Palestinians will outnumber Israeli Jews by 30 percent by 2020 in Israel and the neighboring territories, according to a demographic study published Friday in a French monthly.
The magazine, "Population et Societes" (Population and Societies), reckons that within the next two decades the population in the area will total 14.8 million people, made up of 8.1 million Palestinians and 6.4 million Jews.
Published by France's national demographic studies institute (INED), the magazine said that Palestinians currently have the world's top population growth rate, 37.7 percent per year, compared to 17.7 percent growth in Israel in general.
The study estimated the population in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, excluding Jewish settlers, at 3.2 million people, with a total 6.1 million people in Israel, excluding the territories but including Jewish settlers in the territories and around one million people of Palestinian origin -- PARIS (AFP)
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