West Bank
Background
The landlocked West Bank -- the larger of the two Palestinian territories -- is home to some three million Palestinians. Inhabited since at least the 15th century B.C., the area currently known as the West Bank has been dominated by a succession of different powers. In the early 16th century, it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire. The West Bank fell to British forces during World War I, becoming part of the British Mandate of Palestine. After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Transjordan (later renamed Jordan) captured the West Bank and annexed it in 1950; Israel then captured it in the Six-Day War in 1967. Under the Oslo Accords -- a series of agreements that were signed between 1993 and 1999 -- Israel transferred to the newly created Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for the many Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank, as well as the Gaza Strip. In addition to establishing the PA as an interim government, the Oslo Accords divided the West Bank into three areas, with one fully managed by the PA (Area A), another fully managed by Israel (Area C), and a third with shared control (Area B) until a permanent agreement could be reached between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel. In 2000, a violent intifada, or uprising, began across the Palestinian territories, and in 2001, negotiations for a permanent agreement between the PLO and Israel on final status issues stalled. Subsequent attempts to re-start direct negotiations have not resulted in progress toward determining final status of the area. The PA last held national elections in 2006, when the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) won a majority of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). Fatah, the dominant Palestinian political faction in the West Bank, and HAMAS failed to maintain a unity government, leading to violent clashes between their respective supporters and to HAMAS's violent seizure of all PA military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip in 2007. In 2018, the Palestinian Constitutional Court dissolved the PLC. In recent years, Fatah and HAMAS have made several attempts at reconciliation, but the factions have been unable to implement agreements.
Area
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Elevation
Geographic coordinates
Geography - note
landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers (2017)
Irrigated land
(2013) 151 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip
Location
Middle East, west of Jordan, east of Israel
Major lakes (area sq km)
salt water lake(s): Dead Sea (shared with Jordan and Israel) - 1,020 sq km note - endorheic hypersaline lake; 9.6 times saltier than the ocean; lake shore is 431 meters below sea level
Map references
Middle East
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards
droughts
Natural resources
Terrain
mostly rugged, dissected upland in west, flat plains descending to Jordan River Valley to the east
Age structure
Birth rate
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
2.1% (2020 est.) note: estimate is for Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
62.4% (2020 est.) note: data includes Gaza and the West Bank
Death rate
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 68.2 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 61.4 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 6.8 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 14.8 (2025 est.)
Education expenditure
5.4% of GDP (2021 est.) note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Ethnic groups
Gross reproduction rate
1.67 (2025 est.)
Health expenditure
13.5% of national budget (2022 est.) note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Hospital bed density
1.3 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 14.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 17.5 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 76.5 years (2024 est.) male: 74.4 years female: 78.8 years
Literacy
total population: 98% (2022 est.) male: 99% (2022 est.) female: 97% (2022 est.) note: estimates are for Gaza and the West Bank
Maternal mortality ratio
16 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.) note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Median age
total: 22 years (2025 est.) male: 21.6 years female: 22.1 years
Net migration rate
-3.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Physician density
3.25 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
Population distribution
the most populous Palestinian communities in the West Bank are located in the central ridge and western half of its territory; Jewish settlements are located throughout the West Bank, the most populous in the Seam Zone -- between the 1949 Armistice Line and the separation barrier -- and around Jerusalem
Population growth rate
2.03% (2025 est.)
Population
- breakdown
- {"male":{"value":1682493,"unit":"people","formatted":"1,682,493","name":"Male Population"},"female":{"value":1628061,"unit":"people","formatted":"1,628,061","name":"Female Population"}}
- meta
- {"year":2025}
- note
- approximately 468,300 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank (2022); approximately 236,600 Israeli settlers live in East Jerusalem (2021)
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Religions
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 13 years (2023 est.) male: 12 years (2023 est.) female: 14 years (2023 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 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Total fertility rate
3.44 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
3.913 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 3.913 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Climate
temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters
Environmental issues
adequacy of freshwater supply; sewage treatment
Land use
agricultural land: 64.9% (2023 est.) arable land: 7% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 11.8% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 46.1% (2023 est.) forest: 1.8% (2023 est.) other: 32.1% (2023 est.) note: includes Gaza Strip
Particulate matter emissions
31.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources
837 million cubic meters (2022 est.) note: data represent combined total from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 251 million cubic meters (2022) industrial: 37 million cubic meters (2022) agricultural: 158 million cubic meters (2022) note: data represent combined total from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Urbanization
urban population: 77.6% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.85% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 1.387 million tons (2024 est.) note: data represent combined total from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Country name
conventional long form: none conventional short form: West Bank etymology: name refers to the location of the British Mandate of Palestine that was occupied and administered by Jordan in 1948, on the west bank of the Jordan River; the designation was retained after the 1967 Six-Day War and subsequent changes in administration
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 4 (all cultural) selected World Heritage Site locales: Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan; Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem; Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town; Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir
Agricultural products
Budget
revenues: $1.409 billion (2021 est.) expenditures: $1.499 billion (2021 est.) note: central government revenues and expenditures (excluding grants and social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Current account balance
-$2.899 billion (2024 est.) -$2.895 billion (2023 est.) -$2.037 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Exchange rates
new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 3.7 (2024 est.) 3.67 (2023 est.) 3.36 (2022 est.) 3.23 (2021 est.) 3.442 (2020 est.)
Exports - commodities
Exports - partners
Exports
GDP - composition, by end use
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
GDP (official exchange rate)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
36.4 (2023 est.) note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 2.5% (2023 est.) highest 10%: 27.1% (2023 est.) note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Imports - commodities
Imports - partners
Imports
Industrial production growth rate
-32.2% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Industries
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
53.7% (2024 est.) 5.9% (2023 est.) 3.7% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Labor force
1.391 million (2022 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Population below poverty line
29.2% (2016 est.) note: % of population with income below national poverty line; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Real GDP growth rate
-26.6% (2024 est.) -4.6% (2023 est.) 4.1% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Real GDP per capita
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$20.339 billion (2024 est.) $27.694 billion (2023 est.) $29.016 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Remittances
5.4% of GDP (2024 est.) 18.2% of GDP (2023 est.) 24% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$1.328 billion (2024 est.) $1.323 billion (2023 est.) $896.9 million (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Taxes and other revenues
21.5% (of GDP) (2021 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Unemployment rate
24.5% (2022 est.) 26.4% (2021 est.) 25.9% (2020 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
36.1% (2022 est.)
Coal
exports: 1 metric tons (2023 est.) note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.) note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Electricity generation sources
Electricity generation sources
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 352,000 kW (2023 est.) consumption: 6.956 billion kWh (2023 est.) imports: 6.925 billion kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 988 million kWh (2023 est.) note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Energy consumption per capita
14.991 million Btu/person (2023 est.) note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Petroleum
refined petroleum consumption: 29,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
8 (2023 est.)
Broadcast media
the Palestinian Authority operates 1 TV and 1 radio station; about 20 private TV and 40 radio stations; Jordanian TV and satellite TV accessible
Internet country code
.ps note: IANA has designated .ps for the West Bank, same as Gaza Strip
Internet users
percent of population: 87% (2023 est.) note: includes the Gaza Strip
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 4,148,420 (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 77 (2023 est.) note: entry includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Airports
1 (2025)
Heliports
2 (2025)
Military and security forces
per the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority (PA) is not permitted a conventional military but maintains security and police forces; PA security personnel have operated exclusively in the West Bank since HAMAS seized power in the Gaza Strip in 2007; PA forces include the Palestinian National Security Forces, Presidential Guard, Civil Police, Civil Defense, Preventive Security Organization, the General Intelligence Organization, and the Military Intelligence Organization (2024) note: the National Security Forces conduct gendarmerie-style security operations in circumstances that exceed the capabilities of the Civil Police; it is the largest branch of the PA security services and acts as the internal Palestinian security force; the Presidential Guard protects facilities and provides dignitary protection; the Preventive Security Organization is responsible for internal intelligence gathering and investigations related to internal security cases, including political dissent
Military and security service personnel strengths
the PA police and security forces have approximately 28,000 active personnel, including about 11,500 National Security Forces (2024)
Military expenditures
not available
Military - note
Palestinian Authority security forces maintain security control of 17.5% (called Area A) of the West Bank, as agreed by the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel in the Oslo Accords, although Israeli security forces frequently conducted security operations there; Israeli security forces maintain responsibility for the remaining 82.5% of the West Bank, including Area B (22.5%), where the Palestinian Authority has administrative control, and Area C (60%), where Israel maintains administrative control (2024)