Total population (thousands) in Palestine
Palestine: Total population (thousands) was 5,540 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
5,540 thousands
Change on year
up 1.7%
World rank
119th
of 233 countries
All-time high
5,540 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
1,111 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Total population in Palestine, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
In 2025, total population in Palestine stood at 5,540 thousands. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 24.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total population in Palestine peaked at 5,540 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1,111 thousands, in 1970.
That places Palestine 119th out of 233 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Total population (thousands) in Palestine, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1,111 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 1,121 thousands | +0.9% |
| 1972 | 1,147 thousands | +2.3% |
| 1973 | 1,183 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1974 | 1,222 thousands | +3.3% |
| 1975 | 1,261 thousands | +3.2% |
| 1976 | 1,298 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1977 | 1,335 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1978 | 1,371 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1979 | 1,408 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1980 | 1,448 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1981 | 1,490 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1982 | 1,535 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1983 | 1,587 thousands | +3.3% |
| 1984 | 1,651 thousands | +4.0% |
| 1985 | 1,726 thousands | +4.6% |
| 1986 | 1,764 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 1,814 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1988 | 1,939 thousands | +6.9% |
| 1989 | 2,016 thousands | +3.9% |
| 1990 | 2,096 thousands | +4.0% |
| 1991 | 2,182 thousands | +4.1% |
| 1992 | 2,275 thousands | +4.3% |
| 1993 | 2,374 thousands | +4.3% |
| 1994 | 2,476 thousands | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 2,582 thousands | +4.3% |
| 1996 | 2,691 thousands | +4.2% |
| 1997 | 2,803 thousands | +4.1% |
| 1998 | 2,916 thousands | +4.1% |
| 1999 | 3,009 thousands | +3.2% |
| 2000 | 3,103 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 3,200 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 3,284 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 3,361 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2004 | 3,436 thousands | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 3,515 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 3,600 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 3,690 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 3,783 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 3,875 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 3,968 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 4,066 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 4,166 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 4,265 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2014 | 4,366 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 4,466 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 4,577 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 4,689 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 4,797 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 4,904 thousands | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 5,011 thousands | +2.2% |
| 2021 | 5,128 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 5,243 thousands | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 5,368 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 5,450 thousands | +1.5% |
| 2025 | 5,540 thousands | +1.7% |
Palestine compared with similar countries
- Palestine's 5,540 thousands is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 12,314 thousands, 45% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Palestine's 5,540 thousands is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 11,575 thousands, 48% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1,246 thousands | 1,111 thousands | 1,408 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,697 thousands | 1,448 thousands | 2,016 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 2,541 thousands | 2,096 thousands | 3,009 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 3,485 thousands | 3,103 thousands | 3,875 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 4,426 thousands | 3,968 thousands | 4,904 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 5,290 thousands | 5,011 thousands | 5,540 thousands | 6 |
Countries ranked near Palestine
More population data for Palestine
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.0758 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -3.21 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.0758 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1948 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5205 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.1% (2100)
- Population density 1,906 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 600,680 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.1% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate 2.02 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total population in Palestine?
- Total population in Palestine was 5,540 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total population recorded in Palestine?
- The highest recorded value was 5,540 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest total population recorded in Palestine?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,111 thousands in 1970.
- How does Palestine rank for total population?
- Palestine ranks 119th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is total population rising or falling in Palestine?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Palestine data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Total population (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release