The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics released a report on the Palestinian population worldwide, noting a decrease in family size for the population living in Palestinian territories.

The report counted a total of 10.9 million Palestinians worldwide by the end of 2009, with 2.5 million in the West Bank including East Jerusalem, 1.5million in the Gaza Strip and 1.25 million living in Israel. More than half of the world Palestinian population, the report noted, live in the diaspora.

Of those living in the diaspora 3.24 million live in Jordan (29.8%); 1.78 million (16.3%) in the other Arab countries, and 618,000 in orther foreign countries.

Of those living in Palestinian areas, 45.0% are internally displaced refugees. By area, the numbers broke down to 18.8% of the West Bank population and 26.2% of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Population growth

PCBS also analyzed historic data between 1997-2007, measuring family size and fertility rates.

In 2007 the fertility rate was 4.6 births per woman; compared with 6.0 births in 1997. The reported noted that despite a decrease in fartility rates, natural population growth continued. In 2009, growth continued at 2.9%.

Data indicated a fall in average family size from 6.4 in 1997 to 5.8 in 2007, while birthrates also fell from 42.7 births per 1,000 to 32.7 per 1,000 in 2009.

Death rates have also declined in Palestine, from 4.9 deaths per 1,000 in 1997 to 4.3 in 2009.