Gaza: The Most Densely Populated Area of the World
- Steven Teplitsky
- Jan 14, 2024
- 2 min read
CTV NEWS: The Gaza Strip: Tiny, cramped and densely populated
ABC NEWS: The Gaza Strip: Tiny, cramped and as densely populated as
London
DAILY MAIL: Gaza Strip’s one of world’s most densely populated enclaves
NEWSWEEK: Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated regions in
the world
Most news outlets, whether in print or on TV,usually begin their reports with
the line “Gaza is the most densely populated area of the world” leading one to
visualize a human catastrophe unfolding before our eyes.
What is the source of this information?
For the broadcast industry, the primary source for this claim comes from the
Associated Press (AP) and every media outlet uses the identical quote, “Tiny,
cramped and as densely populated as London.” No media outlet bothers to
check AP’s facts since the AP is known as an honest, reputable, news agency.
Associated Press’ source is PCBS. Not CBS News, but Palestine Central Bureau
of Statistics (PCBS). A “trusted” news agency such as AP is receiving its
information from an agency whose mandate is to spread lies about Israel. The
Palestinian Bureau of Statistics is not known for its commitment to accuracy.
Population size is deliberately beefed up in the PBS reports as a means to put
pressure on Israel to accept the “demographic demon” theory, that a crowded
Palestinian population requires painful concessions on Israel’s part. In
an interview to the New York Times in 1997, Hassan Abu-Libdeh, Head of the
Palestinian Bureau of Statistics, dubbed the census “civil
Intifada”. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/11/world/palestinian-census- ignites-controversy-over-jerusalem.html
How does the population of Gaza rank with other densely populated areas of the world?
According to census experts, population density is measured according to
population size relative to the area of a given territory. In the Gaza Strip there
are approximately 2 million residents, in an area that spans 365 square
kilometers. Simple calculations determine Gaza’s population density at 5,479
people per square kilometer – roughly the density of London which has 5596
people per square kilometer.
This is why the AP uses London in its reporting. But we never hear complaints
about London’s density.
To give credit to the PCBS, let’s use some of their statistics. According to PCBS
in the 2017 census, the population of Gaza City was 590,481. The area of Gaza
City is 45 square kilometers, giving it a population density of 13,121 per square
kilometer. Khan Younis, the second largest city registered a population of
205,125 in an area of 54.56 square kilometres, giving it a population density of
3759 per square kilometer.
According to Wikipedia, none of the cities in Gaza make it onto the top 50 list.
Some of the cities which make the Top 50 list are quite familiar to us. They are
Manila (43,064 per sq. km.), Dhaka (29,069 per sq. km.), Manhattan (28,154 per
sq. km.), Bnei Brak (26,368 per sq. km.), Karachi (25,555 per sq. km.), Mumbai
(22,937 per sq. km.),Paris (20,545 per sq. km.), and Union City (19,066 per sq.
I have been trying to find references to the above-mentioned cities in terms of
their densities causing a humanitarian crisis, but to no avail.
I will get back to you when and if I find something.
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