Background: The Gaza Strip has been under the de facto governing authority of the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) since 2007 and has faced years of conflict, poverty, and humanitarian crises. Inhabited since at least the 15th century B.C., the Gaza Strip area has been dominated by many different peoples and empires throughout its history; it was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in the early 16th century. The Gaza Strip fell to British forces during World War I, becoming a part of the British Mandate of Palestine. Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Egypt administered the newly formed Gaza Strip; Israel captured it in the Six-Day War in 1967. Under a series of agreements known as the Oslo Accords signed between 1993 and 1999, Israel transferred to the newly-created Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for many Palestinian-populated areas of the Gaza Strip, as well as the West Bank. In 2000, a violent intifada or uprising began in response to perceived Israeli provocations, and in 2001, negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip stalled. Subsequent attempts to re-start negotiations have not resulted in progress toward determining final status and resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel in 2005 unilaterally withdrew all of its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip, but it continues to control the Gaza Strip’s land borders, maritime territorial waters, cyberspace, telecommunications, and airspace. In 2006, HAMAS won a majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council election. Fatah, the dominant Palestinian political faction in the West Bank, and HAMAS failed to maintain a unity government, leading to violent clashes between their respective supporters and HAMAS's violent seizure of all PA military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip in 2007. Since HAMAS's takeover, Israel and Egypt have enforced tight restrictions on movement and access of goods and individuals into and out of the territory. Fatah and HAMAS have since negotiated a series of agreements aimed at restoring political unity between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank but have struggled to enact them. Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip and the Israel Defense Forces periodically exchange projectiles and air strikes, respectively, threatening broader conflict. In 2021, HAMAS launched rockets into Israel, sparking an 11-day conflict that also involved other Gaza-based militant groups. Egypt, Qatar, and the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process negotiated ceasefires, averting a broader conflict. Since 2018, HAMAS has coordinated demonstrations along the Gaza-Israel security fence. HAMAS has also stood by while other militant groups, such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad, fought brief conflicts with Israel, most recently in August 2022 and May 2023. On 7 October 2023, HAMAS militants inside the Gaza Strip launched a combined unguided rocket and ground attack into Israel. The attack began with a barrage of more than 3,000 rockets fired toward Israel from Gaza, and included thousands of terrorists infiltrating Israel by land, sea, and air via paragliders. Militants attacked military bases, clashed with security forces mostly in southern Israel, and simultaneously infiltrated civilian communities. During the attack, terrorists carried out massacres and murdered civilians, including torture, acts of abuse and rape, a massacre at the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re'im, as well as kidnapping approximately 240 civilians, including men, women, children, and soldiers. These attacks were followed soon after by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) air strikes inside Gaza. The next day, Israeli Prime Minister NETANYAHU formally declared war on Gaza. The IDF on 28 October launched a large-scale ground assault inside Gaza that is ongoing as of April 2024.

Area
Total: 360 km²
Land: 360 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Washington, D.C.

Land boundaries
Total: 72 km
Border countries (2): (2) Egypt 13 km; Israel 59 km

Coastline: 40 km

Maritime claims: see entry for Israel

Climate: temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers

Terrain: flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain

Elevation
Highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Awdah) 105 m
Lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 64.9% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 7% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 11.8% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 46.1% (2023 est.)
Forest: 1.8% (2023 est.)
Other: 32.1% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: (2013) 151 km²; note - includes the West Bank

Natural hazards: droughts

Geography
Note: once a strategic strip of land along Mideast-North African trade routes

Population
Total: 2,141,643 (2024 est.)
Male: 1,086,340
Female: 1,055,303
Distribution: population concentrated in major cities, particularly Gaza City in the north
Growth rate: 2.02% (2024 est.)

Languages: Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
Major-language sample(s): ; كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions: Muslim 98.0 - 99.0% (predominantly Sunni), Christian <1.0%, other, unaffiliated, unspecified <1.0% (2012 est.)
Note: Israel dismantled its settlements in September 2005; Gaza has had no Jewish population since then

Age structure
0-14 years: 38.8% (male 427,450/female 404,288)
15-64 years: 58.3% (male 627,235/female 620,903)
65 years and over: 2.9% (2024 est.) (male 31,655/female 30,112)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 71.6 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 66.6 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 4.9 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 20.2 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 19.5 years (2024 est.)
Male: 19.3 years
Female: 19.8 years

Population growth rate: 2.02% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 26.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 2.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: population concentrated in major cities, particularly Gaza City in the north

Urbanization
Urban population: 77.6% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.85% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Major urban areas
Population: 778,000 Gaza (2023)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 16 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Note: data represent Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Infant mortality rate
Total: 15.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 16.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 13.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.5 years (2024 est.)
Male: 73.7 years
Female: 77.4 years

Total fertility rate: 3.26 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Total: 1.1% of population (2022 est.)
Note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 1% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
Note: includes Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 2.1% (2020 est.)
Note: estimate is for Gaza Strip and the West Bank

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 24.5% (2022 est.); 26.4% (2021 est.); 25.9% (2020 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Real gdp growth rate: -26.6% (2024 est.); -4.6% (2023 est.); 4.1% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Real gdp per capita: -26.6% (2024 est.); -4.6% (2023 est.); 4.1% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 95.5% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 20.7% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 21.8% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.7% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 21% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -60.3% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 5.7% (2022 est.)
Industry: 17.4% (2022 est.)
Services: 58.3% (2022 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Industries: textiles, food processing, furniture

Industrial production growth rate: -32.2% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Labor force: 1.391 million (2022 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Unemployment rate: 24.5% (2022 est.); 26.4% (2021 est.); 25.9% (2020 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 24.5% (2022 est.); 26.4% (2021 est.); 25.9% (2020 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Budget: see entry for the West Bank

Taxes and other revenues: 21.5% (of GDP) (2021 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip

Exports: $2.885 billion (2024 est.); $3.413 billion (2023 est.); $3.533 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Commodities: scrap iron, tropical fruits, olive oil, building stone, prepared meat (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars; entry includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Imports: $8.264 billion (2024 est.); $11.637 billion (2023 est.); $12.257 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars; entry includes West Bank and Gaza Strip
Commodities: cement, raw sugar, cars, baked goods, perfumes (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars; entry includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 352,000 kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 6.956 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 6.925 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 988 million kWh (2023 est.)
Note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Access note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Generation sources fossil fuels: 66.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 33.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Coal
Exports: 1 metric tons (2023 est.)
Note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 29,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Carbon dioxide emissions: 3.913 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 3.913 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
Note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Energy consumption per capita: 14.991 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Note: includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 384,000 (2023 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7 (2023 est.)
Fixed lines note: entry includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 4.15 million (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 78 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular note: entry includes the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Internet
Users percent of population: 87% (2023 est.)
Users note: includes the West Bank

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 431,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2023 est.)
Note: includes the West Bank

Military expenditures: not available