Gaza’s population declines by 6% due to Israeli attacks

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) reported that Israel’s attacks on Gaza since Oct.7, 2023, have reduced the population of the Gaza Strip by 6% by the end of 2024. This decline is attributed to mass casualties and displacement.

More to Read

Kosovo's population declines amid census boycott

World 1 min read

Civil defense operations halted in northern Gaza due to ongoing Israeli attacks

Region 1 min read

Over 1.2 million displaced in Lebanon due to Israeli attacks

Region 1 min read

Why it matters

The figures underscore the devastating human cost of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, with significant impacts on the civilian population, infrastructure and demographic composition.

These findings also highlight the challenges facing Palestinian governance and humanitarian efforts in the region.

Fire brigades try to extinguish the fire that broke out in the building targeted by the Israeli army in Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City, Gaza on December 19, 2024. It was reported that there were casualties and wounded as a result of the Israeli army's attacks. (AA Photo)GAZA CITY, GAZA - DECEMBER 13: Palestinian residents of the area inspect the targeted building and surrounding structures that sustained damage after Israeli attack on Nuseirat Refugee Camp in Gaza City, Gaza on December 13, 2024. The death toll from an Israeli airstrike on the Nuseirat refugee camp has risen to 33, with 84 others injured and missing, the Gaza-based Government Media Office said. ( Ali Jadallah - Anadolu Agency )Displaced Palestinian children wait in line to receive food at a distribution centre in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on November 26, 2024. (AFP Photo)Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike targeting a neighborhood in southern Beirut on November 22, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. - More than 11 months of cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah over the Gaza conflict escalated into all-out war in September, with Israel conducting an extensive bombing campaign, primarily targeting Hezbollah strongholds, and sending ground troops into southern Lebanon. (Photo by IBRAHIM AMRO / AFP)

Key points

Casualties and displacement

• As of December 2024, Israel’s operations in Gaza have resulted in:
  • 45,484 deaths, including 17,581 children and 12,048 women.
  • 108,090 injuries, with thousands still missing.
  • The displacement of approximately 100,000 residents from Gaza.

Population decline in Gaza

• Gaza’s population has decreased by 160,000 people, reducing it to 2.1 million, marking a 6% decline.
• The combined population of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem is approximately 5.5 million.

Global Palestinian population

• The global Palestinian population reached an estimated 14.9 million by the end of 2024.
  • 7.6 million live in the diaspora, with 6.4 million in Arab countries.
  • 1.8 million reside in Israel’s pre-1948 borders.

Ongoing destruction

• Thousands of bodies remain under the rubble in Gaza, with hospitals, schools, and other civilian infrastructure heavily targeted, worsening the humanitarian crisis.

December 31, 2024 03:32 PM GMT+03:00