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Expenditure and Consumption Survey 2023
Household-level microdata for the West Bank and Gaza

West Bank and Gaza, 2023
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Reference ID
PSE_2023_PECS_v01_M
Producer(s)
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
Metadata
Documentation in PDF DDI/XML JSON
Created on
May 19, 2026
Last modified
May 19, 2026
Page views
14287
Downloads
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  • Study Description
  • Data Description
  • Documentation
  • Get Microdata
  • Identification
  • Version
  • Scope
  • Coverage
  • Producers and sponsors
  • Sampling
  • Data collection
  • Data processing
  • Access policy
  • Disclaimer and copyrights
  • Metadata production
  • Identification

    Survey ID number
    PSE_2023_PECS_v01_M
    Title
    Expenditure and Consumption Survey 2023
    Subtitle
    Household-level microdata for the West Bank and Gaza
    Abbreviation or Acronym
    PECS 2023
    Country/Economy
    Name Country code
    West Bank and Gaza PSE
    Study type
    Income/Expenditure/Household Survey [hh/ies]
    Series Information
    This is the thirteenth round of the Palestinian Expenditure and Consumption Survey (PECS) of households in the Palestinian territories, conducted by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS). The 2023 PECS provides an updated profile of poverty and living standards, with the objective of analyzing consumption patterns and the socio-economic characteristics of households, particularly those living below the poverty line. The survey builds on earlier PECS rounds while incorporating methodological improvements and reflects the resumption of the series following interruptions due to financing constraints and the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Abstract
    The Palestinian Expenditure and Consumption Survey (PECS) 2023 is a nationally representative household survey conducted by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) to measure living standards, consumption, and poverty in the Palestinian territories. The survey collects detailed household-level information on demographic composition, housing conditions, access to basic services, ownership of durable assets, social protection, and exposure to shocks. The data constitute the basis for official poverty measurement and welfare analysis in the West Bank and Gaza.
    Kind of Data
    Sample survey data [ssd]
    Unit of Analysis
    Household and individual

    Version

    Version Date
    2026-04-10

    Scope

    Notes

    The survey covers the following topics:

    • Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics
    • Labor Force and Employment Status
    • Housing Conditions and Utilities
    • Social Assistance and Coping Strategies
    • Household Income and Sources of Revenue
    • Household Expenditure and Consumption Patterns

    Coverage

    Geographic Coverage

    West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and Gaza.

    Note: Data for the West Bank and East Jerusalem cover all four quarters of 2023, while data for Gaza are available only for the first three quarters due to the outbreak of the war.

    Universe

    All private households residing in the Palestinian territories during the survey reference period.

    Producers and sponsors

    Primary investigators
    Name
    Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
    Funding Agency/Sponsor
    Name Abbreviation Role
    United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund UNICEF

    Funding

    World Food Programme WFP

    Funding

    World Bank Group WBG

    Funding

    European Union EU

    Funding

    Sampling

    Sampling Procedure

    The PECS 2023 is based on a two-stage stratified cluster sampling design. In the first stage, 586 enumeration areas were selected as primary sampling units. In the second stage, 12 households were selected within each enumeration area. The sample was stratified by governorate and locality type (urban, rural, camp). To manage variability in the precision of key indicators, the design allocated a larger number of sampling units to strata characterized by higher uncertainty in estimates of consumption from previous PECS rounds. Enumeration areas within each governorate were randomly assigned across quarters to enable the production of representative quarterly estimates.

    Deviations from the Sample Design

    Data collection in Gaza was interrupted in October 2023, making it impossible to complete fourth-quarter fieldwork in that area. As a result, the realized sample differs from the planned annual sample, with Gaza data covering only the first three quarters of 2023. Data collection continued as planned in the West Bank and East Jerusalem throughout all four quarters. This deviation required adjustments in weighting and limits the production of full-year estimates for the Palestinian territories.

    Response Rate

    The final realized sample included 4,373 households out of a planned sample of 6,528 households (removing Q4 households from the planned sample for Gaza), corresponding to an overall response rate of 67 percent. Response rates varied by area: 64 percent in the West Bank, 71 percent in East Jerusalem, and 75 percent in Gaza.

    Weighting

    Given the unusual structure of the realized sample, three sets of survey weights were constructed for the PECS 2023. Quarterly weights (hhrwq) allow the calculation of quarterly estimates for the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza for the quarters in which data were collected. Three-quarters weights (hhrw) refer to the average population during the first three quarters of 2023 and enable estimation for the Palestinian territories, the West Bank, and Gaza. Annual weights (hhrwWBY) were constructed for the West Bank to use the full four quarters of available data.

    Weights were constructed in four steps:
    (1) calculation of design weights as the inverse of household inclusion probabilities;
    (2) adjustment based on the planned share of sampled enumeration areas covered;
    (3) adjustment for non-response and calibration to known population totals by sampling strata; and
    (4) minimal trimming of calibrated weights to reduce the impact of excessively large weights.
    All weights variables can be found in the hhweight data file. For analyst convenience, a fourth variable (weight) combines annual weights for the West Bank and three-quarters weights for Gaza.

    Data collection

    Dates of Data Collection
    Start End
    2023-01 2023-12
    Data Collection Mode
    • Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]
    Data Collection Notes

    Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaires. Household information was obtained from a knowledgeable household member. Fieldwork was conducted throughout all four quarters of 2023 in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and during the first three quarters of 2023 in Gaza. Data collection in Gaza was halted in October 2023 due to the outbreak of war.

    Data processing

    Data Editing

    Data processing included consistency and validation checks, treatment of missing and inconsistent responses, construction and calibration of survey weights, and anonymization procedures to protect respondent confidentiality. Weights were calibrated to known population totals by sampling strata and minimally trimmed to reduce the impact of extreme values.

    Access policy

    Citation requirements

    Use of the dataset must be acknowledged using a citation which would include:

    • the Identification of the Primary Investigator
    • the title of the survey (including country, acronym and year of implementation)
    • the survey reference number
    • the source and date of download

    Example:
    Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. Expenditure and Consumption Survey 2023. Ref. PSE_2023_PECS_v01_M. Dataset downloaded from [source] on [date].

    Disclaimer and copyrights

    Disclaimer

    The user of the data acknowledges that the original collector of the data, the authorized distributor of the data, and the relevant funding agency bear no responsibility for use of the data or for interpretations or inferences based upon such uses.

    Metadata production

    DDI Document ID
    DDI_PSE_2023_PECS_v01_M
    Producers
    Name Abbreviation Affiliation Role
    Development Data Group DECDG World Bank Group

    Documentation of the survey

    Metadata version

    DDI Document version
    Version 01 (May 2026)
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