Present Housing Needs of the Arab Community and natural rate of population increase in Palestine before 1948 (Nakba), British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 793. Chapter XVIII: Town Planning and The Problem of Housing : Section 2

CHAPTER XVIII.

Room units

Total room units required 107,868

(e) Deduct room units constructed in Jewish

urban areas 1936-45 (11ide paragraph 24) 67,329

Total deficiency of room units at end of _

1945 40,539

say 40,000

B. THE ARAB COMMUNITY *.

(1). The natural increase of population.

28. Table 4 has been compiled for the total Arab population in Palestine upon the basis of the following averages for the period 1939-1943:

COMMUNITY

Moslem Christian Others

MARRIAGES per 1000

Divorces PER 1000 MARRIAGES

12.66 4.08 6.91

118.0 3.8 72.5

The net marriages for the three religious groups obtained from table 4 for the period 1936-1945 are as follows :

Moslems 107,921

Christians 4,975

Others 816

29. Urban population. The Government Statistician estimates

the composition of the Arab urban population as follows :

Moslems 27.2% of total Moslems

Christians 78.4% of total Christians

Others 13. 7% of total Others

The increase in the number of urban Arab families is assumed to be similar to that of the whole Arab population. We, therefore, obtain the following figures for the urban increase expressed in terms of family units :

Moslems Christians Others

107,921 x 27.2% 4,975 x 78.4% 816X 13.7%

29,354 3,900 112

33,366

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In order to convert this increase in urban family units to room units required, it has been assumed that two room units are required for the accommodation of each family unit. The total number of room units to meet the needs of natural increase in Arab urban areas is, therefore, 66,732; say 67,000.
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* In this memorandum the term ARAB is to be deemed to include the whole of the non-Jewish population.

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