PALESTINIAN SOCIETY - Fafo

egional pyramids can be compared to the overall age-sex distribution
for the sample population, see figure 2.11.
The overall gen der distribution for Palestinians, 15 years or older,
living in the occupied territories is almost exactly 50% male/female.
There is a tendency of male over-representation in age groups 20-34
years, while there is an over-representation of females in the age
groups 40-65 years. A possible explanation for the last result is an
over-representation of males in labour related emigration during the
seventies. Somewhat surprising is the faet that there is a weak male,
rather than female, over- representation in the two oldest age groups.
Note, however, that the sample size is small.
The survey contains no information on the gender of children
younger than 15 years. Assuming an approximately even number of
female and male births, distributionon sex forthese three five-year age
intervals has simply been set to 1/2 male and 1/2 female.
The young age structure of the population in the oceupied territories
is striking, but not particularly different from other Middle East
countries. 46% of the population is aged 14 years or younger, 18% is
aged 4 years or younger. In eontrastto the distribution on gender, total
results for the age distribution in the occupied territories disguise
substantial regional differences.
Gaza is the region with the youngest population. 51 % of the
population is 14 years or younger. As much as 21 % of all Gazans are
4 years or younger. At the other end ofthe scale is Arab Jerusalem, with
Figure 2.5e Distribution of population in Arab Jerusalem , in 5-year
age gro ups by gender
Men "hd. 70+ !i'll2EJ Women
E:ll] 65-60 E:ll]
'i,,·"qd 60-64 lZlllD
bi')',,;) 55-59 Hy, !
!i'll2EJ 50-54 Vb{ id
[. .... " ",,