RAMALLAH, December 31, 2025 (WAFA) — On the eve of the new year 2026, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) issued a comprehensive briefing detailing severe humanitarian, demographic, and economic crises affecting the Palestinian people, with long-term implications for population stability, development, and human rights.
Since the outbreak of the all-out Israeli aggression in October 2023, more than 72,000 Palestinians have been killed, with 98% of the casualties in the Gaza Strip. By the end of December 2025, Gaza recorded 70,942 fatalities, including 18,592 children and approximately 12,400 women, while around 11,000 remain missing. The number of injured reached 171,195, and nearly 100,000 Palestinians were forced to leave Gaza, with some two million displaced from their homes.
In the West Bank, ongoing Israeli military assaults and settler attacks resulted in 1,102 fatalities and 9,034 injuries, according to the report.
The population of Gaza dropped by 10.6% over two years, with the total Palestinian population now estimated at 5.56 million, including 3.43 million in the West Bank and 2.13 million in Gaza. Globally, the Palestinian population is estimated at 15.49 million, with 8.82 million living in the diaspora. Despite these losses, Palestinians remain a youthful society, with 36% under the age of 15 and 64% under 30.
The health system in Gaza has collapsed almost entirely, with 94% of medical facilities damaged or destroyed. Only 19 hospitals remain partially operational, with just 2,000 beds available for over two million residents. About 60,000 pregnant women face severe health risks, and more than 70% of residents rely on unsafe drinking water, contributing to widespread diseases, particularly among children.
Education has been heavily impacted, with over 179 schools completely destroyed and 218 damaged. Higher education suffered major losses, including 63 university buildings destroyed in Gaza. Nearly 18,979 students and 1,399 university students have been killed, along with hundreds of teachers and administrators.
Economically, Gaza’s GDP contracted by 84% compared to 2023, while the West Bank saw a 13% decline. Unemployment reached catastrophic levels, with 46% of the workforce without jobs—28% in the West Bank and 78% in Gaza—totaling around 650,000 unemployed Palestinians.
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