Browse economic indicators and data sets

The Occupied Palestinian Territories

Browse economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about The Occupied Palestinian Territories economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends.

Basic Information

Government Type: N/A

Capital City: N/A

GDP & Economic Information

Macroeconomy & Sovereign Data

Central Bank Palestine Monetary Authority

Currency New Israeli shekels (ILS)
International Reserves USD 17.34 billion (2021 estimate)

IMF – World Economic Outlook, October 2021
Gross Domestic Product – GDP USD 29.57 billion (2021 estimate)

IMF – World Economic Outlook, October 2021
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) USD 29.57 billion (2021 estimate)

IMF – World Economic Outlook, October 2021

GDP Data

Real GDP growth 2017 1.4%
2018 1.2%
2019 1.4%
2020* -11.5%
2021 4.4%

*Estimate
GDP per capita – current prices USD 3,320.85 (2021 estimate)

GDP per capita – PPP USD 5,662.06 (2021 estimate)
GDP (PPP) – share of world total N/A
GDP – composition by sector agriculture: 7.1%
industry: 17%
services: 60.6%
(2016 estimate)
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP) N/A
Inflation 2017 0.2%
2018 -0.2%
2019 1.6%
2020* -0.7%
2021* 1.3%

*Estimate

The Occupied Palestinian Territories

Inflation & Debt

Inflation 2017 0.2%
2018 -0.2%
2019 1.6%
2020* -0.7%
2021* 1.3%

*Estimate
Government Bond Ratings Standard & Poor’s: N/A

Moody’s: N/A

Standard & Poor’s / Moody’s (Updated January 2017)
Unemployment rate 2017 25.5%
2018 26.3%
2019 25.4%
2020* 25.9%
2021* 25.6%

*Estimate
Household saving rates N/A
Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP) 2017 71.9%
2018 69.5%
2019 67.8%
2020* 77.6%
2021* 81.5%

*Estimate
Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP) 2017 31.8%
2018 33.1%
2019 34.5%
2020* 47.2%
2021* 44.7%

*Estimate

Market value of publicly traded shares USD 3.4 billion (2020)
Largest Companies N/A

Import/Export

Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services) 5.9% (2017)

Shares in world total merchandising export 0.004% (2018)

Shares in world total commercial services export 0.008% (2018)

Total exports USD 1.6 billion (2018 estimate)

Export commodities Opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems, and medical herbs

Total imports USD 8.3 billion (2018 estimate)

Import commodities Machinery and other capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products

Exports – major partners India 56.5%, Pakistan 29.6% (2017)

Imports – major partners China 21%, Iran 20.5%, Pakistan 11.8%, Kazakhstan 11%, Uzbekistan 6.8%, Malaysia 5.3%(2017)

Competitiveness & Trade

Current account balance USD -1.6 billion (2021 estimate)

IMF – World Economic Outlook, October 2021
Current account balance by percentage of GDP -9.5% (2021 estimate)

IMF – World Economic Outlook, October 2021
FDI inflows 2018 USD 252 million
2019 USD 132 million
2020 USD 52 million
FDI Outflows 2018 USD 31 million
2019 USD 56 million
2020 USD 61 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser N/A


United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) – World Investment Report
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014 N/A
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015 N/A
Best countries for doing business Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.

Overall ranking: 117 out of 190 countries (2017)

Subcategories:

Starting a business: 173 out of 190 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 123 out of 190 countries

Registering Property: 91 out of 190 countries

Getting Credit: 25 out of 190 countries

Protecting Minority Investors: 114 out of 190 countries

Trading Across Borders: 54 out of 190 countries

Paying Taxes: 112 out of 190 countries

Dealing with Construction Permits: 148 out of 190 countries

Getting Electricity: 86 out of 190 countries

Resolving Insolvency: 168 out of 190 countries

World Bank – Doing Business 2020
Global competitiveness ranking N/A
Index of Economic Freedom N/A

Population & Geographic Data

Total Area 6,220 sq km
Total Population 1960 35.1%
1980 42.4%
2000 42.7%
2020 40.8%
Urban population as % of total population 1960 56.8%
1980 62.5%
2000 72.0%
2015 75.3%
Population median age West Bank: 20.8 years (2016 estimate)
Gaza Strip: 16.9 years (2016 estimate)
Population growth rate West Bank: 1.86% (2016 estimate)
Gaza Strip: 2.39% (2016 estimate)
Life expectancy West Bank: 75 years (2016 estimate)
Gaza Strip: 73.9 years (2016 estimate)

CIA World Factbook / Life expectancy
% of population living on less than $3.10 a day 0.9% (2009)
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)
34.5 (2009)
(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)
Freedom House rating N/A
Total telephone subscribers as % of population Fixed 8.5%

Mobile 77.6% (2015)

(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)
Internet users as % of total population 57.4% (2015)

Language & Religon

Languages West Bank: Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
Gaza Strip: Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by many Palestinians), English (widely understood
Literacy 96.5% (age 15 and over can read and write, 2015 estimate)
Religions
West Bank: Muslim 80-85% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 12-14%, Christian 1-2.5% (mainly Greek Orthodox), other, unaffiliated, unspecified <1% (2012 est.)
Gaza Strip: Muslim 98.0 – 99.0% (predominantly Sunni), Christian <1.0%, other, unaffiliated, unspecified <1.0% (2012 est.)

World Rankings

Population 2.8 M
Mercer Cost of living index N/A
C02 Emissions per capita 1.9 metric tons per capita (2018)

Global Finance Rankings & Awards: The Occupied Palestinian Territories

Global Finance Magazine holds several conferences and awards ceremonies throughout the year to recognize the winning financial institutions and companies in a host of categories including World’s Best Trade Finance Banks, World's Biggest Banks, World's Safest Banks, World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks, World's Best Internet Banks, and World’s Best Investment Banks.


Data Sources:

IMF World Economic Outlook

UN World Population Prospects

World Inequality Report

S&P Global Ratings

Moody’s

Fitch Ratings

IMF Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS)

UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

CIA The World Factbook

World Bank’s World Integrated Trade Solution

Forbes Global 2000

arrow-chevron-right-redarrow-chevron-rightbutton-arrow-left-greybutton-arrow-left-red-400button-arrow-left-red-500button-arrow-left-red-600button-arrow-left-whitebutton-arrow-right-greybutton-arrow-right-red-400button-arrow-right-red-500button-arrow-right-red-600button-arrow-right-whitecaret-downcaret-rightclosecloseemailfacebook-square-holdfacebookhamburger-newhamburgerinstagramlinkedin-square-1linkedinpauseplaysearch-outlinesearchsubscribe-digitalsubscribe-printtwitter-square-holdtwitteryoutube