The West Bank

The West Bank - the larger of the two areas comprising the Palestinian territories - experienced a high single-digit economic growth rate in 2010 as a result of inflows of donor aid, the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) implementation of economic and security reforms, and the easing of some movement and access restrictions by the Israeli Government. Nevertheless, overall standard-of-living measures remain near levels seen prior to the start of the second intifada in 2000. The almost decade-long downturn largely has been a result of Israeli closure policies - a steady increase in movement and access restrictions across the West Bank in response to Israeli security concerns which have disrupted labor and trade flows, industrial capacity, and basic commerce, both external and internal. Since 2008, the PA under President Mahmoud ABBAS and Prime Minister Salam FAYYAD has implemented a largely successful campaign of institutional reforms that has contributed to increased security and economic performance, supported by more than $3 billion in direct foreign donor assistance to the PA’s budget since 2007. An easing of some Israeli restrictions on West Bank movement and access since 2008 also has contributed to an uptick in retail activity in larger cities. The biggest impediments to economic improvements in the West Bank remain Palestinians’ lack of access to land and resources in Israeli-controlled areas, import and export restrictions, and a high-cost capital structure. Absent robust private sector growth, the PA will continue to rely heavily on donor aid for its budgetary needs.

$12.79 billion (2009 est.)

$11.95 billion (2008)

$6.641 billion (2008 est.)

7% (2009 est.)

2.3% (2008 est.)

$2,900 (2008 est.)

694,000 (2009)

16.5% (2010 est.)

19% (2009 est.)

46% (2007 est.)

3.5% (2010 est.)

9.9% (2009 est.)

5.78% (31 December 2009 est.)

7.19% (31 December 2008 est.)

$NA (31 December 2008)

$1.574 billion (31 December 2007)

$5.567 billion (31 December 2009)

$5.251 billion (31 December 2008)

$1.8 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$1.367 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$NA (31 December 2009)

$2.123 billion (31 December 2008)

$2.475 billion (31 December 2007)

olives, citrus fruit, vegetables; beef, dairy products

small-scale manufacturing, quarrying, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs

NA% (2005)

500 million kWh

3.265 billion kWh (2007 est.)

0 kWh (2008)

2.8 billion kWh (2007 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

24,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

511 bbl/day (2007 est.)

22,150 bbl/day (2007 est.)

NA bbl (1 January 2009 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)

$529 million (2008)

$339 million (2006)

stone, olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone

$3.772 billion (2008)

$2.84 billion (2006)

food, consumer goods, construction materials, petroleum, chemicals

$1.04 billion (2010 est.)

$1.3 billion (2007 est.)

new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar - 3.7461 (2010), 3.9326 (2009), 3.56 (2008), 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006)