Palestine's Population Distribution Per District as of 1946

Palestine's Population Distribution Per District as of 1946

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Posted on September 10, 2001

As of 1914, Jews in Palestine (who were mostly persecuted European Jews) were under 8% of the total population and owned under 2% of the total land. Despite active British support for settling of even more persecuted European Jews in Palestine, as of 1947 Jews constituted only 33% of the total population (only one third of them gained Palestinian Citizenship). Scroll to the end of the page for the source and for a more detailed tabular break down of population distribution.

It should be noted that many of these persecuted European Jews were illegal immigrants according to the Government of Palestine, which ceased to exist as of May 14th, 1948.

Settled population, excluding the nomadic Bedouins, by town and sub-district estimated as of 31st December, 1946. The table below was directly extracted from the Supplement to a Survey of Palestine (p. 12-13) which was prepared by the British Mandate for the United Nations in 1947.

Locality	Total*	Moslems	Jews*	Christians	Others
Urban	894,570	328,810	447,840	115,980	1,940
Rural	950,990	747,970	160,390	29,080	13,550
Total	1,845,560	1,076,780	608,230	145,060	15,490
Percentage	100%	58.35%	32.96%	7.86%	0.84%

Galilee--Acre District:
Safad Sub-district	56,970	47,310	7,170	1,630	860
Percentage	100%	83.04%	12.58%	2.86%	1.5%
Safad	12,610	9,780	2,400	430	---
Villages	44,360	37,530	4,770	1,200	860

Acre Sub-district	73,600	51,130	3,030	11,800	7,640
Percentage	100%	69.47%	4.17%	16.03%	10.38%
Acre	13,560	10,930	50	2,490	90
Villages	60,040	40,200	2,980	9,310	7,550

Tiberias Sub-district	41,470	23,940	13,640	2,470	1,420
Percentage	100%	57.73%	32.89%	5.96%	3.42%
Tiberias	11,810	4,990	6,030	780	10
Villages	29,660	18,950	7,610	1,90	1,410

Beisan Sub-district	24,950	16,660	7,590	680	20
Percentage	100%	66.73%	30.42%	2.72%	0.8%
Beisan	5,540	5,080	---	440	20
Villages	19,410	11,580	7,590	240	----

Nazareth Sub-district	49,910	30,160	7,980	11,770	----
Percentage	100%	60.43%	15.99%	23.58%	----
Nazareth	15,540	6,290	----	9,250	----
Afula	2,470	10	2,460	----	----
Villages	31,900	23,860	5,520	2,520	----
Locality	Total*	Moslems	Jews*	Christians	Others
Haifa District:
Haifa Sub-district	253,450	95,970	119,020	33,710	4,750
Percentage	100%	37.86%	46.96%	13.30%	1.87%
Haifa	145,430	41,000	74,230	29,910	290
Hadera	7,590	----	7,570	20	----
Shafa 'Amr	3,740	1,380	10	1,590	760
Villages	96,690	53,590	37,210	2,190	3,700

Samaria District:
Jenin Sub-district	61,210	60,000	----	1,210	----
Percentage	100%	98.02%	----	1.98%	----
Jenin	4,300	4,150	----	160	----
Villages	56,900	55,850	----	1,050	----

Nablus Sub-district**	94,600	92,810	----	1,560	230
Percentage	100%	98.1%	----	1.9%
Nablus	24,660	23,740	----	690	230
Villages**	69,940	69,070	----	870	----

Tulkarm Sub-district**	93,220	76,460	16,180	380	20
Percentage	100%	82.02%	17.36%	0.41%	0.21%
Tulkarm	8,860	8,560	----	280	20
Natanya	5,290	----	5,290	----	----
Villages**	79,070	68,080	10,890	100	----
Locality	Total*	Moslems	Jews*	Christians	Others
Jerusalem District:
Ramallah Sub-district	48,930	40,520	----	8,410	----
Percentage	100%	82.81%	----	17.19%
Ramallah	5,180	660	----	4,520	----
Villages	43,750	39,860	----	3,890	----

Jerusalem Sub-district	253,270	104,460	102,520	46,130	160
Percentage	100%	42.24%	40.48%	18.21%	0.63%
Jerusalem	164,440	33,680	99,320	31,330	110
Bethlehem	9,140	2,630	----	6,490	20
Beit Jala	3,740	200	----	3,540	----
Villages	75,950	67,950	3,200	4,770	30

Hebron District:
Hebron Sub-district	93,120	92,640	300	170	10
Percentage	100%	99.48%	0.32%	0.18%	0.01%
Hebron	26,390	26,220	----	160	10
Villages	66,730	66,420	300	10	----
Locality	Total*	Moslems	Jews*	Christians	Others
Lydda District:
Jaffa Sub-district	409,290	95,980	295,160	17,790	360
Percentage	100%	23.45%	72.11%	4.35%	0.09%
Jaffa	101,580	53,930	30,820	16,800	30
Tel Aviv	183,200	130	182,510	230	330
Petah Tiqva	18,160	140	18,010	10	----
Villages	106,350	41,780	63,820	750	----

Ramla Sub-district	134,030	95,590	31,590	5,840	10
Percentage	100%	71.31%	23.57%	4.36%	0.07%
Ramla	16,380	12,910	----	3,470	----
Lydda	18,250	16,250	20	1,970	10
Rahavot	10,350	----	10,330	20	----
Rishon le Zion	8,790	----	8,790	----	----
Villages	80,260	67,430	12,450	380	----

Gaza District:
Gaza Sub-district	150,540	145,700	3,540	1,300	----
Percentage	100%	96.78%	2.35%	0.86%
Gaza	37,820	36,760	----	1,060	----
Majdal	10,900	10,810	----	90	----
Khan Yunis	12,350	12,310	----	40	----
Villages	89,470	85,820	3,540	110	----

Beersheba Sub-district***	7,000	6,270	510	210	10
Percentage	100%	89.57%	7.28%	3%	0.14%
Beersheba	6,490	6,270	----	210	10
Villages	510	----	510	----	----

Source: Supplement to a Survey of Palestine (p. 12-13) which was prepared by the British Mandate for the United Nations in 1946-7.

Note that ALL Jewish towns were all exclusively Jewish populated as a result of the apartheid policies of the Zionist Movement. These apartheid policies were approved and encouraged by the British Mandate and affected all sectors of society, such as housing, landownership, schools and higher education, finance, political parties, official languages, ... etc. Also it should be noted that Palestinian Christians and Muslims resisted the implementation of apartheid policies tooth and nail in order to preserve a united country, however, that was counter to Zionists ambitions.
* Revised de facto estimate.
**Revised figures, according to sub-district boundaries 1946.
*** Doesn't include the nomadic Bedouins, who were estimated in other studies to number close to 100,000 Palestinians. Many of them were resettled in al-Ramla after the 1948 war.

Related Links

The scanned pages from which the above data were extracted from A Survey of Palestine.
Similar data published at the UN.
Village Statistics Project: The MOST detailed study for every Palestinian and Jewish town in Palestine before Nakba, includes all sorts of data you can imagine: landownership, population, land usage, education, ...etc.

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