live in a house, and 45.8% live in an apartment. 

Percentage of Households by Housing Unit Type and Region, 2011

Housing Density of 1.6 Persons Per Room

Average housing density in the Palestinian Territory was 1.6 persons per room in 2011. The average for the West Bank was 1.5 compared to an average of 1.8 persons per room in the Gaza Strip. Around 10.5% of households in the Palestinian Territory live in housing units with three persons or more per room.

There was an average of 3.6 rooms per housing unit in the Palestinian Territory in 2011. Around 14.5% of households live in housing units with 1-2 rooms: 14.3% in the West Bank and 14.7% in the Gaza Strip.

          Households by Number of Rooms per Housing Unit and Region, 2011

Average Monthly Rent of 153 Jordanian Dinars

The average monthly rent for a housing unit in the Palestinian Territory was 153 Jordanian dinars in 2010: 165 JD in the West Bank and 109 JD in the Gaza Strip.  In the West Bank, 43% of households lived in rented housing and paid a monthly rent of 150 JD or more, compared to 7% in the Gaza Strip.

More than Four-Fifths of Households Owned their Housing Unit

Around 85.1% of households owned their housing unit in the Palestinian Territory, while 7.0% of households lived in rented housing units.

Availability of Durable Goods

Results show that 20.5% of households in the Palestinian Territory have a private car: 27.2% in the West Bank and 7.8% in the Gaza Strip. In addition, 94.4% of households in the Palestinian Territory own a satellite dish, 51.0% own a computer, and 1.8% have a dishwasher.

Increase in Number of Licensed Housing Units in 2011.

The number of new and existing licensed housing units in 2011 totaled 12,393 with an average area of 181.2 m².

Israeli House Demolitions Continue 

The Israeli occupation forces destroyed 145 Palestinian houses in the Palestinian Territory during 2010 according to a study by the PLO Department for National and International Relations. The Israeli authorities granted building permits for 16,497 housing units for Israelis, mostly in and around Jerusalem (J1), and 1,300 housing units are currently under construction.