People and Society of Gaza Strip

Nationality

NA

Ethnic Groups

Palestinian Arab and other 99.4%, Jewish 0.6%

Population

2,098,325

Life Expectancy at Birth

Life expectancy at birth in the Gaza Strip reflects the complex humanitarian and public health conditions that have shaped the territory over decades. As of the most recent estimates prior to the significant escalation of conflict in late 2023, the overall life expectancy in Gaza stood at approximately 74 to 75 years, with women living slightly longer than men — around 76 to 77 years for females compared to roughly 72 to 73 years for males. These figures placed Gaza broadly in line with lower-middle-income territories globally, a notable achievement given the severe economic constraints and restrictions on movement that have long affected the population. Gaza's relatively modest life expectancy gains over the latter half of the 20th century were driven largely by improvements in maternal and child health services, vaccination programs, and the expansion of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) healthcare facilities serving the Palestinian refugee population. Infant mortality rates declined substantially during this period, contributing meaningfully to rising average life expectancy figures. However, the structural conditions in Gaza present persistent threats to long-term health outcomes. The territory faces chronic shortages of clean water, with a severely depleted coastal aquifer rendering over 95 percent of groundwater unfit for human consumption without treatment. Rates of waterborne illness, malnutrition, and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease have all been documented at elevated levels. The near-total blockade imposed since 2007 has restricted the import of medical equipment, medications, and supplies, placing enormous strain on an already underfunded health system. The armed conflict that intensified dramatically beginning in October 2023 has further devastated Gaza's health infrastructure, with hospitals damaged or rendered non-operational and mass casualties recorded across the population. Epidemiologists and humanitarian organizations have warned that the cumulative effects — displacement, food insecurity, collapse of sanitation systems, and lack of medical care — are likely to suppress life expectancy figures significantly in the years ahead, reversing gains made over the previous several decades.

• Muslim (predominantly Sunni)98.7%
• Christian0.7%
• Jewish0.6%

Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)

• Arabic
• Hebrew