Palestine 2025: Human and Demographic Hemorrhage and Complete Collapse in Health, Education, and Economy

SadaNews - Today, Wednesday, the Central Bureau of Statistics presented a comprehensive briefing on the situation of Palestinians at the end of 2025, on the eve of the New Year 2026, indicating that statistical indicators reflect a true humanitarian and demographic catastrophe, with long-term effects on population stability, development, and human rights.

Unprecedented Human Losses Since October 7, 2023

According to data from the Ministry of Health, the number of martyrs in Palestine has exceeded 72,000 since the onset of Israeli aggression on October 7, 2023, with 98% of them in the Gaza Strip, marking the highest number of martyrs in the history of Israeli occupation aggression against our people.

By the end of December 2025, the number of martyrs in the Gaza Strip reached 70,942, including 18,592 children and around 12,400 women, while approximately 11,000 people remain missing, and the number of injured has risen to 171,195. Since the beginning of the aggression, around 100,000 Palestinians have been forced to leave the strip, while about two million citizens have been displaced from their homes out of approximately 2.2 million who were residing in the strip before the aggression, yet they have not been spared from bombardments.

In the West Bank, the escalating aggression of the occupation and settler terrorism has resulted in the martyrdom of 1,102 individuals and the injury of 9,034 others.

Population of the Gaza Strip Decreased by 10.6% in Two Years

These human losses and forced displacement movements have directly impacted the population size, with population estimates indicating that the number of residents in the State of Palestine reached about 5.56 million by the end of 2025, with 3.43 million in the West Bank.

In contrast, the Gaza Strip has experienced a sharp and unprecedented decline in population of approximately 254,000 individuals, equivalent to a decrease of 10.6% compared to pre-aggression population estimates. The current population of Gaza is about 2.13 million, reflecting what the Central Bureau of Statistics has described as acute demographic hemorrhage due to killing, displacement, and the deterioration of living conditions.

15.5 Million Palestinians Worldwide

By the end of 2025, the estimated number of Palestinians globally reached about 15.49 million, among whom 5.56 million reside in the State of Palestine, while 1.86 million live in the territories of 1948. Estimates also indicate that the number of Palestinian refugees in the diaspora has reached about 8.82 million, with 6.82 million concentrated in Arab countries, while the rest are distributed in other countries around the world, reflecting the expansion of population dispersal due to coercive political and historical factors.

A Young Community Despite Demographic Hemorrhage

The Palestinian community remains a young demographic despite significant human losses, as population estimates by the end of 2025 indicated that the Palestinian community is characterized by a youthful age structure, with children in the age group (0-4 years) constituting about 13% of the total population in the State of Palestine, with 12% in the West Bank and 14% in the Gaza Strip.

The proportion of the population under 15 years of age is around 36% of the total population (35% in the West Bank versus 39% in Gaza), while individuals under 30 years of age constitute about 64% of the population. In contrast, the proportion of the elderly (aged 65 and above) does not exceed 4% of the total population, confirming the continued youthful nature of the Palestinian community and the high proportion of dependents within it.

Almost Total Destruction of the Healthcare System in the Gaza Strip

The occupation's aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, has led to an almost total collapse of the healthcare system. According to data from the World Health Organization, about 94% of healthcare facilities and hospitals in the strip have been damaged or destroyed, with only 19 hospitals out of 36 remaining operational partially with extremely limited operational capacities, amid severe shortages of medicines and medical supplies, exhaustion of health personnel, and repeated interruptions of fuel necessary to operate generators.

Currently, the number of available beds in Gaza's hospitals is around 2,000 beds only, serving a population of over two million, which is a very low rate and does not meet the minimum health needs, especially amid the significant increase in the number of injured and sick. Estimates indicate that 40 beds are at immediate risk of loss due to their location in declared evacuation areas, in addition to the potential loss of 850 additional beds if the security situation around health facilities continues to deteriorate.

Critical Health and Nutritional Conditions for Women and Children

Data from the Ministry of Health reveals grave humanitarian implications; there are about 60,000 pregnant women in the Gaza Strip who are exposed to serious health risks due to the lack or limitation of healthcare services, and around 155,000 pregnant and nursing women face severe difficulties in accessing prenatal and postnatal healthcare services.

Moreover, over 70% of Gaza's residents rely on contaminated or unsafe drinking water, and by July 2025, 95% of households were unable to obtain safe drinking water. Data indicates that 96% of households suffer from water insecurity, and 90% reported a severe decline in water quality, contributing to the widespread spread of intestinal diseases, particularly among children.

Collapse of the Right to Education

The education sector has faced unprecedented destruction, particularly in the Gaza Strip. By early December 2025, more than 179 public schools were completely destroyed, while 218 schools were subjected to bombardment or vandalism, including 118 public schools and 100 schools belonging to UNRWA.

In the West Bank, schools faced repeated incursions and demolition orders, including the demolition of Khillat Amira Primary School in Yatta Directorate on 01/12/2025.

At the level of higher education, 63 university buildings in the Gaza Strip were completely destroyed, while eight universities in the West Bank were subjected to repeated incursions and vandalism.

The "Statistics" Bureau indicated that the human losses in the education sector are horrific, with 18,979 students martyred, including 18,863 in the Gaza Strip, as well as 1,399 university students, along with 797 teachers and administrators and 241 employees in higher education, reflecting a direct targeting of the education sector.

Economic Collapse and Record Unemployment

Economic indicators for 2025 reveal an unprecedented collapse in the Palestinian economy. The GDP of the Gaza Strip shrank by 84% compared to 2023, reflecting an almost total economic paralysis. In the West Bank, the GDP declined by 13%, despite a slight growth of 4.4% compared to 2024.

The economic contraction in Gaza continued in 2025, recording an additional drop of 8.7%. Unemployment reached catastrophic levels, with an unemployment rate of 46% of the Palestinian workforce (28% in the West Bank and 78% in the Gaza Strip), one of the highest rates globally, and the number of unemployed individuals rose to about 650,000, confirming the depth of the economic and social crisis.