Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)

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

Housing conditions related to Sustainable Development in Palestine 2015

On Arab Housing Day, PCBS presents the main indicators for housing conditions in Palestine during 2015, as related to sustainable development.  The Council of Arab Housing and Reconstruction Ministers, within the framework of the League of Arab States, declared the first Monday of October every year as Arab Housing Day. The  motto for 2015- 2016 is Housing Conditions is the Basis of Sustainable Development

74% of the Palestinian are Urban

Population of Palestine reached 4.68 million people in mid 2015, 73.9%, living in urban areas while the rural population represented 16.7%, and 9.4% in refugee camps. Population density was estimated at 778 persons /km ²  in 2015

81% of household in Palestine living in owned housing units

The Housing Conditions Survey 2015 indicated that 80.9% of households in Palestine live in owned housing units, with 81.9% in West Bank and 79.0% in Gaza Strip, while 7.8%,  live in rented housing units (8.9% in West Bank and 5.7% in Gaza Strip), and 11.2% of household live without payment, (15.2% in Gaza Strip, 9.1% in West Bank)

59.8% of households access to the owned housing unit by Personal building, and 49.1% of household savings are  the main financial source to own their housing unit

1.7 Persons per Room in Housing Unit   

The results showed that the average housing density in Palestine in 2015 was 1.7 persons per room: 1.7 in urban areas, 1.6 in the rural areas and 1.9 in refugee camps.   Around 13.2% of households in Palestine live in housing units with three persons or more per room:

12.8% of households in urban areas, 10.9 in rural areas and 21.1% in refugee camps.

In 2015 the average number of rooms per housing unit in Palestine was 3.4 and average area of housing unit was 126.2 (m²)

Households Need from Housing Unit during the next ten years

 The findings of the Housing Conditions Survey showed that 60.9% of households in Palestine  will need new housing units during the next ten years (one housing units and more) , but only 29.9% of these households can afford additional housing units. (one housing units at least)