Gaza’s population down by 11% amid wartime emigration January 1, 2026 Palestinian patients wait to head to the Rafah crossing to leave Gaza as part of a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, February 2, 2025. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90Gaza’s population down by 11% amid wartime emigration Tweet Join Group Join WhatsApp Group Email https://worldisraelnews.com/gazas-population-down-by-11-amid-war-time-emigration/ Email Print According to the PA’s official records, the population of the Gaza Strip has dropped by more than a quarter of a million since October 2023, reflecting not only war-related fatalities but also large-scale emigration. By World Israel News Staff The population of the Gaza Strip has fallen by more than 10% since the Hamas invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, the Palestinian Authority reported on Wednesday, reflecting large-scale emigration from the war-torn coastal enclave. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) released its official population data for the end of 2025, noting that the population of the Gaza Strip has fallen by 254,000 people since Oct. 7, marking a 10.6% decline. According to the PCBS report, prior to the beginning of the war with Israel after the Oct. 7 invasion, the Gaza Strip had a population of nearly 2.4 million. More than two years later, that figure has fallen to 2.13 million, the PCBS said. Unverified casualty figures provided by the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry claim that some 70,000 fatalities have been reported in Gaza in connection with the war with Israel. The report claims a further 11,000 people are currently listed as missing, based on data provided by Hamas. Beyond the dead and missing, the population declined by an additional 173,000 since October 2023, exceeding the official PCBS claim of only 100,000 emigrants from Gaza. Read Hamas to disarm, Gaza war to permanently end: Arab Trump allyThe PCBS estimates the Arab population of Judea, Samaria, and eastern Jerusalem to be 3.43 million, up from 3.25 million prior to October 2023. The Palestinian Authority’s report also found sharp declines in the economies of both the Gaza Strip and Palestinian areas of Judea and Samaria. The economy of the Gaza Strip has contracted by 84% since Oct. 7, while the GDP of the Palestinian Authority has shrunk by 13% since October 2023, despite rising by 4.4% in 2025. The unemployment rate in Gaza is estimated at 78%, with 28% unemployment reported in the Palestinian Authority. emigrationGazagaza strip
