PCBS: 1.9 million Children under 18 in Palestinian Territory

Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) revealed that about 1.9 million children under the age of 18 in the Palestinian Territory in the mid of 2009.

In a statistics report on the Eve of Palestinian Children’s Day April 5, based on the results of the Population, Housing and Establishment Census, 2007, PCBS said the estimated number of children in the Palestinian Territory totaled to one million and nine hundred thousand out of 3.9 million individuals (the total population in the Palestinian Territory) in the mid of 2009. 

Data showed that the percentage of individuals under the age fifteen is still high about 42.0% of the total population, this indicates the high fertility rate although it has been declined compared to 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; due to the considered high fertility rate of the Palestinian woman and low rates of infant mortality.

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

Scholastic year 2008/2009 data showed that the number of school students in the Palestinian Territory amounted to 1,109,126; half of them are females. 59.3% of the students were enrolled in the West Bank basic education, while 40.7% were in Gaza Strip. As for enrolled students in the secondary education; 58.7% of them in the West Bank and 41.3% in Gaza Strip

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

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

The statistics on  poverty in 2007, revealed that 76.9% of households in Gaza Strip were poor according to the usually income whereas 78.9% for those households have children, and 63.7% for childless ones, while poor households  in the West Bank, reached 47.2% of total households; whereas 48.6% for households have children, and 41.3%  for childless ones.

 The results of labor force survey 2009 showed that the percentage of employed children, whether being paid or unpaid amounted to 3.7% of the total number of children, 5.4% in the West Bank  and 0.9% in Gaza Strip. (67.3%) of the employed children were classified as unpaid family members (98.0% females, 63.3% males), compared to 27.6% employed as paid working for others (1.3% females and 31.0% males).

Data showed that 47.3% of employed children are working in agriculture sector; 50.4% in West Bank and 15.8% in Gaza Strip, and 27.3% are employed in trade, restaurants and hotels; 23.7% in the West Bank and 62.9% in Gaza Strip.

The findings of the Palestinian Family Health Survey 2006 indicated that children under five years suffered from underweight 2.9% and the highest was in West Bank (3.2%) compared with Gaza Strip (2.4%).