2m children in Palestinian Territory under age of 18

Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) said in a report issued on the occasion of International children’s day that about 2 million children in the Palestinian Territory have been under the age of 18 in the midst of 2010.

Based on the results of the Population, Housing and Establishment Census-2007, the estimated number of children in the Palestinian Territory totaled to two million out of four million Palestinian living in the Palestinian Territory in the mid of 2010.

Statistics showed that the percentage of individuals under the age of fifteen is still high and represent 41.3% of the total population. This indicates high fertility rate despite the fact that there has been a decline in this indicator in comparison with the last decade. Thus, the Palestinian society is considered young one with a wide young pyramid base.

Demographic statistics and trends in the Palestinian society showed that the children will constitute the majority for several coming years as a result of the high fertility rate of
Palestinian woman and low rate of infant mortality.

The Palestinian household is formed at early ages, where the mean age at first marriage for females was 19.5 years compared to 24.8 years for males in 2008.

Data for the scholastic year 2009/2010 showed that the number of school students in the
Palestinian Territory amounted to 1,113,802 of whom half are females. Data also indicated that 59.4% of the students were enrolled in basic education in the West Bank compared with 40.6% in Gaza Strip. As for secondary education, enrolled students in the West Bank reached 58.5% compared with 41.5% in Gaza Strip.

Data showed that the percentage of children (10-17 years) who use computers amounted to 95.0% in 2009 compared with 70.7% in 2006.

In 2009, home represented the main place where children use computers (62.1%), followed by school (24.2%), internet Cafes (7.6%), and home of friends and others (6.1%). In 2006, the percentages were as follows: 51.4% at home, 29.5% in school, and 7.0% in home of friends.

The results of labor force survey data (second quarter 2010) showed that the percentage of employed children, whether being paid or unpaid, amounted to 4.6% of the total number of children distributed to 7.2% in the West Bank and 0.6% in Gaza Strip. Statistics also showed that 68.2% of the employed children were classified as unpaid family members (93.6% females, 63.9% males), compared with 28.1% employed as paid working for others (2.7% females and 32.4% males).

Data also showed that 50.3% of employed children were working in agriculture sector; and 24.1% are employed in trade, restaurants and hotels.