Marriage Patterns in Palestine
This research paper outlines policies that should be geared toward discouraging early marriage in Palestine. Although most countries in the Middle East and North Africa are experiencing an increase in the age at marriage, early marriage in Palestine continues to be relatively high. The survey of 26 women was conducted by Yara Jarallah, a research and teaching assistant at the Institute of Community and Public Health of Birzeit University, Palestine. This paper was published as part of PRB's MENA Working Paper Series (October 2008)

Challenges and Opportunities—The Population of the Middle East and North Africa

 This Population Bulletin looks at recent demographic trends in the Middle East and North Africa and how they interact with social and economic forces of change. It shows how this high-profile region is being transformed by mortality and fertility declines and a veritable revolution in marriage patterns and family planning use. The Bulletin  also considers the effects of immigration and refugee movements on the labor force as well as on the age and sex composition of country populations. (BUL62.2; June 2007)

Young People's Sexual and Reproductive Health in the Middle East and North Africa

 In the Middle East and North Africa, the risks associated with sexual relationships, both married and unmarried, are heightened by young people's lack of access to information and services related to sexual and reproductive health. Programs that provide such information and services would benefit young people whether they are sexually active now or not, preparing them to make more informed decisions about marriage, sexual relationships, and childbearing.(April 2007)

Youth in the Middle East and North Africa: Demographic Opportunity or Challenge?

 Despite oil resources and major improvements in health and education, the Middle East and North Africa region is not meeting the changing needs of its rapidly growing young population. This policy brief gives an overview of demographic trends among MENA youth and the implications of these trends for the region's human and economic development. This policy brief is also available in Arabic. (April 2007)

Time to Intervene: Preventing the Spread of HIV/AIDS in the Middle East and North Africa

 This policy brief helps raise awareness among decisionmakers in the Middle East and North Africa about the urgent need for action by presenting some HIV/AIDS warning signs, risks, and vulnerabilities in the region. The number of people living with HIV/AIDS in MENA is low but increasing in every country in the region. This policy brief is also available in Arabic. (February 2007)

A First Glimpse at the 2004 Palestinian Demographic and Health Survey
The population of Palestine is currently growing at a rate of 3.4 percent per year—a rate of natural increase that is among the highest in the world. The latest Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), conducted in Palestine in 2004, shows that this high rate of growth is likely to continue—adding to development challenges of the territories, which for years have been plagued with conflicts, economic stagnation, and high unemployment. (May 2006)

PRB-UNFPA Country Profiles for Population and Reproductive Health 2005
PRB and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have jointly published the Country Profiles for Population and Reproductive Health: Policy Developments and Indicators 2005. The volume, which updates the 2003 edition, contains national and subnational indicators on the demographic and social situation in 163 countries and subregions. (March 2006)

Reforming Family Laws to Promote Progress in the Middle East and North Africa

 Morocco recently adopted an entirely new family law that is consistent with the spirit of Islam, yet based on equal rights for both men and women. This policy brief is also available in Arabic. (February 2006)

Marriage in the Arab World

 Universal, early marriage is no longer the standard it once was in Arab countries: The average age at marriage for both men and women is generally rising, and more Arab women are staying single longer or not marrying at all. These trends are introducing new issues into Arab societies that confront deeply rooted cultural values and raise legal and policy challenges. This policy brief is also available in Arabic. (December 2005)

The Palestinian Territories: Signs of Change Amidst Ongoing Suffering
Over the last four years, plans for staunching the bloodshed and bringing Palestinians and Israelis back to a defunct peace process have come and gone without lasting effect. Supporting one's family, accessing health care, and pursuing an education in the territories remain fraught with difficulties. (February 2005)

Islam and Family Planning

 This policy brief gives an overview of Muslim countries' policies on and support for family planning and modern contraception. It reviews Islamic jurisprudence and justifications for sanctioning family planning. This policy brief is also available in Arabic. (September 2004)

Progress Toward the Millennium Development Goals in the Middle East
Countries in the MENA region were among the 189 countries that attended the 2000 United Nations Millennium Summit, where leaders from around the word adopted the Millennium Declaration and made a commitment to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and discrimination against women. This policy brief is also available in Arabic. (March 2004)

Empowering Women, Developing Society: Female Education in the Middle East and North Africa
While access to education for females has improved dramatically over the past few decades in the Middle East, many are still excluded. Education helps women prepare for the labor force and helps them understand their legal and reproductive rights. This policy brief is also available in Arabic. (November 2003)

Women's Reproductive Health in the Middle East and North Africa (PDF: 234KB)
About half of the 10 million women who give birth each year in the Middle East and North Africa have some kind of complication, with more then 1 million of them suffering serious injuries that lead to long-term illness. (February 2003)

The West Bank and Gaza: A Population Profile
These two areas are unique entities in today’s world. Although parts of both consist of autonomous, Palestinian-governed regions, Israel and Israeli forces surround them. (April 2002)

Population Trends and Challenges in the Middle East and North Africa
The people of the Middle East and North Africa have long played an integral, if sometimes volatile, role in the history of human civilization. Today, MENA's rapid population growth exacerbates the challenges that this region faces as it enters the third millennium. (December 2001)