Palestinian diaspora statistics at a glance
The Palestinian diaspora is best understood as a global population with several overlapping counts, depending on whether the reference point is the State of Palestine, historic Palestine, Arab host countries, or registered refugee populations.
The latest figures in the statistics below show both scale and dispersion. At the end of 2024, Palestinians numbered 14,885,839 worldwide, with 6,404,573 living in Arab countries, 5,490,307 in the State of Palestine, 1,793,465 in the 1948 territories, and 1,197,492 in foreign countries (PCBS: Palestinians at the End of 2024). By mid-2025, that global total had risen to 15.2 million, and by the end of 2025 it was estimated at 15.5 million (PCBS: Palestinians in the World by Country of Residence, Mid-2025; PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba).
Contents
- How to read Palestinian diaspora statistics
- The global count and where people live
- Diaspora size in the PCBS series
- UNRWA refugee populations across the five fields
- Population structure, education, and internet use
- Displacement, damage, and movement restrictions
- Health service access and service footprint
- What the 2024 to 2025 numbers say together
How to read Palestinian diaspora statistics
Any serious reading of Palestinian diaspora statistics needs to separate four different ideas.
First, there is the total Palestinian population worldwide. Second, there is the subset living in the State of Palestine. Third, there is the diaspora, which the PCBS estimated at 7.6 million at the end of 2024 and 8.1 million by the end of 2025 (PCBS: The Conditions of the Palestinian People at the End of 2024; PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba). Fourth, there are registered Palestine refugees counted by UNRWA across its fields of operation, which is a different measure again.
That distinction matters because the same person can appear in one statistical frame but not another. A global population count is not the same as a refugee registration count, and a place-of-residence total is not the same as a legal or administrative category. Once those boundaries are clear, the numbers become more useful and less contradictory.
Fast facts
- 14,885,839 Palestinians worldwide at the end of 2024 (PCBS: Palestinians at the End of 2024)
- 15.2 million Palestinians worldwide by mid-2025 (PCBS: Palestinians in the World by Country of Residence, Mid-2025)
- 15.5 million Palestinians estimated worldwide at the end of 2025 (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba)
- 7.6 million Palestinians in the diaspora at the end of 2024 (PCBS: The Conditions of the Palestinian People at the End of 2024)
- 8.1 million Palestinians in the diaspora by the end of 2025 (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba)
- 5,973,022 registered Palestine refugees across UNRWA fields in 2024 (UNRWA In Action 2024)
The global count and where people live
The core distribution at the end of 2024 is straightforward enough to put into one table.
| Location or grouping | Palestinians | Share of global total | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| State of Palestine | 5,490,307 | 37.0% | PCBS: Palestinians at the End of 2024 |
| 1948 territories | 1,793,465 | 12.0% | PCBS: Palestinians at the End of 2024 |
| Arab countries | 6,404,573 | 43.0% | PCBS: Palestinians at the End of 2024 |
| Foreign countries | 1,197,492 | 8.0% | PCBS: Palestinians at the End of 2024 |
| Worldwide total | 14,885,839 | 100.0% | PCBS: Palestinians at the End of 2024 |
Two features stand out.
One is that the largest single concentration outside the State of Palestine was in Arab countries, with 6,404,573 Palestinians, or 43.0% of the global total (PCBS: Palestinians at the End of 2024). The second is that the State of Palestine itself still contained 37.0% of the total, which means more than a third of all Palestinians were counted there even before the later 2025 estimates (PCBS: Palestinians at the End of 2024).
The 1948 territories accounted for another 12.0%, while foreign countries outside the Arab region held 8.0% (PCBS: Palestinians at the End of 2024). In other words, the Palestinian population was not dispersed evenly across the world. It remained regionally concentrated, with Arab countries carrying the largest diaspora share.
A compact way to read the structure
- Home territory remains the single largest national anchor at 37.0% in 2024 (PCBS: Palestinians at the End of 2024)
- Arab countries hold the biggest diaspora cluster at 43.0% in 2024 (PCBS: Palestinians at the End of 2024)
- The 1948 territories remain a major demographic component at 12.0% in 2024 (PCBS: Palestinians at the End of 2024)
- Non-Arab foreign countries are a smaller but still significant segment at 8.0% in 2024 (PCBS: Palestinians at the End of 2024)
Diaspora size in the PCBS series
The PCBS gives a second framing that is narrower than the worldwide total: the diaspora itself. That estimate was 7.6 million at the end of 2024, with 6.4 million of those diaspora Palestinians living in Arab countries (PCBS: The Conditions of the Palestinian People at the End of 2024).
That means the Arab-country concentration was not just a share of the global total. It was also the dominant residence pattern within the diaspora definition. If 6.4 million out of 7.6 million diaspora Palestinians lived in Arab countries, then the overwhelming majority of the diaspora was still regional rather than global in the broadest sense (PCBS: The Conditions of the Palestinian People at the End of 2024).
By the end of 2025, that diaspora estimate had risen to 8.1 million, with 6.8 million living in Arab countries (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba). The increase is visible in both the total and the regional concentration.
Comparison of PCBS diaspora-related counts
| Measure | End-2024 | End-2025 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palestinians in the diaspora | 7.6 million | 8.1 million | PCBS: The Conditions of the Palestinian People at the End of 2024; PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba |
| Diaspora Palestinians in Arab countries | 6.4 million | 6.8 million | PCBS: The Conditions of the Palestinian People at the End of 2024; PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba |
| Palestinians worldwide | 14,885,839 | 15.5 million | PCBS: Palestinians at the End of 2024; PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba |
| Palestinians in the State of Palestine | 5,490,307 | 5.6 million | PCBS: Palestinians at the End of 2024; PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba |
| Palestinians in historic Palestine | not stated | 7.4 million | PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba |
The important interpretive point is that the PCBS series does not merely give a total. It shows how the population remains distributed across several linked geographies. The State of Palestine count grew from 5,490,307 at the end of 2024 to 5.6 million at the end of 2025, while the global total rose from 14,885,839 to 15.5 million over the same broad period (PCBS: Palestinians at the End of 2024; PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba).
The 2025 residence snapshot
By mid-2025, the PCBS reported 15.2 million Palestinians worldwide, with 5.61 million in the State of Palestine and 1.9 million in the 1948 territories (PCBS: Palestinians in the World by Country of Residence, Mid-2025).
That mid-year view is useful because it shows that the totals were already moving upward before the year-end estimate. It also confirms that the two largest non-overseas clusters remained the State of Palestine and the 1948 territories, together forming a substantial part of the population distribution (PCBS: Palestinians in the World by Country of Residence, Mid-2025).
UNRWA refugee populations across the five fields
UNRWA gives a different but complementary picture. In its 2024 in-action report, it counted 5,973,022 registered Palestine refugees across its fields (UNRWA In Action 2024).
That total is broken down across five fields as follows.
| Field | Registered Palestine refugees | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan | 2,393,135 | UNRWA In Action 2024 |
| Gaza Strip | 1,586,965 | UNRWA In Action 2024 |
| Lebanon | 493,201 | UNRWA In Action 2024 |
| Syria | 586,842 | UNRWA In Action 2024 |
| West Bank | 912,879 | UNRWA In Action 2024 |
| All fields | 5,973,022 | UNRWA In Action 2024 |
Jordan held the largest UNRWA refugee population at 2,393,135, while Gaza Strip held 1,586,965 and the West Bank held 912,879 (UNRWA In Action 2024). Lebanon and Syria had smaller but still substantial registered populations at 493,201 and 586,842 respectively (UNRWA In Action 2024).
That split matters because it shows that the refugee population is not concentrated in one single location. It is spread across multiple fields, with Jordan standing out as the largest host field in the 2024 report.
Service footprint tied to refugee populations
UNRWA also reported operating student and staff systems across the five fields. In 2024 it operated 298,363 students in Jordan, 107,713 in Gaza Strip, 38,377 in Lebanon, 45,195 in Syria, and 50,500 in the West Bank (UNRWA In Action 2024). It also reported health staff of 4,916 in Jordan, 10,576 in Gaza Strip, 671 in Lebanon, 2,338 in Syria, and 1,730 in the West Bank (UNRWA In Action 2024).
Education staff followed a similar pattern: 2,162 in Jordan, 984 in Gaza Strip, 3,153 in Lebanon, 2,162 in Syria, and 651 in the West Bank (UNRWA In Action 2024). The operational footprint is therefore broad, not just demographic.
Population structure, education, and internet use
The Palestinian population is young. In 2025, 43% of Palestinians were aged 0 to 17, and the median age was 21.6 (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba). Those two measures together indicate a population structure with a large child and adolescent base and a relatively low median age.
Educational indicators in the statistics are also strong. The literacy rate for Palestinians aged 15 and above reached 97.9% in 2023, and the net enrollment rate at the elementary stage in the West Bank reached about 100% in 2024/2025 (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba). Female participation in higher education was also high, with 67.8% of higher-education enrollees female (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba).
Internet access is another sign of a modern, connected population. In 2023, 86.6% of Palestinians aged 10 and above used the internet (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba).
Selected social indicators
- 43% of Palestinians were aged 0 to 17 in 2025 (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba)
- Median age was 21.6 in 2025 (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba)
- Literacy rate for ages 15 and above was 97.9% in 2023 (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba)
- Internet use among ages 10 and above was 86.6% in 2023 (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba)
- Higher-education enrolment was 67.8% female (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba)
Displacement, damage, and movement restrictions
The statistics also show the pressures on residence, housing, and mobility. Around two million Palestinians were forcibly displaced in Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, while 40,000 Palestinians were displaced from refugee camps in the northern West Bank over the same period (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba).
The housing impact is severe. About 330,000 housing units in Gaza were completely or partially destroyed, exceeding 70% of the housing stock, and 102,000 buildings in Gaza Strip had been destroyed since October 7, 2023 (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba). In the West Bank, about 1,400 buildings were demolished or partially destroyed in 2025, and Israeli authorities issued 991 demolition orders in 2025 (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba).
The same source also reports that Gaza population density rose to more than 35,000 people per km2 during the aggression, which helps explain how quickly physical strain can accumulate when housing stock is damaged and displacement rises (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba).
Movement and access pressures
- Around 900 military checkpoints were present in the West Bank (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba)
- Israeli occupation authorities controlled more than 85% of Palestinian groundwater resources (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba)
- Gaza water supply in some areas fell to 3 to 5 liters per person per day during periods of aggression (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba)
- More than 6,000 attacks on Palestinian citizens, property, and religious sites were documented in the first three months of 2026 (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba)
- More than 61,000 attacks by occupation authorities and settlers were carried out in the West Bank during 2022 to 2025 (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba)
Those numbers are not isolated. They connect displacement, water access, housing loss, and daily movement into one statistical picture.
Health service access and service footprint
UNRWA’s health data adds a more operational layer to the picture of the diaspora and refugee population.
In 2024, UNRWA reported 941,108 refugees in Jordan accessing health services, equal to 39.7% of the registered refugee population. It reported 281,914 in Lebanon at 58.0%, 346,252 in Syria at 59.4%, 1,300,000 in Gaza at 83.5%, and 460,676 in the West Bank at 50.2% (UNRWA Health Department Annual Report 2024).
Across all fields, UNRWA reported 3,329,950 people accessing health services, equal to 56.3% of the total registered refugee population (UNRWA Health Department Annual Report 2024).
This is useful for reading the diaspora as a living service network, not just a population register. The coverage ratios differ by field, and those differences matter. Gaza’s share was highest at 83.5%, while Jordan’s was lowest at 39.7% in the report’s coverage figures (UNRWA Health Department Annual Report 2024). Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank sat in the middle range.
Health access comparison
| Field | People accessing health services | Share of registered refugee population | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan | 941,108 | 39.7% | UNRWA Health Department Annual Report 2024 |
| Lebanon | 281,914 | 58.0% | UNRWA Health Department Annual Report 2024 |
| Syria | 346,252 | 59.4% | UNRWA Health Department Annual Report 2024 |
| Gaza | 1,300,000 | 83.5% | UNRWA Health Department Annual Report 2024 |
| West Bank | 460,676 | 50.2% | UNRWA Health Department Annual Report 2024 |
| All fields | 3,329,950 | 56.3% | UNRWA Health Department Annual Report 2024 |
What the 2024 to 2025 numbers say together
The broad pattern in the data is consistency plus movement. Consistency, because the Palestinians remain heavily concentrated in the region around historic Palestine and the Arab host countries. Movement, because the totals continue to rise across 2024 and 2025 while displacement, destruction, and administrative restrictions reshape where people can live.
A few final data points help tie the whole picture together.
- The West Bank electricity-grid connection rate was 99.9% (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba)
- 8% of the electrical energy available in Palestine was renewable (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba)
- Palestine had 28 physicians per 10,000 people in 2022 and about 4.4 nurses per 1,000 people (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba)
- 25.8% of agricultural holders had higher-education certificates (PCBS: 78th Annual Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba)
- In the UK, Census 2021 recorded 4,621 usual residents born in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in England and Wales (ONS FOI-2025-2731)
Taken together, these figures show a diaspora that is regionally concentrated, administratively complex, and tightly linked to refugee registration, service access, education, and mobility. The headline totals are important, but the distribution behind them is what gives Palestinian diaspora statistics their real meaning.