RAMALLAH, August 11, 2011 (WAFA) – Youth make up one third of Palestinian society, according to a statistical review released by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) on the eve of International Youth Day.
The estimated population in the Palestinian Territory totaled 4.17 million in mid-2011 (50.8% male and 49.2% female) with a ratio of 103.1 males per 100 females.
Youth represent 29.6% of the total population: 40.2% of them are adolescent and 59.8% younger. The gender ratio among youth is 104.3 males per 100 females.
Marriage and divorce rates higher among females aged 15-29
According to the 2008 database of registered marriages and divorces, 92.3% of females were in the 15-29 year age group at marriage compared to 81.5% of males. The database also showed that 77.6% of divorced females were aged between 15-29 years compared with 55.9% for divorced males.
The 2010 data showed that 30.2% of marriages for married women (15-29 years) were to first consanguinity husbands while 54.9% of marriages were to husbands who were not blood relatives.
Higher total fertility rate in the Gaza Strip during 2000-2010
According to the final results of the Palestinian Family Survey of 2010, the total fertility rate in the Palestinian Territory declined to 4.2 births in 2010 compared to 5.9 births in 2000. A higher rate of total fertility was recorded in the Gaza Strip over the West Bank during the period 2000-2010. The total fertility rate was 3.8 births in the West Bank in 2010 compared to 5.5 births in 2000. In the Gaza Strip, the total fertility rate was 4.9 births in 2010 compared to 6.8 births in 2000. Females aged 25-29 years contribute 26.5% of the total fertility rate, the highest contributor of all age groups.
About 45.0% of youth (15-29 years) were enrolled in education in 2010
In 2010, statistics showed that 44.7% of youth aged 15-29 years were enrolled in education: 85.6% in the 15-17 age group, 50.4% in the 18-22 age group, and 11.0% in the 23-29 age group. Dropout rates (both of those who were previously enrolled and who left or failed to attend) were 30.1%: 34.6% male and 25.4% female.
In addition, 8.1% of males aged 15-29 years hold a university degree compared to 10.0% of females in the same age group. A further 3.7% of males have not completed any educational stage compared to 2.3% of females in the 15-29 age group. Furthermore, 0.8% of youth aged 15-29 are illiterate: 0.9% male and 0.7% female.
One fifth of graduates studied business and administration
The labor force survey data for the first quarter of 2011 showed that 140 thousand graduates in the 15-29 age group hold an associate diploma certificate and above. Around 29,700 graduates specialized in Business and Administration. The Law specialty has the lowest number of graduates with only around 2,600 graduates.
The unemployment rate among youth graduates was 45.5% in the first quarter of 2011. The highest unemployment rate was 59.5% for graduates in education and teacher training, while the lowest unemployment rate of 31.2% was among law graduates.
Almost half of youth do not read newspapers and magazines
Of youth aged 15-29 years in the Palestinian Territory, 49.8% do not read newspapers or magazines at all: 40.4% in the West Bank and 65.1% in Gaza Strip. Also, 87.2% of youth in the Palestinian Territory watch television on a daily basis compared to 27.1% who listen to the radio daily, while 24.3% of youth use the Internet.
The majority of youth use the computer
Data on information technology during the past five years indicate that there has been a remarkable development in indicators regarding access and use of information and communication technology among young people in the 15-29 age group. The data reported in 2009 show that the proportion of young people who use the computer was 87.9% in the Palestinian Territory (87.4% in the West Bank and 88.6% in Gaza Strip), compared with 47.6% in 2004. The gap between genders in the use of computers narrowed to 91.0% of males compared to 84.4% of females in 2009.
One third of youth use e-mail
In 2009, 32.9% of youth in the Palestinian Territory possessed an e-mail account (36.0% in the West Bank and 27.9% in Gaza Strip) compared with 14.3% in 2004. In 2009, 40.9% of males possessed an email account compared to 24.5% of females.
Two-thirds of youth use a mobile phone
In 2009, the percentage of young people who own a mobile phone rose to 63.2% in the Palestinian Territory (67.0% in the West Bank against 57.0% in the Gaza Strip) compared to 34.9% in 2004. This ratio varies significantly by gender with 72.7% of males and 53.3% of females owning a mobile phone according to the 2009 data.
The majority of youth evaluate their health as good
In the Palestinian Territory, 83.2% of youth aged 15-29 years evaluate their health as good: 86.3% of males and 80.1% of females. Sport activities are participated in regularly by 33.1% of youth: 35.6% in the West Bank and 29.0% in the Gaza Strip.
About three in every 100 youth suffer from at least one chronic disease
In the Palestinian Territory, 2.8% of youth aged 15-29 years reported that they suffered from at least one chronic disease: 3.3% of males and 2.3% of females.
More than one quarter of male youth smoke
In the Palestinian Territory, 15.0% of youth in the 15-29 age group reported that they smoke: 28.7% male and 0.7% female.
One third of youth unemployed during the first quarter of 2011
The labor force survey data for the first quarter of 2011 showed that 33.5% of youth aged 15-29 are economically active (employed and unemployed): 35.7% in the West Bank and 29.9% in the Gaza Strip. The youth unemployment rate totaled 33.9% in the Palestinian Territory. The highest unemployment rate was 38.4% in the 20-24 age group compared with 28.2% for the 25-29 age group. In addition, 40.1% of those unemployed had completed at least 13 scholastic years of education.
The services sector and its branches employ about one third of youth (15-29 years), while the commerce sector, restaurants, and hotels employ 23.6% of that age group.
F.J.
