Palestine
Palestine, in long form the State of Palestine, is a de jure sovereign state, sometimes referred to as a proto-state. Located in the Middle East, it claims to be established in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.
General presentation
Official name: State of Palestine – Palestinian Authority
Type of regime: Republic
Area: 6020 km2 (2,000 sq mi)
Seat of government: Ramallah
Main cities: Nablus, Jericho, Hebron, Gaza, Bethlehem,
Ramallah
Official language(s): Arabic
National holiday: November 15
Population : 4 952 168 inhabitants (2017)
Population growth rate: 2.82
Literacy rate: 96.7% (2015)
Source: Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs
Economic situation
The Palestinian Territories (PT) consists of two areas separated by Israel, namely the West Bank (5,655 km2), which includes East Jerusalem (72 km2), and the Gaza Strip (365 km2). According to the latest official figures, 4.91 million Palestinians reside in the Palestinian Territories (2.95 million in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and 1.96 million in the Gaza Strip). The Palestinian Territories is a small economy (estimated GDP of US$14.6 billion in 2018 at current prices), divided into three distinct markets both physically and politically (West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip). As a result of these constraints and significant population growth, GDP per capita is low compared to neighboring countries (an estimated USD 3,030 in 2018). The particular situation of the Palestinian Territories, an occupied, divided territory with precarious access and movement conditions, makes the economy of the territories partly dependent on external funding provided by diaspora transfers, income from Palestinians working in Israel, and multilateral and bilateral donors. This economy, constrained by the restrictions of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the blockade of Gaza, and by the uncertainties of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that affect its competitiveness, can nevertheless count on a dynamic and inventive private sector, composed of a few “big companies” and mostly microenterprises. Source: DGT
Bilateral Relations
Bilateral investment treaties
Work in process
Double taxation agreements
Work in process
Free trade agreements
Work in process
Leading sector for Swiss companies
Work in process
Indicators
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 E | 2019 E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP (in billions of USD) | 13.397 | 14.32 | ||
| GDP per capita (USD) | 1 746 | 1997 | ||
| Growth rate | 4.1% | 3.1% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Unemployment rate | 28.4 | 29.2 | ||
| Inflation rate | -0.2% | 0.2% | 0.8% | 1.5% |
| Public debt (% of GDP) | 36.4% | 35.9% | 39.2% | 44.6% |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -8.1 | -8.7 | -8.3% | -10.4% |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -10.1% | -10.9% | -12.7% | - 13.4% |
(Sources FMI, Banque Mondiale)
Main customers
Israel (83.2%), Jordan (5.6%), United Arab Emirates (2.5%), Saudi Arabia (2%)
Source: IFM
Main suppliers
Israel (58.2%), Turkey (8.9%), China (7.1%), Germany (3.5%)
Source : IFM
Swiss exports to
Work in process
Exports of …. to Switzerland
Work in process
Swiss direct investment in
Work in process
The business climate
Work in process