Gaza’s population declines by 6% due to Israeli attacks
Palestinians living in the area inspect the area among the rubbles of destroyed buildings following an Israeli air strike on the Kemal Advan hospital in Beit Lahia in the Gaza Strip on December 29, 2024. (AA Photo)
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) reported that Israel’s attacks on Gaza since Oct.7, 2023, have reduced the population of the Gaza Strip by 6% by the end of 2024. This decline is attributed to mass casualties and displacement.
Why it matters
The figures underscore the devastating human cost of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, with significant impacts on the civilian population, infrastructure and demographic composition.
These findings also highlight the challenges facing Palestinian governance and humanitarian efforts in the region.
Key points
Casualties and displacement
- As of December 2024, Israel’s operations in Gaza have resulted in:
- 45,484 deaths, including 17,581 children and 12,048 women.
- 108,090 injuries, with thousands still missing.
- The displacement of approximately 100,000 residents from Gaza.
Population decline in Gaza
- Gaza’s population has decreased by 160,000 people, reducing it to 2.1 million, marking a 6% decline.
- The combined population of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem is approximately 5.5 million.
Global Palestinian population
- The global Palestinian population reached an estimated 14.9 million by the end of 2024.
- 7.6 million live in the diaspora, with 6.4 million in Arab countries.
- 1.8 million reside in Israel’s pre-1948 borders.
Ongoing destruction
- Thousands of bodies remain under the rubble in Gaza, with hospitals, schools, and other civilian infrastructure heavily targeted, worsening the humanitarian crisis.
