The estimated population of Palestine by the end of 2015 was 4.75 million, of whom 2.41 million were males and 2.34 million were females, according to a report by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).

It said males comprise 50.8 percent of the total population compared to 49.2 percent for females, meaning there are 103 males for each 100 females.

While 56.1 percent of total females aged 15 years and above were married, 33.8 percent had never been married, PCBS added. Additionally, 5.8 percent were widowed, 1.7 percent divorced, 2.5 percent engaged for the first time, and 0.1 percent were separated.

With regards to childbirth, the bureau said 22.0% of the women aged 20-24 years gave birth before the age of 18. This percentage is higher in Gaza Strip compared to the West Bank (25.1 percent and 19.6 percent respectively).

This percentage is also three times higher for women with basic education level in comparison to those with higher education.

Despite the rise in literacy rates among females over the last decade, the bureau concluded, the gap is still in favor of males by 3.6 percent; the literacy rates reached 94.9 percent for females compared to 98.5 percent for males in 2015.

Source : WAFA