The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) has revealed that young people aged 15-29 now comprise 30 percent of the 4.82 million Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. The PCBS also revealed that the birth rate has fallen compared to 2011-2013.
In a report released on the eve of International Youth Day celebrated on August 12, the PCBS said that 14 percent of households are headed by young people, while 72 percent have at least one young person in them.
Using statistics from 2015, it noted that around 68 percent of these young people have never been married, 4 percent are engaged for the first time, and 28 percent are married.
Latest statistics show that 30% of Palestinians are under thirty as birth rate falls https://t.co/Eg4Su0qAOZ #gaza #westbank #palestine
— Denny Cormier (@santafeez) August 12, 2016
Data for first quarter of 2016 indicates that 41 percent of young people are economically active, although the unemployment rate among the target group stands at 39 percent.
The highest unemployment rate is among those aged 20-24 years, at 43 percent, 39 percent for 25-29 year-olds, and 35 percent for 15-19 year-olds. While 51 percent of graduates were unemployed in the first quarter of 2016, the figure was 55 percent for those with no higher education.
#Gaza has the highest unemployment rate in the world#InternationalYouthDay pic.twitter.com/uVLUVj7f26
— Pal_st (@Stefaniafodd) August 12, 2016
The 2015 survey of transition of youth from school to the labor market has shown that 16 percent of young people aged 15-29 years have permanent jobs. However, 84 percent play no part in the labor force or are in temporary positions expected to last less than 12 months.
(MEMO, PC)
