Overall Economy*
Employment
37%: Unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2009
~94%: Percentage of jobless workers who were formerly employed in the private sector (120,000 workers)
Industrial capacity
95%: Percentage of industrial establishments closed (3,750 companies) and/or destroyed (236 companies) since June 2007
20-50%: Capacity utilization in the remaining establishments
* Smuggling through tunnels between Egypt and Gaza forms part of an informal economy that is difficult to quantify
Trade
Imports
95: Average truckloads per day since January 19, 2009 (mostly food and humanitarian aid)
0: Amount of construction or raw material imported since June 14, 2006 (except for a limited quantity during the June-December 2008 truce, and 18 truckloads of cement and gravel in June 2009 to expand the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing)
95%: Dependency of manufacturing industries on imported raw materials before June 2007
Exports
138: Number of total truckloads exported since June 2007 (all cash crops, including strawberries and carnations)
14: Number of exported truckloads since January 2008 (all carnations)
Sector-Specific Examples
Banking Sector
NIS 50,000,000 (~$12 million): Transfer of funds, permitted by Israel, from West Bank banks to Gaza banks in May 2009 to pay Palestinian Authority (PA) salaries. Israel has bypassed its barring of cash transfers from West Bank banks to Gaza Banks most recently in February, April and May 2009. The blocking of funds has caused liquidity problems for banks operating in Gaza.
$20,000,000: Starting capital for the Islamic National Bank, the first Hamas-licensed bank in Gaza, which opened in April and is operating outside the regulations of the Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA) in violation of Palestinian law. This allows it to circumvent Israeli restrictions and the PMA has advised West Bank and international banks not to work with it.
Fishing Sector
65: Tons of fish caught in February 2009
3: Miles from Gaza coast fishing permitted by Israel as of January 2009
6: Miles permitted before January 2009
12: Miles permitted before 2000
20: Nautical miles permitted under the Oslo Accords
Fuel (figures for the month of June 2009)
2,631,000: kilograms of cooking gas imported (estimated monthly need: 8,000,000)
9,502,050: liters of industrial gasoline imported (estimated monthly need: 11,000,000)
0: Amount of petrol and diesel fuel imported for public distribution through official crossings since November 2008
Furniture, Garment and Processed Food Sectors
0: Exports by furniture, garment and processed food sectors in 2009
Humanitarian Situation
10%: Percentage of Gazans without electricity in 2009 (90% have intermittent power)
35,000: Number of people with no access to water (as of March 2009)
90%: Percentage of Gazans dependent on food aid in 2009
+80%: Percentage of truckloads into Gaza carrying food items**
** Medical and other relief supplies are also allowed; supplies including livestock, construction materials and water infrastructure are banned.
Information for this Background Basics is drawn largely from the Portland Trust, Palestine Trade Center (PalTrade), the World Bank and other sources.
