RAMALLAH, October 1, 2013 (WAFA) – Marking World Elderly Day, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS0 said Tuesday that by the middle of  2013, 4.4% of the total Palestinian population in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are elderly, that is 60 years of age and above. It said 4.8% of the elderly were in West Bank and 3.7% in Gaza strip.

According to these figure, life expectancy in Palestine has increased by about 5 to 7 years in the last two decades, which the PCBS said was an improvement.

Life expectancy increased from 67 years for males and females in 1992 to 71.5 years for males and 74.4 years for females.

Life expectancy is expected to increase during the coming years to reach 72 years for males and 75 years for females by the year 2015.

The increase of life expectancy rate at birth resulted in the increase of the number of elderly in Palestine, said the PCBS.

Nevertheless, it added, the Palestinian society is considered a young society where the percentage of youth is about half of the society and the percentage of the elderly is relatively small.

Even though the percentage of the elderly will be increasing during the coming years in Palestine, their percentage will stay relatively low not exceeding 4.5% during the upcoming 10 years. The elderly percentage may start increasing after year 2020, predicted the PCBS.

The figures showed that percentage of households headed by an elderly person in the 2nd quarter of 2013 reached 15.7% - 17.1% in West Bank and 13.2% in Gaza Strip.

It said about 91.6% of the elderly males in Palestine are married compared to only 44.4% of the elderly married females. The percentage of the elderly widowed males reached 8.3% against 48.1% for females in the 2nd quarter of the year 2013.

M.S.