Palestine Population
Palestine had an estimated population of 5,413,596 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 123rd most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.07% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of +2.33% a year.
Palestine at a glance
How Palestine's population is changing
Palestine's population is growing fast: +2.33% a year, which works out to about +125,897 people per year, or +345 a day. Births (26.5 per 1,000) and deaths (5.9 per 1,000) alone would give +2.06% a year; net migration removes about 23,156 people a year (−0.43%). Roughly one in every 1,518 people on Earth lives in Palestine.
Population of Palestine since 1990
In 1990, Palestine had 1,978,248 people. By 2025 that was 5,413,596 — 2.7× larger. The fastest growth came between 1990 and 2000, when the population rose by 48%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1,978,248 | — |
| 2000 | 2,922,153 | +47.7% |
| 2010 | 3,786,161 | +29.6% |
| 2020 | 4,803,269 | +26.9% |
| 2025 | 5,413,596 | +12.7% |
Palestine from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put Palestine at about 165,944 people in 1800; the UN estimates 5,589,632 in 2025 (34× 1800) and projects 11,482,182 for 2100 in its medium scenario. That is still 105% growth over the rest of this century.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 165,944 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 169,606 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 291,751 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 944,632 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 3,151,800 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 5,589,632 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 8,451,896 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 10,636,252 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 11,482,182 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in Palestine
10 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 5,413,596. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gaza | 1,038,285 | UN urban centre | 19.18% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 2 | Khān Yūnis | 601,421 | UN urban centre | 11.11% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 3 | Hebron | 405,079 | UN urban centre | 7.48% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 4 | Nablus | 206,378 | UN urban centre | 3.81% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 5 | Jabālyā | 168,568 | GeoNames settlement | 3.11% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 6 | Rafaḩ | 126,305 | GeoNames settlement | 2.33% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 7 | Dayr al Balaḩ | 59,504 | GeoNames settlement | 1.10% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 8 | Bayt Lāhyā | 56,919 | GeoNames settlement | 1.05% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 9 | Ţūlkarm | 44,169 | GeoNames settlement | 0.82% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 10 | Ramallah | 43,880 | GeoNames settlement | 0.81% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
How Palestine compares
Palestine has almost the same population as Slovakia (5,413,813).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs Palestine | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #121 |  Ireland | 5,484,367 | +1% | compare → |
| #122 |  Slovakia | 5,413,813 | +0% | compare → |
| #124 |  New Zealand | 5,324,700 | −2% | compare → |
| #125 |  Mauritania | 5,315,065 | −2% | compare → |
Compare Palestine with any country →
Same region (Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan): Pakistan, Egypt, Iran, Algeria, Iraq, Afghanistan.
Explore around Palestine
Nearest countries
Palestine has no land border. Closest by distance:
In its region
Palestine is the 18th most populous of the 23 economies in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, holding 0.7% of the region's 828,025,185 people.
Rankings featuring Palestine
Cities
Gaza, Khān Yūnis, Hebron, Nablus, Jabālyā, Rafaḩ, Dayr al Balaḩ, Bayt Lāhyā — all Palestine's cities on the map.
World population history · The world when you were born · Palestine when you were born · Time machine · Embed this live counter on your site
About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.