Latest statistics show that 30% of Palestinians are under thirty as birth rate falls

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics has revealed that young people aged 15-29 now represent 30 per cent of the 4.82 million Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. According to the PCBS, the birth rate in Palestine has fallen compared to the period 2011-2013.

In a report released on the eve of International Youth Day, the PCBS said that 14 per cent of households are headed by young people, while 72 per cent have at least one young person in them. Using statistics for 2015, it noted that around 68 per cent of these young people have never been married, 4 per cent are engaged for the first time while 28 per cent are married.

Data for first quarter of 2016 indicates that 41 per cent of young people are economically active, although the unemployment rate among the target group stands at 39 per cent. The highest unemployment rate is among those aged 20-24 years, at 43 per cent, whereas 39 per of 25-29 year-olds are out of work and 35 per cent of 15-19 year-olds. While 51 per cent of graduates were unemployed in the first quarter of 2016, the figure rises slightly to 55 per cent for those with no higher education.

The 2015 survey of transition of youth from school to the labour market showed that 16 per cent of young people aged 15-29 years are working in permanent jobs. However, 84 per cent play no part in the labour force or are in temporary positions expected to last less than 12 months.