International Youth Day

 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS)

International Youth Day,12/08/2018

 On the occasion of the International Youth Day, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) issues a press release demonstrating the situation of the youth  in the Palestinian society

One-third of the Palestinian population is youth, and more than half of them live in Area (C) close to the apartheid wall and the settlements

The percentage of individuals (15-29 years) in Palestine increased from about 28.2% in 2007 to about 29.2% of the total population in 2017, which is equivalent to about 1.37 million individuals and a sex ratio of 104.5 males per 100 females in 2017. At the level of region, the percentage of individuals (15-29 years) of 2017 in the West Bank was 29.0% compared to 29.5% in Gaza Strip. On the other hand, the data indicated that the percentage of individuals (15-29 years) in Palestine, who live in areas (C) close to the apartheid wall and settlements, reached 54.2%, which is equivalent to 743,160 individuals (380,841 males and 362,319 females).

High percentage of households headed by youth during the past ten years

According to the data of the Population, Housing and Establishments Census 2017, the percentage of households headed by youth (15-29 years) in Palestine was 14.9% (13.9% in the West Bank and 16.5% in Gaza Strip). While in 2007 this percentage was 9.2% in Palestine (9.9% in the West Bank and 8.1% in Gaza Strip). Which indicates an increase in the social and economic challenges that face the youth.

A significant decrease in the rate of early marriage among females

The results of the Population, Housing and Establishments Census 2017 indicated that the percentage of women (20-24 years) who were married before the age of 18 year in Palestine reached 10.8% (8.5% in the West Bank and 13.8% in Gaza Strip). In 2007, this percentage was 18.1% in Palestine (17.0% in the West Bank and 19.7% in Gaza Strip). In 1997, the percentage reached 30.5% in Palestine.

35.3% of the youth (15-29 years) are currently enrolled in education

The results of the Population, Housing and Establishments Census 2017 showed that 35.3% of individuals (15-29 years) were enrolled in education by 80.7% of individuals in the age group (15-17 years), 42.4% in the age group (18-22 years), and 7.1% in the age group (23-29 years). While the percentage of enrollment among young males was 31.1% compared to 39.7% for youth females. In 1997, enrollment among youth reached 28%, and increased significantly to 44.4% in 2007.

The rate of illiteracy among individuals (15-29 years) decreased from 1.1% (1.1% in the West Bank and 1.2% in Gaza Strip) in 2007 to about 0.6% in Palestine according to the data of census 2017 (0.6% in the West Bank and 0.7% in the Gaza Strip).

High rates of youth participation in the labor force

The percentage of participation in the labor force among individuals (15-29 years) in Palestine reached 41.1% in 2017 (63.0% among males and 18.9% among females) compared with 33.8% in 2007 (54.8% among males and 11.9% among females). The percentage of participation among individuals in the age group (15-29 years) in the West Bank increased from 35.6% in 2007 to 41.1% in 2017, and in Gaza Strip it increased from 30.8% to 42.0% during the same period.

Youth unemployment rate increased in 2017 compared to 2007

The unemployment rate among individuals (15-29 years) in Palestine increased in 2017 as it reached 41.0% (33.7% among males and 66.7% among females) compared with 2007 where it was 30.5% (29.4% among males and 35.6% among females). On the other hand, the unemployment rate among individuals in the age group (15-29 years) in the West Bank increased from 25.6% in 2007 to 27.2% in 2017, and it increased significantly in Gaza Strip from 39.8% to 61.2% during the same period.

Unemployment of youth graduates exceeded 55%

The rate of unemployment among graduates (15-29 years) holding intermediate diploma degree or higher was 55.8% during 2017 (37.8% for males and 72.0% for females) compared to 41.5% in 2007 (31.7% for males and 52.5% for females). Graduates of the educational sciences and teacher training specialization in 2017 recorded the highest unemployment rate at 69.6% (47.5% for males and 76.2% for females). Graduates of the law specialization recorded the lowest unemployment rate at 25.7% (25.5% for males and 26% for females).

The work of youth females is concentrated in the services sector. While, trade, restaurants and hotels sectors are the most accommodating for male youth employment

The percentage of youth working in the services sector was 23.0% in 2017 (16.8% for males and 65.2% females) compared with 28.4% in the trade, restaurants and hotels sector (30.6% for males and 13.2% for females), 19.6% in construction sector (22.2% for males and 1.4% for females). 15.1% of the employed youth work in industry (15.8% for males and 10.7% for females). The percentage of workers in the agriculture sector was 7.5% (7.9% for males and 4.7% for females), while the percentage of the employed youth in transportation, storage and communications sector reached 6.4% (6.7% for males and 4.8% for females).

Less than 1% of the Palestinian youth work in decision-making positions

The data for 2017 showed that 0.7% of youth work as legislators and senior management employees (0.8% in the West Bank and 0.7% in Gaza Strip).

3 out of 100 youth have disability/difficulty, and nearly a one-third of the youth who have disabilities/difficulty are not enrolled in education

According to the data of the Population, Housing and Establishments Census 2017, 40,542 individuals (15-29 years) in Palestine have a disability representing 3.1% of the youth (18,300 in the West Bank (2.5%) and 22,242 in Gaza Strip (4.0%)). It is worth noting that the percentage of individuals who have disabilities/difficulties increased compared with the percentage 2.8% in 2007 (3.0% in the West Bank and 2.5% in Gaza Strip). The percentage of disability/difficulty among young males was 4.2% compared with 2.1% among young females. Compared with the census 2007 data, the percentage of disability/difficulty among young males was 3.4%, while it was 2.2% among the young females. As for enrollment in education among the youth who have disabilities/difficulties, in 2017 the results indicated that the percentage of those who did not enroll in education reached 29.4% (32.1% in the West Bank compared to 27.2% in Gaza Strip). Mobility disability/difficulty is considered the most prevalent among the youth, where 1.3% of Palestinian youth (15-29 years) suffer from mobility disability/difficulty followed by seeing disability/difficulty with a percentage of 1.2% for the same category.

Percentage of the Youth aged (15-29 years) who have Difficulty/Disability by

 Sex and Region, 2017

 

 

More than one-third of the youth in Gaza Strip desire to emigrate

The results of the Palestinian Youth Survey 2015 showed that about 24% of the individuals (15-29 years) in Palestine have a desire to emigrate. The situation in Gaza Strip seems to play an important role in increasing the desire to emigrate, where the percentage of those who desire to emigrate from Gaza Strip reached 37% compared with 15% in the West Bank. It is also noticed that youth males are more likely to think about migration than youth females (29% for males and 18% for youth females).

More than one-fourth of the youth are poor in 2017

According to the national poverty concept, which is based on the official definition of poverty in 1997, the definition includes absolute and relative features based on balancing the basic needs of the household of five members (two adults and three children). Poverty lines have been prepared according to the real consumption patterns of households. The poverty line of the reference family reached (2,470 New Israeli Shekels) and the extreme poverty line reached (1,974 New Israeli Shekels). The poverty rate among individuals according to the monthly consumption patterns was 29.2% in 2017 (13.9% in the West Bank and 53.0% in Gaza Strip). The poverty rate among individuals (15-29 years) according to the monthly consumption patterns was 29.5% (13.5% in the West Bank and 56.0% in Gaza Strip). It was found that 16.8% of the Palestinians, in Palestine, suffer from extreme poverty (5.8% in the West Bank and 33.8% in Gaza Strip), while the percentage of extreme poverty among the individuals (15-29 years) was 17.1% in Palestine (6.1% in the West Bank and 35.4% in Gaza Strip).