FALCON POWERS – The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) reported that 24% of the victims of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip were youth (26% males and 22% females).
In a statement issued on Sunday, on the occasion of International Youth Day which falls on August 12 of each year, the PCBS said that 75% of the victims in the West Bank since October 7 were under the age of 30.
The report added that the number of those who died due to the famine reached 34, and there are about 3,500 children at risk of death due to malnutrition and food shortage, while the number of injured exceeded 95,000, 70% of whom were women and children, in addition to about 10,000 missing.
It indicated that based on these data, the estimated growth rate in the Gaza Strip for 2023 will decrease from about 2.7% according to the PCBS estimates for 2023 to only about 1% during 2024, specifically after mid-year, as birth and fertility rates will decrease significantly due to the tendency of couples not to have children due to the prevailing conditions, and fear for the health of mothers and children, in addition to a significant decrease in the number of new marriage cases during the occupation’s aggression.
It is expected that the age and gender composition of the population will be directly affected as a result of the occupation army’s deliberate targeting of specific population groups such as children and youth, leading to a distortion in the shape of the population pyramid, especially at its base, knowing that there is an average and long-term effect expected to affect the age composition of the population, represented by a decrease in the number of births in the coming years, who represent the basic base of the population pyramid, as a result of the targeting of the youth category, which gives birth or is expected to contribute to the birth of children in the coming years.
The report pointed out that on the eve of the Israeli occupation’s aggression on the Gaza Strip, there were about 5.6 million Palestinians residing in the State of Palestine, including 1.2 million young men and women (18-29 years) who constitute 22% of the total population in Palestine, and by the end of 2023 this percentage reached about 22% in the West Bank compared to 21% in the Gaza Strip.
The report explained that the number of martyrs since the beginning of the aggression from students enrolled in higher education institutions in Palestine reached 653 students, with 619 students in the Gaza Strip and 34 students in the West Bank. While 105 workers in higher education institutions in the Gaza Strip were martyred, the number of wounded students enrolled in higher education institutions in Gaza reached 1,406 wounded, with 1,283 wounded in the Gaza Strip and 123 in the West Bank. More than 197 students enrolled in West Bank universities were also arrested.
The data from the Household Survey on Information and Communication Technology, which was completed on the eve of the attack on the sector in 2023, showed that the majority of youth use the Internet and own a smartphone, as around 97% of youth aged 18-29 use the Internet from anywhere; 99% in the West Bank and 92% in the Gaza Strip. The data also showed that 93% of young people owned a smartphone, with a rate of 99% in the West Bank and 83% in the Gaza Strip.
High rates of young people with higher educational degrees
Education is the real investment for Palestinians; given its importance at the individual and social levels, the data for 2023 indicates that out of every 100 young people aged 18-29, there are 18 young people who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, and the young women are more fortunate, as 23 out of every 100 young women hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 14 young men. On the other hand, unemployment rates constitute the biggest challenge facing young people in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as these rates reached 56% among females and 34% among males in the West Bank in 2023, and the highest unemployment rates among young people in the West Bank aged 18-29 were recorded among those with a diploma or higher at 48%, with a clear difference between male and female youth, 34% for males and 61% for females.
