West Bank

Introduction

Background

Inhabited since at least the 15th century B.C., the West Bank has been dominated by many different peoples throughout its history; it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in the early 16th century. The West Bank fell to British forces during World War I, becoming part of the British Mandate of Palestine. Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the West Bank was captured by Transjordan (later renamed Jordan), which annexed the West Bank in 1950; it was captured by Israel in the Six-Day War in 1967. Under a series of agreements known as the Oslo Accords signed between 1994 and 1999, Israel transferred to the newly created Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for many Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank as well as the Gaza Strip. In 2000, a violent intifada or uprising began, and in 2001 negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza Strip stalled. Subsequent attempts to re-start direct negotiations have not resulted in progress toward determining final status of the area.

Roughly 60% of the West Bank, remains under exclusive Israeli military control. In early 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) won a majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council election and since 2007, the PA has administered areas of the West Bank under its control while HAMAS maintains de facto control of Gaza. Fatah, the dominant Palestinian political party in the West Bank, and HAMAS have made several attempts at reconciliation, but the factions have been unable to implement any agreements reached; a reconciliation agreement signed in October 2017 remains unimplemented. In December 2018, the Palestinian Constitutional Court dissolved the Palestinian Legislative Council and called for new Legislative Council elections to be held.

Geography

Location

Middle East, west of Jordan, east of Israel

Geographic coordinates

32 00 N, 35 15 E

Map references

Middle East

Area

total: 5,860 sq km
land: 5,640 sq km
water: 220 sq km
note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967
country comparison to the world: 172

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Delaware

Land boundaries

total: 478 km
border countries (2): Israel 330 km, Jordan 148 km

Coastline

0 km(landlocked)

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Climate

temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters

Terrain

mostly rugged, dissected upland in west, flat plains descending to Jordan River Valley to the east

Elevation

lowest point: Dead Sea -431 m
highest point: Khallat al Batrakh 1,020 m

Natural resources

arable land

Land use

agricultural land: 43.3% (2011 est.)
arable land: 7.4% (2011 est.)/permanent crops: 11% (2011 est.)/permanent pasture: 24.9% (2011 est.)
forest: 1.5% (2011 est.)
other: 55.2% (2011 est.)
note: includes Gaza Strip

Irrigated land

240 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip (2012)

Population distribution

Palestinian settlements are primarily located in the central to western half of the territory; Jewish settlements are found in pockets throughout, particularly in the northeast, north-central, and around Jerusalem

Natural hazards

droughts

Environment - current issues

adequacy of freshwater supply; sewage treatment

Geography - note

landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are about 380 Israeli civilian sites, including about 213 settlements and 132 small outpost communities in the West Bank and 35 sites in East Jerusalem (2017)

People and Society

Population

2,798,494 (July 2018 est.)
note: approximately 391,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank (2016); approximately 201,200 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusalem (2014)
country comparison to the world: 140

Nationality

noun: NA
adjective: NA

Ethnic groups

Palestinian Arab, Jewish, other

Languages

Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)

Religions

Muslim 80-85% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 12-14%, Christian 1-2.5% (mainly Greek Orthodox), other, unaffiliated, unspecified <1% (2012 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 36.09%(male 518,376 /female 491,676)
15-24 years: 21.17%(male 302,474 /female 289,852)
25-54 years: 34.48%(male 489,559 /female 475,402)
55-64 years: 4.74%(male 68,317 /female 64,233)
65 years and over: 3.52%(male 44,662 /female 53,943) (2018 est.)
population pyramid:

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 75.8 (2015 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 70.5 (2015 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 5.2 (2015 est.)
potential support ratio: 19.1 (2015 est.)
note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Median age

total: 21.4 years (2018 est.)
male: 21.2 years
female: 21.6 years
country comparison to the world: 183

Population growth rate

1.81% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56

Birth rate

26 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 47

Death rate

3.5 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 217

Net migration rate

-4.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187

Population distribution

Palestinian settlements are primarily located in the central to western half of the territory; Jewish settlements are found in pockets throughout, particularly in the northeast, north-central, and around Jerusalem

Urbanization

urban population: 76.4% of total population(2019)
rate of urbanization: 3% annual rate of change(2015-20 est.)
note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Maternal mortality rate

27 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank
country comparison to the world: 118

Infant mortality rate

total: 13.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
male: 15.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.9 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 104

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 75.4 years (2018 est.)
male: 73.4 years
female: 77.6 years
country comparison to the world: 108

Total fertility rate

3.2 children born/woman (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48

Contraceptive prevalence rate

57.2% (2014)
note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 50.7% of population
rural: 81.5% of population
total: 58.4% of population
unimproved: urban: 49.3% of population
rural: 18.5% of population
total: 41.6% of population (2015 est.)
note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Physicians density

1.3 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Hospital bed density

1.3 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 93% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 90.2% of population (2015 est.)
total: 92.3% of population (2015 est.)
unimproved: urban: 7% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 9.8% of population (2015 est.)
total: 7.7% of population (2015 est.)
note: note includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1.4% (2014)
note: estimate is for Gaza Strip and the West Bank
country comparison to the world: 118

Education expenditures

5.3% of GDP (2017)
note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank
country comparison to the world: 52

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.9%
male: 98.6%
female: 95.2% (2016)
note: estimates are for Gaza and the West Bank

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 13 years
male: 12 years
female: 14 years (2017)
note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 46.9%
male: 40.5%
female: 75.3% (2018 est.)
note: includes Gaza Strip
country comparison to the world: 7

Government

Country name

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: West Bank
etymology: name refers to the location of the region - occupied and administered by Jordan after 1948 - that fell on the far side (west bank) of the Jordan River in relation to Jordan proper; the designation was retained following the 1967 Six-Day War and the subsequent changes in government

Economy

Economy - overview

In 2017, the economic outlook in the West Bank - the larger of the two areas comprising the Palestinian Territories – remained fragile, as security concerns and political friction slowed economic growth. Unemployment in the West Bank remained high at 19.0% in the third quarter of 2017, only slightly better than 19.6% at the same point the previous year, while the labor force participation rate remained flat, year-on-year.Longstanding Israeli restrictions on imports, exports, and movement of goods and people continue to disrupt labor and trade flows and the territory’s industrial capacity, and constrain private sector development. The PA’s budget benefited from an effort to improve tax collection, coupled with lower spending in 2017, but the PA for the foreseeable future will continue to rely heavily on donor aid for its budgetary needs and infrastructure development.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$21.22 billion (2014 est.)
$20.15 billion (2013 est.)
$19.95 billion (2012 est.)
note: data are in 2014 US dollars; includes Gaza Strip
country comparison to the world: 147

GDP (official exchange rate)

$9.828 billion(2014 est.) (2014 est.)
note: excludes Gaza Strip

GDP - real growth rate

5.3% (2014 est.)
1% (2013 est.)
6% (2012 est.)
note: excludes Gaza Strip
country comparison to the world: 45

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$4,300 (2014 est.)
$4,400 (2013 est.)
$4,600 (2012 est.)
note: includes Gaza Strip
country comparison to the world: 175

Gross national saving

7.8% of GDP (2014 est.)
9.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
5% of GDP (2012 est.)
note: includes Gaza Strip
country comparison to the world: 170

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 91.3% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 26.7% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 23% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 20% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -61% (2017 est.)
note: excludes Gaza Strip

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 2.9% (2017 est.)
industry: 19.5% (2017 est.)
services: 77.6% (2017 est.)
note: excludes Gaza Strip

Agriculture - products

olives, citrus fruit, vegetables; beef, dairy products

Industries

small-scale manufacturing, quarrying, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs

Industrial production growth rate

2.2% (2017 est.)
note: includes Gaza Strip
country comparison to the world: 127

Labor force

1.24 million (2017 est.)
note: excludes Gaza Strip
country comparison to the world: 139

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 11.5%
industry: 34.4%
services: 54.1% (2013 est.)
note: excludes Gaza Strip

Unemployment rate

27.9% (2017 est.)
27% (2016 est.)
note: excludes Gaza Strip
country comparison to the world: 202

Population below poverty line

18% (2011 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 28.2% (2009 est.)
note: includes Gaza Strip

Distribution of family income - Gini index

34.5 (2009 est.)
38.7 (2007 est.)
note: includes Gaza Strip
country comparison to the world: 103

Budget

revenues: 1.314 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 1.278 billion (2017 est.)
note: includes Palestinian Authority expenditures in the Gaza Strip

Taxes and other revenues

13.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 207

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39

Public debt

24.4% of GDP (2014 est.)
23.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177

Fiscal year

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.2% (2017 est.)
-0.2% (2016 est.)
note: excludes Gaza Strip
country comparison to the world: 18

Commercial bank prime lending rate

5.8% (31 December 2017 est.)
6.15% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128

Stock of narrow money

$416.5 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$317.8 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176

Stock of broad money

$416.5 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$317.8 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180

Stock of domestic credit

$2.211 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.712 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147

Market value of publicly traded shares

$3.339 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$3.187 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$3.247 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91

Current account balance

-$1.444 billion (2017 est.)
-$1.348 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153

Exports

$2.126 billion (2017 est.)
$1.827 billion (2016 est.)
note: excludes Gaza Strip
country comparison to the world: 139

Exports - commodities

stone, olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone

Imports

$6.565 billion (2017 est.)
$6.207 billion (2016 est.)
note: data include the Gaza Strip
country comparison to the world: 118

Imports - commodities

food, consumer goods, construction materials, petroleum, chemicals

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$0 (31 December 2017 est.)
$583 million (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195

Debt - external

$1.662 billion (31 March 2016 est.)
$1.467 billion (31 March 2015 est.)
note: data include the Gaza Strip
country comparison to the world: 158

Exchange rates

new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar -
3.606 (2017 est.)
3.841 (2016 est.)
3.841 (2015 est.)
3.8869 (2014 est.)
3.5779 (2013 est.)

Energy

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)
note: data for West Bank and Gaza Strip combined

Electricity - production

1.093 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148

Electricity - consumption

6.489 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016)
country comparison to the world: 217

Electricity - imports

5.473 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36

Electricity - installed generating capacity

170,000 kW (2016 est.)
note: includes Gaza Strip
country comparison to the world: 170

Electricity - from fossil fuels

78% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 211

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 213

Electricity - from other renewable sources

22% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 217

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 215

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 215

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018)
country comparison to the world: 212

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 215

Refined petroleum products - consumption

24,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131

Refined petroleum products - exports

19 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123

Refined petroleum products - imports

22,740 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 214

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 213

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 212

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 212

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 207

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

3.113 million Mt (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 472,293(includes Gaza Strip)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 17(includes Gaza Strip) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 4,135,363(includes Gaza Strip)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 150(includes Gaza Strip) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126

Telephone system

general assessment: continuing political and economic instability has impeded liberalization of the telecommunications industry (2018)
domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed-line services; two Palestinian cellular providers, JAWWAL and WATANIYA MOBILE, launched 3G mobile networks in the West Bank in January 2018 after Israel lifted its ban (2018)
international: country code - 970; 1 international switch in Ramallah

Broadcast media

the Palestinian Authority operates 1 TV and 1 radio station; about 20 private TV and 40 radio stations; both Jordanian TV and satellite TV are accessible

Internet country code

.psnote - same as Gaza Strip

Internet users

total: 2.673 million(includes Gaza Strip)
percent of population: 57.4% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 371,299
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2017 est.)
note: includes Gaza Strip
country comparison to the world: 89

Military and Security

Military and security forces

in accordance with the Oslo Accords, the PA is not permitted a conventional military but maintains security and police forces; PA security personnel have operated almost exclusively in the West Bank since HAMAS seized power in the Gaza Strip in 2007; PA forces include National Security Forces, Presidential Guard, Civil Police, Preventative Security Service, and the General Intelligence Service (2019)

Transportation

Airports

2 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 210

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 (2013)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)
under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Roadways

total: 4,686 km (2010)
paved: 4,686 km (2010)
note: includes Gaza Strip
country comparison to the world: 145

Terrorism

Terrorist groups - home based

Kahane Chai (Kach): aim(s): restore the biblical state of Israel; expel Arabs from Israel's biblical lands
area(s) of operation: present in West Bank Jewish settlements, especially the Qiryat Arba' settlement in Hebron, where operatives have conducted bombings and shootings against Muslim and Christian Palestinians; operationally inactive in recent years (2018)

Terrorist groups - foreign based

HAMAS: aim(s): grow its political and operational presence in the West Bank
area(s) of operation: mostly political activity; small cells scattered throughout the West Bank for militant and illicit finance purposes (2018)
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps -- Qods Force (IRGC-QF): aim(s):   launch attacks against Israel, reduce Israel’s presence and influence in the West Bank, and destroy the state of Israel; works through proxies and allies such as Hamas, Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Palestine Liberation Front (PLF), and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) area(s) of operations:  West Bank (2019)
Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ): aim(s): enhance its staging capabilities in the West Bank to launch attacks against Israel
area(s) of operation: mostly political activity; strives to maintain an operational presence (2018)
Palestine Liberation Front (PLF): aim(s): enhance its networks in the West Bank and, ultimately, destroy the state of Israel; establish a secular, Marxist Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital
area(s) of operation: maintains a recruitment and training presence in some of the West Bank's refugee camps (2018)
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP): aim(s): bolster its recruitment networks in the West Bank
area(s) of operation: mostly political activity, maintains a recruitment presence targeting youths (2018)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international

the current status of the West Bank is subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from Gaza and four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 846,465 (Palestinian refugees) (2019)
IDPs: 238,000 (includes persons displaced within the Gaza strip due to the intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since June 2014 and other Palestinian IDPs in the Gaza Strip and West Bank who fled as long ago as 1967, although confirmed cumulative data do not go back beyond 2006) (2018)