UN Human Rights Treaties

UNITED NATIONS
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

Distr.
GENERAL E/ESCWA/SD/1993/4 10 January 1994 ORIGINAL. ENGLISH

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR WESTERN ASIA
Social Development Division
SURVEY OF SOCIAL TRENDS AND INDICATORS IN COUNTRIES OF THE ESCWA REGION
94-0024

Bibliographical and other references have, wherever possible, been verified.

CONTENTS
Chapter Page
Introduction 1
I. OVERALL POPULATION TRENDS AND COMPOSITION 3
II. VULNERABLE GROUPS 5
A. Children 5
B. Youth . . . 8
C. The elderly 15
D. Disabled persons 19
E. The poor and rural population 25
Annex
I. SELECTED INDICATORS ON CULTURE, INFORMATION,
COMMUNICATION, ARMED CONFLICTS AND MILITARY BUILD-UP . . 29
LIST OF ANNEX TABLES
1. Population estimates, by size, age and sex 35
2. Selected demographic indicators of population change and composition 40
3. Social trends in the countries of the ESCWA region 44
4. Indicators for urbanization in the ESCWA region 50
5. Population in urban and rural areas in largest city by sex 51
6. Selected indicators related to literacy and schooling 53
7. School enrolment, annual rate of increase, enrolment ratio and
pupils per teacher (first level) 54
8. Selected indicators for the status of women in the ESCWA region 58
9. Economically active population by age groups and sex 59
10. Never-married youth in the ESCWA region 64
11. Estimated and projected distribution in the main functional age groups of the total population of the ESCWA region in 1995, 2010
and 2025 65

CONTENTS (continued)

Page

12. Estimated and projected population of the ESCWA region in 1995,
2010 and 2025 66
13. Sex ratios (number of males per 100 females) in the ESCWA region
for the 60-plus population in 1995, 2010 and 2025 67
14. Marital status for the elderly, by sex, in selected ESCWA countries 68
15. Estimated and projected total dependency ratios, youth dependency ratios and aged dependency ratios in the ESCWA region, 1995, 2010
and 2025 69
16. Rate of economic activity for the 60-plus population in Western Asia 70
17. Average number of handicapped persons per 100,000 of the population
in the Syrian Arab Republic by residence, type of handicap and sex 71
18. Number and percentage distribution of handicapped and total
population in Jordan by age group 72
19. Percentage distribution of handicapped population in Al-Yarmouk
camp, Palestine by age group and type of handicap 73
20. Percentage distribution of handicapped population (10 years old
and over) in the Syrian Arab Republic by education attainment and
type of handicap 74
21. Percentage distribution of handicapped population (10 years old
and over) in the Syrian Arab Republic by employment status and
type of handicap 75
22. Number and percentage distribution of handicapped population
(13 years old and over) in the East Bank of Jordan by age group
and marital status 76
23. Selected indicators for human development in the ESCWA region 77
24. Selected indicators on culture and communication 78
25. Selected communication profile in the ESCWA region 83
26. Government expenditure on education, health and the military 84
Bibliography 85

INTRODUCTION
The medium-term plan of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) for the period 1992-1997 includes the following two objectives: (1) to undertake an overall analysis of the impact of development trends in the ESCWA region in furthering greater participation of the entire population in the development process and (2) to improve the monitoring of social and human resource development, facilitating the integration of the entire population with particular emphasis on the most vulnerable groups such as disabled persons, women, youth, children, the elderly, the poor and the rural population in the development process.1 In order to meet these objectives, the social situation of the ESCWA region is being monitored by the ESCWA secretariat through a regular review of continuously updated social statistics and periodic surveys of the socio-economic landscape in the light of emerging global and regional developments.
Based on statistical data sheets prepared by ESCWA and on other available data, the present report focuses on the theme of integration of vulnerable groups into the development process in the ESCWA region. The issue of the social integration of vulnerable groups is important and timely as it constitutes one of the major agenda items of the forthcoming World Summit for Social Development. Social integration aims at reviewing the changes in the quality of life and the level of popular participation with special emphasis on vulnerable groups, as well as analysing the general social transition affecting the quality of life of these groups in the ESCWA region during the past few decades. The selected set of social indicators will be of use to policy makers in the region for the formulation of appropriate policies and innovative measures. Also, it will be useful to researchers and professionals for exchange of information.
A. Methodology
The progress achieved in the social development and welfare field will be measured in terms of the level of social integration of specific groups and the coverage of the basic social needs of the entire population. Social indicators for measuring the level of social integration include the following: demographic indicators; nutrition and health; literacy, education and training; male-female gap; rural-urban gap; employment; and those related to human development. These indicators were selected for their availability, and intensive efforts have been made in order to illustrate throughout the analysis the social trends and
1 These population groups are referred to as vulnerable since they are more prone to and more adversely affected by negative impacts of social transition and economic constraints. For instance, during a severe economic recession, women and youth are the first to become unemployed in the labour market. Rural people do not benefit equally from social services and profits extended by the State. Disabled citizens are the most marginalized in all societies.

transformation in the ESCWA region. Two extra indicator clusters, namely those for information diffusion and culture, and those related to peace, were included in the annex. These are important indicators as they affect the quality of life of the entire population, including specific groups either directly or indirectly. Information based on the available literature and on informal opinions was used to supplement the empirical analysis.

I. OVERALL POPULATION TRENDS AND POPULATION COMPOSITION
According to the data in World Population Prospects, the 1992 Revision? the total population of the ESCWA region in 1970 was 68 million; it was 90 million in 1980, and it will be 141 million in 1995. The projections, size and distribution of the population for each ESCWA country are available in table 1. The data in World Population Prospects, the 1992 Revision indicate that the average annual population growth rate at the regional level was 3.24 per cent for the period 1980-1985 and 2.97 per cent for the period 1985-1990. For the period 1990-1995, it is estimated to be 2.70 per cent.
According to the figures in table 2, the annual population growth rate for the period 1990-1995 is estimated to be below 2.2 per cent in three countries (Egypt, Kuwait and Lebanon)—significantly lower than the above-mentioned ESCWA regional average. Five countries are close to the average (Bahrain, Iraq, Palestine, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates) and five other countries will have annual population growth rates of more than 3.3 per cent (Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen3)—significantly higher than the average. The negative annual population growth rate for Kuwait (-5.8) during this period reflects the effect of the return migration of non-national expatriate workers.
According to the data in table 2, the average total fertility rates for all the individual reporting countries of the ESCWA region will drop significantly between 1980 and 1995, although there was a significant increase during the preceding period (1950-1975). Fertility rates in the ESCWA region today are still among the highest in the world, although they vary widely from country to country, ranging from 3.1 births per woman in Lebanon to 7.2 in Yemen for the period 1990-1995.
Life expectancy at birth increased by about 10 years (from 53.1 to 63.6) for the ESCWA region between the two periods 1970-1975 and 1990-1995; however, it varies from one country to another, ranging from 52.7 for Yemen to 74.7 for Kuwait during the period 1990-1995 (World Population Prospects, the 1992 Revision).
2 United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.XIII.7.
3 On 22 May 1990, the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen and the Yemen Arab
Republic merged to form a single State and have subsequently been represented as one
member known as "Yemen". However, as some of the statistics used in the present report
were compiled prior to the unification, data sometimes appear separately. All data reported
herein are based on the medium variant.

As indicated in table 3, the infant mortality rates for all countries of the ESCWA region dropped significantly during the period 1960-1990. For instance, in Oman it fell from 214 per 1,000 live births to only 37 and from 130 to 14 in Bahrain. In 1990, the infant mortality rate was still above 50 per 1,000 births in four countries (Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen) while in four other countries of the region (Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, and the Syrian Arab Republic), the rate varied between 30 and 50. The lowest rate (14) is found in Bahrain and the highest rate (114) is found in Yemen.
Tables 1 and 2 indicate that the demographic stage of the countries of the ESCWA region is transitional (except in Lebanon, where the population structure is in an advanced stage), characterized by still-high levels of fertility and relatively low mortality, a combination which is creating a very youthful indigenous population. Significant improvements made between 1950 and 1980 in health conditions have raised the reproductive capacity of newly married couples. As a result, actual fertility rates soared until 1975, while crude death rates have sunk. The composition of the population in the ESCWA region is still dominated by children and youth (approximately 55-65 per cent for individual countries of the region), thus resulting in a very high actual economic dependency ratio. However, the figures in tables 1 and 2 point to a shift in the region's population between 1975 and 1995, brought about by a decline in the percentage of children (0-14 age group) and a significant increase in the percentage of the working-age population (15-59 age group). For the same period, the percentages of the elderly did not change and have remained very low in almost all countries, except the United Arab Emirates where there is a slight increase. The percentages of youth have also been very high (about 18-19 per cent) for all countries, and there has been no significant change in the proportion of youth in the total population.
During the past few decades, there has been constant urban population growth in the ESCWA region due to rural-urban migration and to natural population growth. Tables 4 and 5 indicate that in many individual ESCWA countries, there was an increase in the percentage of population living in urban settlements between 1960 and 1991. In Egypt, for instance, the proportion of the urban to the total population increased from 38 per cent in 1960 to 44 per cent in 1986; thus, its urban population more than doubled during this period (see table 5). In Saudi Arabia, the urban population proportion increased from 30 per cent to 77 per cent during the period 1961-1991 (table 4). This rapid urban growth has created a soaring demand for affordable shelter, infrastructure and services in urban centres in the ESCWA region.

II. VULNERABLE GROUPS
The International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade as well as that for the Fourth United Nations Decade called for the promotion of the human and social dimension of development, the elimination of poverty, and a more egalitarian distribution of the benefits of development. The importance of education was stressed as it enhances the capacity of people to participate constructively in the development process. The attainment of an improved level of health was emphasized as well since it is a prerequisite for people to lead a socially and economically productive life. It was also stressed that vulnerable groups such as children, youth, the elderly, the disabled, the rural population, the poor and women be given special attention, and that their integration into society be promoted. During the past few decades, educational expansion and improvement of health conditions have been major areas of concern for social development in the ESCWA region. Here, the progress achieved and problems encountered in the social dimension of development in the ESCWA region will be measured in terms of the services and assistance which vulnerable groups receive.
A. Children
As indicated in table 1, the ESCWA region is characterized by a large child population, although the proportion of children4 has been shrinking since 1975. In 1995, the proportion of children will range from 28.9 per cent in the United Arab Emirates to 49.3 per cent in Yemen. It is between 40 and 50 per cent in Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen, and between 30 and 40 per cent in Bahrain, Egypt and Lebanon. According to the figures in World Population Prospects, the 1992 Revision, the equivalent ratio is 19.8 per cent for northern Europe and 16.8 per cent for Japan for the same year.
The basic health conditions of children in the ESCWA region have continued to improve during the last few decades. As indicated in table 3, mortality of children under five in 1960 was over 200 per 1,000 births in all the countries of the ESCWA region except Kuwait and Lebanon. This situation has improved significantly since then. The average rate of reduction of under-five mortality during the period of 1980-1990 has been high in many countries, (see table 3) such as Kuwait (5.8 per cent) and Oman (8.1 per cent). This means that from 1960 to 1990, the under-five mortality rates in individual ESCWA countries decreased by a factor of 3 to 10. For instance, in Bahrain, the under-five mortality rate
4 Children are defined as those between the ages of 0 and 14 years.

decreased from 208 per 1,000 births in 1960 to only 17 in 1990. With the exception of Yemen, the rate was below 100 in all the countries of the region in 1990. Similar trends are found for the infant mortality rates. In 1990, only in two countries of the region (Yemen and Saudi Arabia) was the rate still higher than the world average (63). In all the countries of the region, however, there has been a significant improvement. Table 3 indicates that during the period 1981-1990 good progress was achieved regarding immunization for pregnant women and children in most countries of the ESCWA region.
However, universal immunization has not yet been fully achieved. A significant difference exists among individual ESCWA countries. Table 3 also indicates that the rate of immunization of pregnant women against tetanus during the period 1989-1990 ranged from 8 per cent (Yemen) to 97 per cent (Oman). Out of eight reporting countries, this rate was between 60 and 70 per cent in three countries (Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia) and between 20 and 30 per cent in two countries (Jordan and Kuwait). The child immunization rate against polio was only 53 per cent in Yemen and 75 per cent in Iraq.
As table 3 also indicates, 53 per cent of children aged 0-4 in Yemen are moderately or severely underweight, 13 per cent in Egypt and 6 per cent in Kuwait (where per capita gross domestic product (GDP) was US$ 7,356.00 in 1990). In spite of improvement in the basic health conditions of children, children continue to suffer from malnutrition in poor and war-torn communities of the region. The impact of the Gulf crisis and the continuing economic embargo further aggravated this condition in the affected countries. In Iraq, the under-five mortality rate rose 380 per cent after the onset of the Gulf Crisis. Over 900,000 children, representing 29 per cent of all Iraqi children, were suffering from malnutrition immediately after the crisis.5
By the 1960s, interest focused globally on the need to expand school enrolment, to widen access to schools, and to increase their relevance in respect of the socio-economic conditions in each country. During the 1970s, the view was generally accepted that formal education up to a certain level should be provided for all, thereby strengthening the world¬wide drive to achieve mass education, particularly primary schooling and literacy for adults. The International Development Strategies stressed among the main social objectives the attainment of education for all and the development of human resources. There has also been a trend towards seeing education as an essential human right.
5 "Health and Welfare in Iraq after the Gulf Crisis: An In-Depth Assessment" conducted in October 1991 by the International Study Team funded by UNICEF and other private foundations.

Expansion of education has been a major achievement of social development in the ESCWA region. Table 6 indicates that in 1990 the adult literacy rates in the ESCWA region were over 50 per cent in all countries except Yemen and Egypt (39 per cent and 48 per cent, respectively). Table 3 indicates the significant improvement in eradication of illiteracy during the period 1970-1990 for both men and women. Female illiteracy rates in particular decreased significantly during this period in all countries of the region. Expenditure on education as a percentage of the gross national product (GNP) rose sharply between 1960 and 1988-1990 in all reporting countries of the region except Iraq (see table 3). As regards the educational state of children, both table 3 and table 7 indicate that primary school enrolment rates (gross rates) have significantly increased in all ESCWA countries during the past few decades. Table 7 also shows that, during 1988-1991, the gross enrolment rate in primary school had already surpassed 80 per cent in all countries except Saudi Arabia (78 per cent) and the former Yemen Arab Republic (76 per cent). In countries where the rates are significantly below 100 per cent, it is due to the lower enrolment rate of girls. For instance, the share of girls in total gross enrolment was significantly below half in some countries such as Iraq and Yemen. In all countries of the region, it is much lower than for boys (see table 7).
There are several problems regarding primary education. Although the gross enrolment rate in primary education has already reached 90 to 100 per cent in most countries of the region, the net primary enrolment rate is much lower. For instance, during the period 1986-1989, it was only 48 per cent for girls in Saudi Arabia and 64 per cent for boys (see table 3). In Saudi Arabia, as in other conservative Gulf countries, the net enrolment rate for girls does not exceed 50 per cent as traditions and customs influence the education of girls even at the primary level.
Relatively high drop-out rates at the primary level are still found in some countries of the ESCWA region in spite of ongoing literacy campaigns. For example, as indicated in table 3, the primary school drop-out rates of some ESCWA countries in 1988 were still very high: 42 per cent in Iraq, 16 per cent in Jordan, 10 per cent in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, 12 per cent in the Syrian Arab Republic and 26 per cent in Yemen (see table 3). Children who drop out continue to contribute to the illiteracy rate in the region. Furthermore, many primary entrants repeat grades (see table 3). Dropping out and repeating grades might be caused by both lack of motivation on the part of the students as well as incompetence on the part of teachers. Some6 argue that in some Gulf countries, boys generally do not perform well in school, and that their parents accept their poor performance, and that, as a result, girls and the children of expatriates (both boys and girls) often outperform them.
6 Including Delwin A. Roy in his article entitled "Saudi Arabian Education: Development Policy", Middle Eastern Studies, vol. 28, No. 3, July 1992, pp. 477-508.

Also, in some Gulf countries, some researchers observe that the hiring of foreign teachers may be considered problematic in some cases, as they tend to be less concerned with student performance than teachers who are nationals of the country. For instance, by the mid-1980s it was reported that 70 per cent of the total teaching staff in Saudi Arabian primary schools were non-nationals (mostly Egyptians, Jordanians, Syrians and Sudanese) although the teaching staff for girls were almost completely Saudi Arabian.7
Apart from public education, the family is the major informal institution which is primarily responsible for the socialization of Arab children. Currently, the ESCWA region has been undergoing a radical transformation of its family structure. Rapid social changes have led to a gradual erosion of the traditional social values of Arab society. Socio-economic factors, including the growing participation of women in the labour force, are having an impact on the fabric of the Arab family in the ESCWA region and have contributed to the rise of the nuclear family as well as changing attitudes and values that affect relationships among family members.
In the Gulf States, the hiring of foreigners as maids is a relatively recent phenomenon, and it is one which has been copied by the expatriate migrants from the neighboring countries upon their return to their home countries. The impact of socialization by foreign maids cannot be underestimated as a significant factor in the development of the personality of the Arab child due to the resulting cultural conflicts. Despite changes in the functional structures of society, the individual still finds no alternative to the family as a source of cohesion and support and as the most important informal institution for socialization, education and training of children.
B. Youth
The ESCWA region is characterized by a large youth population. As indicated in table 1, about 19 per cent of the total population of the region will be youth (aged 15-24) in 1995. This figure is significantly higher than those of industrial countries. According to the figures in World Population Prospects, the 1992 Revision, the equivalent proportion for the developed world in the same year will be 14.2 per cent. As indicated in table 1, in 1995 the largest youth population in the region will be found in Jordan (over 23 per cent). The lowest percentage (12.4) is expected in Qatar and the second lowest (14.7) in Bahrain. In view of the fact that high fertility rates in these Gulf countries would indicate youthful indigenous populations, their comparatively high median ages suggest that foreign labourers are
7 This section derives heavily from the above-mentioned article by Delwin A. Roy entitled "Saudi Arabian Education: Development Policy", Middle Eastern Studies, vol. 28, No. 3, July 1992, pp. 477-508.

predominantly older (18-45) than the youth categories (15-24). In fact, according to the ESCWA demographic data sheets8, the equivalent proportion of youth for nationals only in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain is 17 per cent and 21 per cent, respectively. Table 1 indicates that, until the year 2005, the countries of the ESCWA region will continue to be in the transitional demographic stage with a very youthful indigenous population. Improvements in health conditions raised the reproductive capacity of newly married couples from 1950 to 1975 and permitted them to realize their traditionally strong desire for children into actual high fertility, thus leading to a youthful population at the regional level.
Naturally, the sex ratio of the youth population is almost balanced in all countries of the ESCWA region. However, the slightly higher male-female ratios found in the Gulf countries and the lower ratio in Yemen in the past are due to a demand, in labour-importing countries, for migrant, predominantly male labourers, including the older segment of the youth group (20-24). It appears that this demand has waned, and skilled and older Arab labourers from neighbouring labour-exporting countries are now in demand as the sex ratios of youth are becoming more balanced (see table 1). For instance, according to the figures in table 1, the male/female ratio of the youth population in Qatar was 2.40 in 1975 and will be only 1.14 in 1995; by contrast, the male/female youth ratio in Yemen was 0.60 in 1975, 0.86 in 1980, and will be 1.06 in 1995.
The ESCWA region has been undergoing a radical transformation in its social structure. Various factors such as population growth, urbanization, conflicting values, cultural heritage, armed conflicts and civil unrest, economic development, transfer of new technology, change of family structure and authority, and environmental transformation have left an impact on the social fabric of the region. Young people in the region have benefited from social progress, particularly in the field of health and education. Nevertheless, they face problems caused by the rapid social transformation, as young people are especially vulnerable to disruptions produced by such rapid social changes and their consequences. The capacity of labour-sending countries to integrate their youth into the national development process has diminished with the constant exodus of youth from their own countries. Due to the lack of adequate and affordable housing in urban communities which has been caused by the urban explosion coupled with increased living costs, some young people encounter difficulty starting an independent life, marrying and establishing families. The massive exodus of the rural youth population to urban centres and oil-exporting countries has had several negative implications, including the abandonment of agriculture, the underdevelopment of rural communities and the excessive migration to and consequent overpopulation of major cities.
8 United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Demographic and Related Socio-Economic Data Sheets for Countries of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia as Assessed in 1988, No. 6, 1989 (E/ESCWA/POP/89/8/Rev.l).

Concurrently, the cities suffer tremendous strains in absorbing migrants. Indeed, many young migrants cannot find adequate housing, schools or social services and tend to live together in shanty enclaves in the cities without being fully integrated into the development process. Thus, their original cultural orientations are perpetuated, resulting in the ruralization of cities. Sometimes, the lack of regular and productive work and the erosion of social values and networks are the cause of increasing crime rates in these communities of new migrants. The increase in urban youth implies a large discrepancy between their needs and those of rural youth. It is known that unemployment rates among rural youth are higher than among urban youth; on the other hand, drug abuse and juvenile delinquency are commonly more widespread in the urban slums.
The high demand for labour in oil-exporting countries with relatively small populations and underdeveloped indigenous manpower combined with the wealth of the Gulf countries enabled them to offer employment opportunities for migrant workers, predominantly from less developed neighbouring Arab countries and other Asian countries. Intra-regional migration, if it is well-coordinated, will contribute to a better distribution of income among and within the countries of the region. It will also contribute to regional cultural integration and to skills development within the region. While interregional (non-Arab) migration has the merit of promoting the region's economic development, there is doubt that the presence of so many non-nationals (non-Arabs) might threaten internal security and cause an identity crisis among youth in the labour-importing countries. The foreign-youth proportion of the total youth population in some Gulf countries is significantly high (for example, 67 per cent in Qatar, 56 per cent in the United Arab Emirates, and 22 per cent in both Oman and Saudi Arabia.9)
A serious youth-related problem in labour-importing countries is the development of young, indigenous manpower resources. A large portion of the indigenous youth populations in these countries, particularly young women, are not effectively integrated into mainstream development efforts. The abundant supply of consumer goods, supported by high purchasing power, has not helped youth develop high esteem for manufacturing or manual work, nor has it promoted their participation in serious national development efforts. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) measured the level of human development in terms of the Human Development Index (HDI) by combining national income with two social indicators, namely adult literacy and life expectancy, in order to give a composite measure of human progress in a given country. The latest data in the UNDP Human Development Report 1993 indicate that the current gap between their GNP and HDI national rankings shows the magnitude of the lag in human development in the Gulf countries (-26 for Bahrain, -23 for
9 United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Population Situation in the ESCWA Region 1990 (E/ESCWA/POP/1992/6), 20 May 1992.

Iraq, -37 for Kuwait, -58 for Oman, -33 for Qatar, -53 for Saudi Arabia, -55 for the United Arab Emirates).
As a result of sudden, forced return migration after the Gulf crisis and the subsequent political disintegration at the regional level, unemployment has increased tremendously in some labour-sending countries due to the surplus labour that could not be absorbed. For instance, during the last few decades, young Jordanians were encouraged to acquire highly technical skills that had no real relevance to current labour market needs in Jordan but which were in high demand in the neighbouring countries. Now, most of the educational and training policies are being reassessed. In order to respond to the increasing needs of the young population living in Jordan or returning from the Gulf countries, a complete set of new measures and programmes is being developed.
The rapid expansion of enrolment in secondary and tertiary levels of education has been significant during the past few decades in the ESCWA region. As indicated in table 3, the combined primary and secondary gross enrolment rates in all individual countries of the region have improved significantly during the period 1970-1990. For instance, in Oman it improved from 25 per cent in 1970 to 82 per cent in 1987-1989. In Egypt, which has the largest population and overall impact in the region, the rate increased from 55 per cent in 1970 to 90 per cent in 1987-1990. Nevertheless, the same table indicates that gross secondary school enrolment rates of youth are still less than 50 per cent in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and close to 50 per cent in Oman and the Syrian Arab Republic. Furthermore, the secondary school enrolment rates of young women were still lower than those of men in all reporting countries except the United Arab Emirates (see table 3) in 1986-1989. For instance, in 1986-1989 it was only 37 per cent for Iraqi female youth compared to 60 per cent for their male counterparts, and 7 per cent for Yemeni female youth compared to 42 per cent for their male counterparts.
Youth education still suffers from relatively high secondary school drop-out and repeater rates in many ESCWA countries. As indicated in table 3, the number of secondary school repeaters is high (6 per cent for Bahrain, 32 per cent for Iraq, 7 per cent for Jordan, 13 per cent for Oman, 16 per cent for Qatar, 13 per cent for Saudi Arabia, 15 per cent for the Syrian Arab Republic and 10 per cent for the United Arab Emirates).
Technical education and vocational training continue to suffer from insufficient interest in technical- or skilled-career options throughout the ESCWA region. This is manifested in the low rates of enrolment of youth in technical secondary education and vocational training. It is the general understanding in the region that education is geared towards academic instruction and preparation for occupations regarded as "prestigious" by young people and their families. Table 3 indicates that in 1987/1988 the percentages of

secondary-school enrolment in vocational schools (vocational as a percentage of the total secondary education) were relatively low in all countries of the region except Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq and Jordan, and particularly low in the Gulf countries, excluding Bahrain (0.3 per cent for Kuwait, 3.5 per cent for Qatar, 1.9 per cent for Saudi Arabia and 0.8 per cent for the United Arab Emirates). In the Gulf countries, there is a growing disparity between what the youth believe their education is preparing them for, in terms of status, prestige and income, and the reality of the formidable economic recession. There is an urgent need to develop the right values among the youth who are about to enter the workforce so that they will view the current labour-market needs more flexibly and realistically and reduce their dependence on foreigners.
In the case of enrolment in the tertiary (higher) educational cycle, the gross enrolment rates are still below 10 per cent in Oman and Yemen. Out of eight other reporting countries, the rate ranges from 10 per cent to 20 per cent in six countries (Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates). It is over 20 per cent in Qatar and the Syrian Arab Republic (see table 3). The comparison of the data in table 3 and table 8 indicates that the female enrolment rates in tertiary education in some relatively liberal Gulf countries, such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are much higher than those of men.
This finding corresponds to the observation of some scholars such as Abbas Makki and Madiha Al-Safti. They attribute this situation to the fact that in those countries, education grants to study abroad are bestowed on male youth while females are deprived of them, a situation which confirms the preference for males in education.10 On the contrary, women's participation in higher education is lower in all countries of the region other than the above-mentioned Gulf countries. In 1988/1990, the proportions of females as a percentage of males in tertiary enrolment were as follows: 53 per cent for Egypt, 64 per cent for Iraq, 129 per cent for Kuwait, 44 per cent for Lebanon, 80 per cent for Oman, 73 per cent for Saudi Arabia and 72 per cent for the Syrian Arab Republic (see table 3). The participation of young Arab women in higher education is still low regardless of the rapid progress of the past few decades. Also, some scholars argue that although educated, young Arab women are more conscious of their human rights and demand them, a substantial proportion of educated and liberated young women still bear an inferiority complex and suffer from a degraded attitude towards men. The conflicts of young, educated Arab women cannot be ignored as they have gone through the socialization process in Arab communities that are still traditional, where marriage is portrayed to them as the priority of life, without which their lives are meaningless and useless. Young, educated women tend to become torn between conflicting forces: what
10 United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Impact of Social and Economic Changes on the Arab Family: An Exploratory Study (E/ESCWA/SD/1992/4), 29 October 1992.

they have learned in school about choosing their lifestyle and new values and achievement criteria such as an education and a career, and what Arab social conventions impose on them. This sometimes leads them into psychological conflicts manufested by a behavioral imbalance.11
As mentioned before, because of the preoccupation with "prestigious and glamorous" occupations in the ESCWA region, university students tend to concentrate on law and the humanities. There is a shortage in the technical fields. In particular, female students tend to concentrate on teaching, humanities and health-related subjects. A comparison of table 3 and table 8 indicates that the enrolment of women in science is far lower than that of men on average.
In some countries of the region, a significantly high proportion of youth (especially male youth) are sent abroad for higher education. Table 3 indicates that the proporation of tertiary students abroad as a percentage of those at home are significantly high: 44.6 per cent for Bahrain, 41.4 per cent for Jordan, 16.4 per cent for Kuwait, 21.3 per cent for Lebanon, 19.7 per cent for Qatar, 24.8 per cent for the United Arab Emirates and 33.2 per cent for Yemen. Some parents prefer to send their children abroad for a number of reasons, such as (a) the poor quality of education in some national institutes; (b) limited availability of textbooks in Arabic; (c) little access to modern technical advances in the fields of telecommunications, information technology, medicine and computer technology; and (d) shortages of qualified professors, particularly in areas such as international finance and banking, industrial engineering and international marketing.12
Successful passage into adulthood implies obtaining meaningful and proper employment; otherwise, young people face the danger of economic and social marginalization. One of the most important economic development concerns in the region is the promotion of growth in production along with the mobilization of economic and human resources and the optimal utilization thereof. Table 9 shows that in recent years the rates of economically active male youth aged 15-19 range from 8.86 per cent (Saudi Arabia) to 52.49 per cent (the former Yemen Arab Republic). The corresponding rates for female youth range from 1.07 (Saudi Arabia) to 26.50 (the former Yemen Arab Republic). The high ratio for both male and female youth in Yemen can be attributed to the fact that a majority of early teenagers have
11 Drs. Conned and Makki, Impact of Social and Economic Changes on the Arab Family:
An Exploratory Study (E/ESCWA/SD/1992/4), 29 October 1992.
12 This section derives heavily from the article by Delwin A. Roy entitled "Saudi Arabian
Education: Development Policy" in Middle Eastern Studies.

already entered the labour market in rural and Bedouin areas and in poor urban neighbour-hoods.
The same statistics indicate that the ratios of economically active male youth aged 20-24 range from 51.23 per cent in Oman to 88.88 per cent in the United Arab Emirates. The corresponding figures for women are significantly lower, ranging from 8.74 per cent in Saudi Arabia13 to 42.13 per cent in Kuwait.
It appears that youth in this age group enjoy a relatively high rate of economic participation. However, it is notable that the general participation of female youth of this age group is still very limited—less than one third that of their male counterparts in many countries of the region. Also, these figures are extremely low compared to those of industrial countries and developing countries in other regions.14 Generally, young Arab women are still economically subordinate to men since young men's participation in the labour market is much higher. This may be attributed, to a certain extent, to the cultural factor which limit women's work opportunities regardless of their level of education. The participation of women in the labour force is particularly low in some conservative Gulf countries. During the Gulf crisis (1990-1991), the importance of women's participation in development efforts and the need for their preparation to undertake productive functions were laid in Saudi Arabia and the neighbouring Gulf countries, as indicated by many official statements. This awareness could be sustained and expeditiously translated into action through reorientation of the training and education of young women.
Table 9 further indicates that this age category (20-24) boasts the highest participation rates among women in most countries of the region. It is assumed that the acquisition by young Arab women of the right to an education has gradually opened up their career paths. It appears that the female workforce is concentrated in the 20-30 age group in the majority of the countries. This group is composed predominantly of girls of pre-marital age who work until marriage, or housewives without children. The lower rates among higher age groups indicate cultural traditions that impose on women the role of housewife and mother as a first priority.15 Therefore, young women constitute the most important component of the mobilization of the female labour force in the ESCWA region.
13 Lebanon was excluded as the data were too old for comparison.
14 For instance, according to the United Nations Youth Indicators, in 1985, the
proportions of young women aged 20-24 in the labour force were 77 per cent in Japan, 67 per
cent in France, 32 per cent in Mexico and 73 per cent in Thailand.
15 This observation corresponds to the finding by Madiha Al-Safti in "Impact of Social
and Economic Changes on the Arab Family: An Exploratory Study" (E/ESCWA/SD/1992/4).

As mentioned before, higher education throughout the region tends to be strongly directed towards formal and academic education. Some Governments of the ESCWA region have failed to relate actual higher-education needs to any rational manpower plan, to determine labour-force needs objectively from the macroeconomic point of view, or to reorient their higher-education curriculum. In some Gulf countries, educated youth tend to be interested in finding positions in government offices and show little or no interest in other opportunities in private enterprises. It is reported that until mid-1985, Saudi Arabian graduates from the secondary and higher level of education were obligated to seek opportunities in Government first. Change occurred when government policy changed due to lower oil prices, lower revenues and a subsequent cut in new recruits into the Govern¬ment.16 Relatively high disguised unemployment among educated youth in the Gulf countries and some other Arab countries is a social problem.
As indicated in table 10, the percentages of married male youth were very low for both youth age groups in 1980, when the ratios of never-married young men aged 15-19 ranged from 91 per cent for the United Arab Emirates to 97 per cent for Kuwait. The corresponding figures for the older group ranged from 70 per cent for Iraq to 80 per cent for Egypt.
For female youth, on the other hand, the percentages of never-married women aged 15-19 ranged from 44 per cent for the United Arab Emirates to 78 per cent for Egypt. The corresponding figures for the older female youth segment ranged from 12 per cent for the United Arab Emirates to 39 per cent for Egypt. This indicates that Arab women married much earlier than their male counterparts. For example, in Iraq in 1980, 67 per cent of young women aged 20-24 were already married, although two thirds of their male counterparts remained single. Increasing living costs are one of the major obstacles for Arab youth, particularly young Arab men, to marry and establish families. This is sometimes coupled with the lack of proper housing for newly married couples, the traditional practice of dowries and excessive expenses of wedding ceremonies—all disproportionate burdens on the part of male youth. However, as indicated in the same table, the age at which girls marry has generally been rising, accompanied by the attainment by young women of education and their participation in the labour force.
C. The elderly
The proportion of the elderly in total national populations is currently very low in all countries of the ESCWA region. In 1995, 5.20 per cent of the population of the region will
6 This section derives heavily from the article by Delwin A. Roy, "Saudi Arabian Educa-tion: Development Policy", Middle Eastern Studies.

be aged 60 and over. For individual countries, the figures will fall between 3.00 per cent and 3.99 per cent in Bahrain and Kuwait; between 4.00 per cent and 4.99 per cent in Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Syrian Arab Republic and the United Arab Emirates; 6.40 per cent in Egypt and 8.00 per cent in Lebanon (see table 11). However, some change in the percentage of the 60-plus age group is projected between 1995 and 2025. By 2025, 8.40 per cent of the population of the ESCWA region will be 60 and over. Significant increases are projected for Egypt (from 6.40 to 12.40 per cent), Kuwait (3.30 per cent to 17.40 per cent), Qatar (4.30 per cent to 12.20 per cent) and the United Arab Emirates (4.20 per cent to 19.40 per cent). In both the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, the projected percentages of the over-65 age group are also higher (15.50 per cent and 12.40 per cent, respectively) than the world average (9.70 per cent [see table 12]). On the other hand, the population structures of Oman, Saudi Arabia and Yemen will remain young at least during the first quarter of the twenty-first century. In Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, relatively large national incomes generated by oil revenues, combined with rapid urbanization, good standards of living, improved health care and gradually declining fertility rates, resulting from the education of women, may have manifold effects, producing a drastic change in the demographic structure, including the marked ageing trends which have been projected.17 In Egypt, the birth control measures which have been implemented by the Government will begin to take effect during the first quarter of the next century.
Similar trends are found in the 65-plus age group. In 1995, only 3.30 per cent of the total population of the ESCWA region will be over 65, and by 2025 the figure will have risen to 5.60 per cent. In Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, significant increases will be found in the proportion of this group. In the next two decades, the ESCWA region as a whole will encounter a considerable growth, both absolutely and relatively, in the size of this group (see table 12).
The sex ratios for the elderly population show relative parity between the number of elderly men and women in most countries of the region. However, sex ratios in Gulf countries are significantly high (over 200 in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and 184 in Kuwait by 1995) as a result of the large-scale immigration of males for labour purposes,
17 The United Nations global projection includes both nationals and non-nationals in the Gulf countries. Normally, figures are projected on the basis of the combined fertility rates of nationals and non-nationals. For instance, according to the data in the Demographic and Related Socio-Economic Data Sheets for Countries of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia as Assessed in 1988, (E/ESCWA/POP/89/8/Rev.l, 27 May 1990), the combined fertility rate of nationals and non-nationals in Kuwait in 1988 was 3.94 births per woman, compared to 6.21 for nationals and only 2.72 for non-nationals. Therefore, the projected percentages of the elderly in 2025 in some of the Gulf countries may be overestimated.

contributing to the over-representation of elderly males. Conversely, in labour-sending countries elderly women tend to outnumber elderly men (see table 13). Naturally, the services provided by families and by the community are affected by these differences in sex ratios.
The gender-specific difference of the elderly population should be analysed together with their marital status, as elderly females tend to be more economically dependent. The data in table 14 show very interesting demographic and marital-status indicators for the elderly in selected countries of the ESCWA region. These figures indicate very high percentages of elderly widows in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, the Syrian Arab Republic and the United Arab Emirates, representing 47.9, 63.8, 53.4, 55.5, 65.7, 55.9, 46.8 and 65.7 per cent of all elderly women, respectively. By comparison, the figures for elderly widowers in those countries are low (3.7, 9.9, 9.6, 9.5, 7.6, 4.9, 9.0 and 9.7 per cent, respectively).
The same data (see table 14) shows the percentage of divorced persons to be low for both elderly men and women. The highest figures are 4.6 per cent for elderly women in Bahrain (nationals and non-nationals) and 4.2 per cent for elderly men in the United Arab Emirates. The percentages of elderly men are high but those of elderly women relatively low. For example, the lowest figure among elderly men (82.1 per cent in the United Arab Emirates) contrasts sharply with the highest figure among elderly women (49.7 per cent in the Syrian Arab Republic). This is in line with the fact that women tend to marry older men in the ESCWA region. Furthermore, it is presumed that elderly men tend to remarry after being widowed or divorced, while elderly widows or divorcees may have little or no alternative but to remain alone. This is a serious problem as the majority of widows may have no means of income after the death of their spouses.18
Future policies must be formulated well in advance to grapple with the projected increase in the numbers of the elderly and evade its potentially negative impact on the economies of the ESCWA region. If dependency ratios increase, it means that fewer working-age people will be responsible for supporting children and the elderly.
The overall ratio between the elderly and the rest of the adult population is an important factor affecting the stability of national pension and social security plans. This will influence the size and modalities of pension payments and the age at which retirement and payments should commence. It also has an impact on saving patterns (lower savings ratios), inflation and overall economic growth.
18 This finding corresponds to that of Y. El-Haddad in a 1989 (unpublished) study entitled Ageing in the ESCWA Region.

As indicated in table 15, the factor of increase in elderly dependency ratios per 100 working-age persons for the ESCWA region over the period 1995-2025 is 1.47, which is even higher than that of the world (1.40). Factors of increase in the ESCWA countries range from less than 1.0 in Yemen19 to 7.79 in the United Arab Emirates (whose population age structure is projected to become very old by the end of the projection period). In simpler terms, this implies that by the year 2025, the number of persons in the 15-59 age group available per person aged 65-plus is projected to still be 10 or more in all countries of the region except Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, the regional average being 11.36.
As may be seen from table 16, the rates of the economically active male population for the 60-64 age group in 1995 will range from 65.15 per cent in the case of Lebanon to 77.12 per cent in the case of Qatar—much higher than the world average (62.16 per cent). In contrast, the equivalent rates for females range from 1.10 per cent for Jordan to 15.33 per cent for Iraq—substantially lower than the world average (18.06 per cent). Similar trends are found for the 65-plus group. Elderly men (65-plus) in the ESCWA region tend to remain more economically active compared to the world average, but the participation of elderly Arab women in economic activity is very limited.
Disabilities may occur at any time in the life cycle, although they are more likely to occur in the later stages of life. Detailed data will be presented in the next section on the integration of disabled persons.
Due to the global economic recession, the current general trends of care for the elderly in both developing and industrial countries are geared towards reducing government expenditures on social support systems and emphasizing the role of the family in providing services to its elderly members. Arab society has given special attention and care to the elderly due to its cultural and religious values. The distinguished status of the elderly is maintained even today to a certain extent. However, parallel to the international trend, new opinions have emerged which address the issue of caring for them within the framework of State-sponsored services, particularly if both husband and wife work.
Although the nuclear family is on the increase, the strength of family relationships and the firmness of family ties still exist in the Arab family, as blood relationships between independent nuclear units are still maintained and the network of family ties is still relatively strong. Caring for the elderly is still largely a family responsibility even in nuclear families where mothers work and grandparents could play a role in the upbringing of children as
A negative factor of increase denotes an actual decrease.

working mothers need their help in caring for children. This solution would offer the mother a concrete benefit from the presence of elderly members of the family in the same household.
ESCWA statistics indicate that illiteracy levels among the older age groups of the population, and especially among older women, are much higher than among the young. For example, 1986 statistics indicate that illiteracy rates in Egypt increase sharply with age. While 70.4 per cent of men and 90.8 per cent of women in the 65-plus age category were illiterate, the corresponding figures in the 20-24 age group were only 21.5 per cent and 51.6 per cent, respectively, in 1986. The illiteracy rates for the total population over 15 were 36.4 per cent for males and 68.6 per cent for females. Furthermore, the illiteracy rates for both elderly men and women are much higher in rural areas than in urban areas in Egypt; 80 per cent of elderly men and 95.8 per cent of elderly women in rural Egypt are illiterate. In Iraq in 1987, 70.4 per cent of elderly men and 80.4 per cent of elderly women in the 65-plus age group were illiterate compared to only 13.0 per cent and 23.1 per cent, respectively, in the 20-24 age group.20 The same statistics indicate very similar trends in all reporting countries of the ESCWA region. Eradication of illiteracy is indeed the priority for elderly populations in the ESCWA region. To combat this situation, several countries of the ESCWA region have already launched major adult-literacy programmes.
D. Disabled persons
The benefits of social progress have not spread evenly among the population of the ESCWA region. The range of life options and opportunities available have been expanded, but mostly to limited segments of society. The majority of disabled persons, particularly those living in rural areas, do not enjoy equal access to these new options and benefits. This section will review the extent to which disabled citizens are integrated into (or excluded from) the mainstream development of Arab society.
The countries of the region have made good progress in channeling human and physical resources towards one of the objectives of the World Programme of Action for Disabled Persons, namely "prevention of disability". The classic causes for impairment have been declining in relative terms due to universal child immunization, improved education, better access to health care, improved water and sanitation facilities, lower fertility rates in some countries and better prenatal care for women.
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Social Statistics and Indicators in the ESCWA Region, (E/ESCWA/SD/89/8), December 1989.

The absence of precise data for a scientific approach to developing services and policies for the disabled is a major problem. According to a 1981 ESCWA report,21 the number of disabled individuals was estimated at 8 million at the regional level—an estimate that may be well below the actual figure now. The 1981 Arab Declaration on Action for Disabled Persons estimated that there were 15 million disabled persons in the Arab world. The causes of impairment in the region can be grouped in two major subcategories: (a) socio-economic and environmental factors, including medical aspects such as prevention and immunization; and (b) factors related to certain cultural values and social barriers.
The most significant socio-economic and environmental factor is poverty. The correlation between poverty and impairment/disability can be proved by the higher prevalence of disability in rural Arab communities which are subject to poverty, lack of basic services and negative socio-economic and environmental conditions. For instance, according to table 17, in 1981, the prevalence of disabled persons per 100,000 of the population was 1,008 in urban areas and 1,034 in rural areas of the Syrian Arab Republic. Particularly for blindness and deaf-mutism, rural prevalence rates are much higher than urban. The rates for blindness were 118 in urban and 165 in rural areas, and the rates for deafness and mutism were 160 in urban areas and 188 in rural areas of the Syrian Arab Republic. Poverty causes malnutrition, something which is extremely relevant to women's and childhood disability. Low/underweight births cause various kinds of childhood disabilities. Most (80 per cent) of a human being's brain cells develop in the first two years of life; therefore, malnourished infants will go through a lifetime of vulnerability caused by setbacks in the development of their central nervous systems. If these children survive after the age of five, they are more likely to suffer stunted physical and mental development. They are the so-called "high-risk children" of disability and other common diseases, as well as of learning problems and of a lower general level of mental functioning. Accurate data are not available concerning underweight babies. However, the available statistics in table 3 indicate that 53 per cent of children (0-4 years) in Yemen and 13 per cent in Egypt are either severely or moderately underweight. Furthermore, the lack of clean water and sanitary services favors waterborne diseases such as river blindness and epidemics, leading to permanent disability. As mentioned before, universal immunization has not yet been fully achieved. Immunization of children against polio (which is a cause of permanent physical disability) is not universal in some countries. The percentage of fully immunized children (1 year old) against polio during the period 1989-1990 was only 53 in Yemen and 75 in Iraq (see table 3).
21 International Year of Disabled Persons, Disabled Persons in the ESCWA Region: Features and Dimensions of the Problem and a Regional Plan of Action (E/ECWA/119), 9 April 1981.

High fertility is indicative of lack of proper spacing between births and late child bearing/rearing, which may cause health problems for the mother and the child. Pregnancy after the age of 37 brings the risk of having a child with Down's syndrome. The figures in table 3 indicate that births attended by trained medical personnel ranged from 12 per cent (Yemen) to 99 per cent (Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates) for the period 1983-1990. In Egypt, it was reported to be only 47 per cent. Proper prenatal and postnatal care is essential to the prevention of impairments and early intervention for the rehabilitation of impaired children. Some scholars, such as Nazek Nosseir, argue that the attention and energy of the mother tend to be scattered if she has too many children, and that, as a result, she gives each child less care, and the child might be at greater risk for accidents.22
As mentioned in the previous section, although there has been significant improvement regarding the general participation of Arab women in all levels of education and the eradication of female illiteracy, the result is not yet complete. Many studies have confirmed a positive correlation between the degree of women's illiteracy and child morbidity.23
In many countries, a large proportion of disabilities are caused by traffic accidents. The traffic-accident rates in some countries of the ESCWA region are very high. In Jordan, for instance, the majority of patients admitted to emergency central care units are traffic-accident victims, many of whom become permanently disabled. This is largely due to the lack of a proper infrastructure which could absorb the increasing number of automobiles, and the lack of an adequate public transportation system, which would facilitate access for disabled citizens and would incorporate measures to prevent traffic accident-related impairment.
A cultural and social obstacle which has a negative impact on impairment in the ESCWA region is the practice (or even encouragement in some areas) of marriage among close relatives. Marriage between cousins in the Arab world is prevalent in all social classes in both rural and urban settings. The genetic disorders caused by endogamous marriage can result in all types of impairments, including mental, sensory and motor impairments.
22 Nazek Nosseir, Women and Disability in the ESCWA Region, Proceedings of the Conference on the Capabilities and Needs of Disabled Persons in the ESCWA Region (E/ESCWA/SD/1992/2), 20-28 November 1989, Amman, Jordan.
23 United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Relief and Rehabilitation of Traumatized Children in War Situations, Eighth Inter-agency Meeting on the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons, Vienna, 5-7 December 1990.

Abdullah Al-Khatib, in his national study on Jordan24, called for urgently needed legislation to prevent hereditary impairments—namely, a law to restrict marriage without the necessary medical examinations. He also emphasized the need to boost public awareness of the dangers of intermarriage among close relatives and the consequences of impairment among their offspring. Another social barrier is the negative attitude of the public towards disability, and particularly towards disabled women. In the Arab world, disabled women are doubly discriminated against: because of their gender and because of their impairment. Negative social attitudes towards impaired women will cause "disability" and "handicaps" as much as the impairment itself. In the process of socialization and upbringing, disabled Arab women suffer from value conflicts stemming from their deep-rooted feeling of inferiority. They tend to believe that they are secondary, not only to their male siblings, but even to their able-bodied female siblings. Later, the lack of a formal education, training and employment aggravates this inferiority complex. The social isolation of disabled Arab women is well reflected in the statistics. There is a significant undernumeration of the disabled female population in most countries of the ESCWA region. For instance, undernumeration of the handicapped female population in the 1976 Egyptian census produced the unusual sex ratio of almost 3:1, and the undernumeration of mentally retarded females produced sex ratios of 3:1 in both the 1976 Egyptian census and the 1970 Syrian census.25 This is associated with cultural and social pressures upon females to be marriageable. The social stigma of having a disabled female family member may render another member of the family (particularly a female sibling) less marriageable.
The magnitude of disability-related problems in the region has continuously increased in size and scope recently due to armed conflicts, civil unrest and the ruthless suppression of the intifadah. For instance, during the period 9 December 1987 to 1 October 1990, in addition to 855 fatalities, 58,000 casualties resulting from the use of live rounds, beatings, plastic-coated metal bullets, rubber bullets, tear gas and other forms of assault were reported in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Of the casualties, 30 per cent were children below the age of 15, and 10 per cent of all injuries resulted in a permanent disability, which constitutes a substantial increase over the pre-intifadah figure of about 60,000 persons with some form of disability. During the period May 1988 to July 1990 alone, UNRWA physiotherapists treated 3,885 cases, 3,068 of which were intifadah-xelated cases. High percentages of intifadah-
24 A study submitted to the ESCWA Conference on the Capabilities and Needs of
Disabled Persons, 20-28 November 1989, Amman, Jordan.
25 Biologically, the female-male ratio of disability should be 50%-50%.

related patients are young adults and children. It is reported that some 5 per cent of those cases will have permanent disabilities.26
In addition, physical disabilities caused by violence can have traumatic psychological effects on people. The Gulf crisis and the continuing economic sanctions imposed on Iraq have increased the prevalence of disability in that country. There have been outbreaks of diseases leading to permanent impairments (such as poliomyelitis, measles and tetanus) due to the lack of vaccines and poor sanitary conditions. According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) quoted by the International Herald-Tribune on 27 March 1991, the food situation in Iraq became increasingly desperate immediately after the Gulf crisis. The report added that vulnerable groups in Iraq, including the disabled, had increased by 50 per cent. According to the report by the International Team of Experts funded by UNICEF and other foundations, psycho-social trauma was the most serious effect of the aftermath of the Gulf crisis on Iraqi children.
Both tables 18 and 19 indicate that, parallel to the worldwide trend, disability greatly increases with age. For instance, according to the figure in table 19, in 1984-1985, the percentage of elderly (70-plus) was only 1.6 per cent of the total population in Al-Yarmouk camp, but the percentage of disabled elderly (70-plus) constitutes 8.0 per cent of the total disabled population. In Jordan, the percentage of elderly (60-plus) is only 4.2 per cent of the total population, while the disabled elderly population constitutes 12.5 per cent of the total disabled population (see table 18). Similar findings are reported by other ESCWA countries. For instance, according to the 1981 Bahraini national census,27 the prevalence of disability per 100,000 of the total population was only 991. It was 6,128 for the 60-64 age group and 7,429 for the 65-69 age group. As medical and other social costs incurred for elderly disability are a burden to the State, appropriate prevention measures should be formulated ahead of time.
Illiteracy rates are high among disabled persons compared to able-bodied persons in the ESCWA region. For instance, table 20 indicates that in the Syrian Arab Republic in 1981, 67.95 per cent of the disabled population was illiterate in contrast with only 37.88 per cent of the total population. Illiteracy is particularly high among disabled women: 80.50 per cent of the total female disabled population compared to only 54.53 per cent of the total
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Report submitted to the Eighth Inter-Agency Meeting on the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons, Vienna, 5-7 December 1990.
27 United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Demographic and Related Socio-Economic Data Sheet for Countries of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia as Assessed in 1988, No. 6, 1989 (E/ESCWA/POP/89/8/Rev.l).

female population in the Syrian Arab Republic. On the other hand, disabled persons who completed their education (at any level from primary to higher education) totalled only 15.23 per cent of the disabled population in contrast with 36.12 per cent of the total population. Again, the completion rate of higher education for disabled women is extremely low; only 0.23 per cent of the total disabled female population had university degrees. Integration of disabled children, particularly disabled girls, seems to be a prerequisite for their social participation in the future. All other reporting countries supported this finding.28
Employment and income security are prerequisites for a dignified life. The participation of disabled persons in the labour force is very limited in the ESCWA region. For instance, according to the figures in table 21, the economically active disabled population was only 19.58 per cent in the Syrian Arab Republic. By contrast, it was 35.22 per cent for the total population. The economically active disabled male population was 29.30 per cent compared to 63.02 per cent for the total male population. A similar trend is found in many other countries as well. According to the national census of Kuwait in 1981,29 the "active" female disabled population was only 4.66 per cent compared to 20.22 per cent for the total female population, and 29.19 per cent for the disabled male population. However, among the 95.34 per cent of the "inactive" female disabled population, 26.76 per cent were homemakers. Disabled persons, and particularly disabled women, are least integrated into any formal employment in the ESCWA region.
Disabled persons face discrimination and difficulty in marriage. Table 22 indicates that the proportions of single disabled persons are extremely high compared to their able-bodied counterparts. The rate of single disabled persons over 13 years old in the East Bank of Jordan is 60.30 per cent of the total disabled population in 1983. By comparison, the rate of married disabled persons is only 29.37 per cent of the total disabled population. It appears that the situation is more serious for disabled women. The rate of single disabled persons is 62.17 per cent, and only 16.31 per cent of disabled women are married. It is interesting to note also that in the literature of the ESCWA region, marriage is described as problematic for disabled women:
"I then had a daughter, Sanna. When she was eight months old she had fever, and I took her to someone who gave her penicillin injections, and lo and behold, instead of recovering she became paralyzed. She got polio. I stood her up on my knee one day, and suddenly her leg gave way. I was shocked.
28 Ibid.
29 Ibid.

My nerve gave way. That this should happen to her and she being a girl and a woman, I knew would have grave conse-quences. No man would want to marry a cripple".30
To mark the end of the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons (1983-1992), a cultural event was held in Amman from 17 to 18 October 1992. The priorities identified as a result of the substantive sessions of this event include the following: (a) prevention of disability; (b) rehabilitation for all in need; (c) promoting and protecting human rights; (d) development of independent living; (e) promotion of community-based rehabilitation (CBR); (f) enhancement of economic independence; (g) fully accessible society; (h) legis¬lation; and (i) promotion of public awareness and cooperative efforts and new partnerships in the field of disabilities.31
E. The poor and rural population
Rapid political, economic, and social development has led to the deterioration of the middle class and an increase in the gap between the rich and the poor in some countries of the ESCWA region. While the quality of life has improved, and the range of life options and chances open to Arab citizens have expanded, the benefits of development have been limited to certain segments of society. The majority of the poor and the rural population continue to be deprived and marginalized in most countries of the region.
For decades the region has been in a state of armed conflicts and civil unrest. This means that the people of the region live in a continuous state of crisis which is further aggravated by structural imbalances and income disparities among countries of the region, between rural and urban populations, and across the various segments of society. Inequitable distribution of resources at the regional level, inadequate energy supplies, water shortages, lack of food security, and external debts in some countries of the region further aggravate the problem of poverty. In the field of social welfare, poor people have been suffering from inequitable distribution of benefits and services, unemployment and increasing poverty.
30 Nayra Atiya, Khul-Khaal: Five Egyptian Women Tell Their Stories, The American
University in Cairo Press, 1988.
31 United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Final Report of
the Cultural Event for Disabled Persons in the ESCWA Region, 17-18 October 1992
(E/ESCWA/SD/1992/WG. 1/19).

The Gulf crisis and other armed conflicts aggravated the economic and social problems in the region with increased structural unemployment and unproductive employment, particularly in the deficit countries. The Gulf crisis has added new social problems, particularly with regard to forced migration of a large number of people and the subsequent disruption of long-standing political and economic ties among ESCWA countries.
For instance, the crisis occurred when the Jordanian economy was improving and starting to absorb the social cost of the economic adjustment policy and to emerge from recession. During the period 1988 to August 1990, Jordan was at the transition point. The balance-of-payments deficit was shrinking, and the economy was beginning to expand again. However, with the aftermath of the crisis, the expensive social cost of unemployment doubled to 20 per cent, and the percentage of Jordanian families living below the poverty line increased by 15 per cent to reach approximately 23 per cent in 24 months.32
Applying the United Nations trade embargo against Iraq in 1990 cost Jordan over US$ 1.5 billion in lost exports, transit trade, private remittances, debt payments and official aid. It was estimated to be equivalent to 39 per cent of Jordan's GDP. The 1991 loss reached US$ 3.6 billion, equivalent to 77 per cent of Jordan's GDP.33 Due to the impact of the Gulf crisis and war, the number of Jordanians living below the poverty line has increased possibly closer to 30 per cent. The absolute poor also increased from 3 per cent in 1988 to probably 5 per cent after the crisis.34
This has had significant negative social implications for the Jordanian population. According to the finding of the study on low-income families in Jordan conducted by UNICEF in November/December 1990, at the end of 1990, Jordan's economic decline was devastating poor and lower-income families, with nearly one out of every three Jordanians living near or below the poverty line. Malnutrition and ill-health spread to over a quarter of a million children under the age of 12. Malnourished and anaemic pregnant and nursing mothers were at risk of maternal mortality and morbidity during and after delivery. In the last quarter of 1990, 30 per cent of all newborns in two major government hospitals were low-weight babies.35 The same study quoted the following information from the government survey regarding the extent of poverty in Jordan: during the period from mid-1988 to mid-
32 United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Regional Office for the Middle East and
North Africa, Jordanian Children in the Eye of the Storm, Amman, February 1991.
33 Ibid.
34 Ibid.
Ibid.

1990, the number of Jordanians living below the poverty line increased from around 20 per cent to 23 per cent of the total population.
Although by mid-1991 economic activity had begun to pick up in response to a combination of increased aid disbursements, foreign debt rescheduling and repatriation of some savings by Jordanian returnees, the massive influx of Jordanian returnees (around 10 per cent of the workforce) led to a rise in overall unemployment to over 25 per cent in 1991.36
In Iraq, the mortality rate of children under five years of age skyrocketed to 380 per cent above its pre-crisis level. Furthermore, it was estimated that the infant mortality rate rose 350 per cent. Over 900,000 children, accounting for 29 per cent of Iraqi children, were reported to be malnourished.37
In most countries of the region, particularly those with relatively low per capita GNP, an inequitable distribution network of social services continues to be a problem. There are significant disparities between rural and urban settlements. For instance, during 1988-1990, 70 per cent of the rural population in Yemen had no access to clean water services, and during 1985-90, 62 per cent had no access to medical services. The reported proportion of the rural population living below the absolute poverty line for 1980-1989 was 34 per cent in Egypt. The same rate was reported for its urban population.38 In the Syrian Arab Republic, for the period 1987-1990, 46 per cent of the total rural population had no access to clean water services, and 40 per cent had no access to medical services. In Egypt, for the same period, 66 per cent of the rural population had no access to sanitary services.39
According to the figures in table 23, even in Oman, with its per capita GNP of US$ 5,650, only 51 per cent of its total population has access to sanitation, and only 57 per cent has access to safe water services.
36 United Nations, World Economic Survey 1992 (E/1992/40, ST/ESA/231), New York,
1992.
37 Infant and child mortality and nutrition were assessed by conducting surveys in 9,034
households in every region of Iraq. See Health and Welfare in Iraq after the Gulf Crisis: An
In-Depth Assessment, conducted in October 1991 by the International Study Team funded by
UNICEF and other private foundations.
38 UNICEF, The State of the World's Children 1992, New York, Oxford University,
Press.
39 UNDP, Human Development Report 1992, New York, Oxford University Press, 1992.

Social policy needs reassessment with a view to addressing income inequalities and dealing with causes of poverty in both urban and rural areas. Rural-urban migration, which has contributed to urban poverty, needs to be curbed through appropriate measures, mobilizing community participation and local resources to improve living standards in rural communities, responding to the vital needs of the rural population in the areas of food, clothing, housing, education, health, recreation and, most important of all, employment. Similar consideration should be given to urban centres, where special emphasis needs to be placed on urban slum areas and uncontrolled settlements.

ANNEX
SELECTED INDICATORS ON CULTURE, INFORMATION, COMMUNICATIONS, ARMED CONFLICTS AND MILITARY BUILD-UP

I. Selected indicators on culture, information and communication
The progress achieved in social development and the quality of life can be measured by the coverage of basic social needs as well as the assistance received by vulnerable groups. This section presents a brief analysis on the level of information, communication and culture since modern communications are considered critical to scientific and technological advances and their rapid diffusion. It is also a powerful force for social change. The electronic information and communications revolution covers almost all activities and is spreading first in industrial countries and later in developing countries. Developments in mass media and telecommunications as well as ease of moving people and goods have had a significant impact on the quality of life. In a very short time, Arab societies have absorbed the resulting quantitative and qualitative changes of transitional revolution and have adjusted their lifestyles to the established way of doing things in work and leisure and in social and family life. They are getting more and more dependent on these modem products and/or systems.
A complex network of varying channels of information and entertainment is emerging with the spread of newspapers and other forms of printed information; radio and TV transmission; telephone networks and telephone-based electronic communications (such as fax machines); and improvements in transport. There has been tremendous improvement in radio and TV coverage in all countries of the ESCWA region during the period 1975-1991. If the number of radios and television receivers per 1,000 persons were used as the criterion of accessibiliy, table 24 indicates that, on average, the situation is more than two to three times better for radios and TV in almost all countries of the ESCWA region. Some individual countries have made much more visible development during the same period. For instance, the rate of radio receivers per 1,000 persons was only 20 in Oman in 1975, but it increased to 637 in 1991. In both Egypt and Iraq (the countries with the two largest populations in the region), the rate has also tripled. Regarding TV receivers, in Egypt in 1975, the rate was only 17 per 1,000 persons compared to 116 per 1,000 persons in 1991. Again, Oman is a unique case as the factor of increase of television receivers from 1975 to 1990 is 232 (from 3.3/1,000 to 766/1,000).
A similar trend is found for circulation of newspapers and other printed materials. In all countries of the region, the circulation of newspapers per 1,000 persons has increased during 1975-1991. For instance, the rate in Egypt was 30 in 1975 compared to 57 in 1990. In the United Arab Emirates, it was 20 in 1975 in contrast to 157 in 1990. However, in some countries such as Bahrain, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen, the increase is marginal (see table 24). Circulation of daily newspapers has increased moderately at the ESCWA regional level during the same period, in comparison to the availability of radios and television. The pace of distribution of radios and TV is significant to the extent of nearly universal coverage in some countries of the region in 1991.
The current situation regarding communication, information and transportation is found in table 25. There are disparities among individual ESCWA countries. For instance, Egypt (with relatively low per capita GNP) has a higher rate of newspaper circulation than Oman; on the other hand, Oman has much higher rates of radios and television receivers. The average number of people served by one post office in the United Arab Emirates is three times as high as that of Egypt, which is poorer and lias a high population density.

II. Selected indicators on armed conflicts and military build-up
Armed conflicts destroy the lives and livelihoods of human beings. Peace is an essential human need and the foundation for healthy societies and social development. The ESCWA region is striving to meet the challenge of ending the fifty year old Arab-Israeli conflict and establishing regional peace and stability. For the past few decades, the region has been the stage of many wars and armed conflicts, both internal and external. Besides the four Arab-Israeli wars, it is presently confronted by the long-lasting consequences of the Iran-Iraq war, the Gulf crisis/war, and civil strife in some countries, such as Lebanon. Military spending in the region, by any reasonable estimate, is enormous. The high rate of growth of military expenditure and of arms transfers has meant that, for many countries of the ESCWA region, the military build-up has been taking a greater share of total resources.
The effect of military spending on the economy and on social programmes is considerably more complicated than that of a simple misuse of available resources which otherwise could have been allocated for productive investment in socio-economic development. It is destructive to human beings, it is non-productive to human development, and it aggravates the marginalization of special groups. Given the desire to assure continued improvement in living standards and social services, military spending is an increasing burden for the economies of the countries of the ESCWA region. In the poorer ESCWA countries, the choice between socio-economic development and armament is perhaps most clearly made in the allocation of foreign exchange to military budgets at the expense of other imports. In terms of industrialization, the defense industries place disproportionately heavy demands on skilled workers and on scientists and engineers, and thus have negative effects on human development and the development of consumer-and export-oriented industries in the ESCWA region. It is assumed that the total military expenditure in the ESCWA region amounts to more than one third of the total military expenditure of all developing countries together.1
As indicated in table 26, military expenditures at the regional level have expanded during the past 30 years and the military build-up is still continuing. Out of five reporting countries, military spending as a percentage of GDP has increased in all except two (Jordan and Egypt) from 1960 to 1990: in Iraq, from 8.7 per cent to 20 percent; in Saudi Arabia, from 5.7 per cent to 17.7 per cent and in the Syrian Arab Republic from 7.9 per cent to 13 per cent. This indicates that the resources allocated to military build-up have increased significantly in those countries.
As for the choice between military build-up and improvement of social services, military expenditure as a percentage of combined education and health expenditures can serve as the indicator. Out of eight reporting countries, an improvement has been made in four (Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, and the Syrian Arab Republic), as their rates decreased from 1977 to 1990. This indicates that in those counties, fewer resources are allocated today for military build-up relative to spending on social services. However, this is caused by the significant improvement in spending on social services in these countries and does not necessarily imply military budget cuts or disarmament. However, in Bahrain, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United
1 United Nations, 1985 Report on the World Social Situation (ST/ESA/165), New York, United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.2.

Arab Emirates, the situation worsened during the same period. For instance, in Iraq, military spending was only 212 per cent of the combined education and health spending of the country in 1977; by 1990 it had increased to 511 per cent. Thus, priority has been given to military spending at the expense of social services. In 1960, public expenditure on education as a percentage of GNP was 5.8 per cent in contrast with 5.1 per cent in 1988-1990.
Furthermore, in 1990, military spending by individual countries as a percentage of GDP ranged from 4.6 per cent (Egypt) to 20 per cent (Iraq). It was 5.0 per cent in Bahrain, 10.9 per cent in Jordan, 6.5 per cent in Kuwait, 15.8 per cent in Oman, 17.7 per cent in Saudi Arabia, 13.0 per cent in the Syrian Arab Republic and 4.7 per cent in the United Arab Emirates. Compared to developed countries, the rates are significantly high; the equivalent rates are 1.0 per cent for Japan, 2.0 per cent for Canada, 2.8 per cent for Germany, 5.6 per cent for the United States of America and 8.4 per cent for Israel.2 Economically, as few ESCWA countries have competitive domestic arms industries and so must depend on imports, there is very little economic benefit in terms of possible production for export or technical development. As mentioned before, the social costs are manifold, particularly in terms of human development and improvement in the standards of living.
2 United Nations Development Programme, (UNDP), Human Development Report 1993, New York, Oxford University Press, 1993.

ANNEX TABLES

Table 1. Population estimates, by size, age and sex.

All age groups By age group

(0-14) (15-24) (25-44) (45-59) 60 +

Country
Year T M F M/F No. % M/F No. % M/F No. % M/F No. % M/F No. % M/F
Bahrain 1980 347 202 145 1.39 120 34.6 1.00 74 21.3 1.24 111 32.0 2.14 30 8.6 1.50 12 3.5 1.40
1985 429 253 176 0.59 142 33,1 1.03 74 17.2 1.09 161 37.5 2.22 39 9.r 1.67 14 3.3 1.00
1990 503 290 213 1.36 179 35.6 1.03 78 15.5 1.00 176 35.0 1.93 51 10.1 1.83 21 4.2 1.20
1995 578 331 247 1.34 204 35.3 1.03 85 14.7 1.07 201 34.8 1.72 64 11.1 2.15 22 3.8 1.00
2000 653 372 281 1.32 214 32.8 1.04 106 16.2 1.06 212 32.5 1.52 96 14.7 2.46 25 3.8 0.85
2005 730 414 317 1.31 212 29.0 1.04 138 18.9 1.06 222 30.4 1.46 132 18.1 2.24 27 3.7 0.87
Egypt 1980 40875 20768 20107 1.03 16154 39.5 1.07 8314 20.3 1.07 9758 23.9 1.02 4123 10.1 0.97 2525 6.2 0.85
1985 46511 23629 22882 1.03 18388 39.5 1.06 8944 19.2 1.08 11829 25.4 1.03 4524 9.7 0.95 2827 6,1 0.84
1990 52426 26644 25782 1.03 20629 39.3 1.06 9688 18.5 1.07 13962 26.6 1.05 4909 9.4 0.95 3237 6.2 0.83
1995 58519 29750 28769 1.03 22200 37.9 1.06 10886 18.6 1.07 15901 27.2 1.06 5748 9.8 0.97 3782 6.5 0.84
2000 64810 32956 31854 1.03 22984 35.5 1.05 12872 19.9 1.06 17350 26.8 1.07 7269 11.2 0.99 4334 6.7 0.84
2005 71285 36269 35016 1.04 23710 33.3 1.05 14260 20.0 1.06 19253 27.0 1.07 9133 12.8 1.01 4928 6,9 0.85
Iraq 1980 13007 6619 6389 1.04 5985 46.0 1.05 2518 19.4 1.05 2902 22.3 1.01 1047 8.0 1.01 555 4.3 0.90
1985 15319 7802 7517 1.04 6927 45.2 1.05 3017 19.7 1.04 3458 22.6 1.01 1246 8.1 1.01 672 4.4 0.90
1990 18080 9205 8875 1.04 7996 44.2 1.05 3649 20.2 1.04 4136 22.9 1.01 1488 8.2 1.01 812 4.5 0.90
1995 21224 10802 10421 1.04 9286 43.8 1.05 4217 19.9 1.05 4958 23.4 1.02 1781 8.4 1.02 980 4.6 0.90
2000 24779 12610 12169 1.04 10656 43.0 1.05 4808 19.4 1.05 5986 24.2 1.02 2141 8.6 1.02 1187 4.8 0.90
2005 28676 14592 14084 1.04 11949 41.7 1.05 5659 19.7 1.05 7046 24.6 1.02 2579 9.0 1.02 1444 5.0 0.91
Table 1/1

Tab1e 1. Population estimates, by size, age and sex.

AU age groups By age group

(0-14) (15-24) (25-44) (45-59) 60 +

1

Country
Year T M F M/F No. % M/F No. % M/F No. % M/F No. % M/F No. % M/F
Jordan 1980 2189 1133 1056 1.07 1108 60.6 1.07 408 18.6 1.08 419 19.1 1.05 165 7.5 1.12 89 4.1 1.07
1985 2799 1443 1356 1.06 1194 42.7 1.06 687 24.5 1.09 560 20.0 1.00 234 8.4 1.09 124 4,4 1.25
1990 3522 1816 1706 1.06 1505 42.7 1.05 865 24.6 1.09 704 20.0 1.00 293 8.3 1.09 155 4.4 1.28
1995 4571 2340 2231 1.05 1886 41.3 1.03 1054 23.1 1.05 1083 23.7 1.08 360 7.9 1.03 188 4.1 1.14
2000 5504 2807 2697 1.04 2332 42.4 1.03 1106 20.1 1.02 1424 25.9 1.09 410 7.4 0.99 232 4.2 1.02
2005 6555 3333 3222 1.03 2908 44.4 1.04 1087 16.6 1.01 1789 Z7.3 1.07 480 7.3 0.99 291 4.4 0.95
Kuwait 1980 1375 788 587 1.34 554 40.3 1.04 248 18.0 1.28 438 31.9 1.79 105 7.6 2.09 31 2.3 1.14
1985 1720 977 743 1.31 639 37./2 1.03 296 17.2 1.04 603 35.1 1.73 147 8.5 2.06 35 2.0 1.18
1990 2143 1218 925 1.32 785 36.6 1.03 369 17.2 1.03 759 35,4 1.74 184 8.6 2.08 45 2.1 1.25
1995 1604 816 788 1.04 659 41.1 1.04 295 18.4 1.03 469 29.2 1.05 139 8.7 0.99 43 2.7 1.20
2000 1718 858 860 1.00 650 37,8 1.03 361 21.0 1.04 461 26.8 1.01 188 10.9 0.79 59 3.4 1.07
2005 1955 980 975 1.01 657 33.6 1.02 426 21.8 1.03 523 26.8 1.08 258 13.2 0.81 90 4.6 0.96
Lebanon 1980 2669 1312 1358 0.97 1070 40.1 1.03 544 20.4 0.94 557 20.9 0.91 301 11.3 0.99 196 7.3 0.88
1985 2668 1289 1378 0.94 999 37.4 1.02 581 21,8 0.96 580 21.7 0.79 299 11.2 0.95 209 7.8 0.88
1990 2740 1330 1410 0.94 958 3S.O 1.03 615 22.4 1.02 673 24.6 0.81 271 9.9 0.90 223 8.1 0.88
1995 3028 1476 1552 0.95 1036 34.2 1.04 604 19.9 1.02 854 28.2 0.87 283 9.3 0.86 250 8.3 0.86
2000 3312 1621 1691 0.96 1092 33.0 1.04 604 18.2 1.02 1013 30.6 0.92 330 10.0 0.82 271 8.2 0.84
2005 3562 1748 1814 0.96 1092 30.7 1.04 654 1S.4 1.03 1120 31.4 0.99 414 11.6 0.76 283 7.9 0.80
Table 1/2

Table 1. Population estimates, by size, age and sex.

Country All age groups By age group

(0-14) (15-24) (25-44) (45-59) 60 +

Year T M F M/F No. % M/F No. % M/F No. % M/F No. % M/F No. % M/F
Oman 1980 988 522 466 1.12 440 44+5 1.04 180 18.2 1.14 244 24.7 1.36 83 8.4 1.02 43 4.4 1.00
1985 1263 675 588 1.15 570 45.1 1.03 217 17.2 1.11 320 25.3 1.52 103 8.2 1.08 54 4.3 0.93
1990 1524 807 717 1.13 711 46.7 1.03 259 17.0 1.04 363 23.8 1.46 127 8.3 1.17 65 4.3 0.97
1995 1822 957 865 1.11 848 46.5 1.04 331 18.2 1.02 401 22.0 1.30 162 8.9 1.33 81 4.4 0.93
2000 2168 1131 1037 1.09 992 45.8 1.04 421 19.4 1.02 450 20.8 1.15 207 9.5 1.52 98 4.5 0.96
2005 2571 1334 1237 1.08 1146 44.6 1.04 518 20.1 1.03 537 20.9 1.05 247 9.6 1.55 124 4.8 1.05
| Palestine
West Bank 1980 851 424 427 0.99 403 47.4 1.08 182 21.4 1.07 142 16.7 0.80 78 9.2 0.81 46 5.4 1.00
1985 1013 507 506 1.00 479 47.3 1.06 211 20.8 1.11 194 19.2 0.92 75 7.4 0.70 54 5.3 0.86
1990 1222 614 608 1.01 580 47.5 1.06 243 19.9 1.08 268 21.9 1.00 69 5.6 0.64 62 5.1 0.82
1995 1440 725 715 1.01 673 46.7 1.06 281 19.5 1.07 347 24.1 1.05 71 4.9 0.65 68 4.7 0.70
2000 1685 850 835 1.02 756 44.9 1.05 343 20.4 1.05 412 24.5 1.07 103 6.1 0.81 71 4.2 0.65
Gaza Strip 2005 1965 992 973 1.02 832 42.3 1.04 421 21*4 1.06 483 24.6 1.06 158 8.0 0.93 71 3.6 0.54

1980 438 219 219 1.00 215 49.1 1.09 89 20,3 1.12 80 18.3 0.82 35 8.0 0.75 19 4.3 0.90
1985 527 266 261 1.02 260 49.3 1.08 104 19.7 1.12 103 19.5 0.98 36 6.8 0.64 24 4.6 0.85
1990 644 325 319 1.02 318 49.4 1.06 126 19.6 1.10 136 21.1 1.06 37 5.7 0.61 27 4.2 0.69
1995 768 389 379 1.03 369 48.0 1.05 153 19.9 1.07 172 22.4 1.10 42 6.5 0.68 32 4.2 0.78
2000 908 461 447 1.03 416 45.8 1.06 187 20.6 1.08 208 22.9 1.10 61 6.7 0.85 36 4.0 0.57
2005 1061 538 523 1.03 463 43.6 1.03 228 21.5 1.05 251 23.7 1.09 83 7.8 1.02 36 3.4 0.57
Table 1/3

Table 1. Population estimates, by size, age and sex.

AN age groups By age group

(0-14) (15-24) (25-44) (45-59] 60 +

Country
Year T M F M/F No. % M/F No. % M/F No. % M/F No. % M/F No. % M/F
Qatar 1980 229 146 83 1.76 74 32*3 1.09 44 19.2 1.59 88 38.4 2.56 19 8.3 2.60 5 2,2 3.00
1985 358 240 117 2.05 100 27.9 1.04 54 15.1 1.65 168 46.9 3.20 31 8.7 3.29 7 2.0 2.00
1990 427 281 146 1.92 126 29.5 1.05 49 11.5 1.23 192 45.0 3.09 50 1t.7 3.17 11 2.6 3.00
1995 490 317 173 1.83 145 29.6 1.01 61 12.4 1.14 187 38.2 2.78 81 16.5 3.44 17 3.5 2.75
2000 542 344 198 1.74 154 28.4 1.03 77 14.2 1.05 163 30.1 2.33 121 22.3 3.17 28 5.2 2.86
2005 590 366 224 1.63 157 26.6 1.04 94 15.9 1.02 139 23.6 1.62 155 26.3 3.33 44 7.5 3.18
S. Arabia 1980 9372 5076 4297 1.18 4140 44.2 1.04 1742 18.6 1.27 2319 24.7 1.50 761 8.1 1.14 411 4.4 0.93
1985 12379 6951 5428 1.28 5298 42.8 1.04 2168 17.5 1.21 3428 27.7 1.97 975 7.9 1.24 508 4,1 0.97
1990 14870 8301 6569 1.26 6386 42.9 1.04 2552 17.2 1.09 4071 27.4 1.94 1243 8.4 1.36 620 4.2 1.00
1995 17608 9742 7866 1.24 7392 42.0 1.04 3241 18.4 1.06 4563 25.9 1.75 1647 9.4 1.58 762 4.3 1.05
2000 20667 11317 9351 1.21 8526 41,3 1.04 3961 19.2 1.05 4982 24.1 1.46 2248 10.9 1.93 948 4.6 1.11
2005 24066 13035 11031 1.18 9780 40.6 1.04 4573 19.0 1.05 5654 23,5 1.22 2848 11.8 2.14 1209 6.0 1.20
Syria 1980 8704 4442 4262 1.04 4223 48.5 1.05 1710 19.6 1.05 1625 18.7 1.00 719 8.3 1.06 426 4.9 1.07
1985 10348 5247 5101 1.03 4998 48.3 1.03 2119 20.5 1.06 1966 19.0 1.00 809 7.8 0.99 456 4.4 1.03
! 1990 12355 6243 6112 1.02 5954 48.2 1.03 2465 20.0 1.05 2546 20.6 1.01 847 6,9 0.94 544 4.4 0.97
1995 14775 7454 7321 1.02 7038 47.6 1.03 2915 19.7 1.03 3229 21.9 1.03 954 6.5 0.93 641 4.3 0.92
2000 17546 8847 8699 1.02 8123 46.3 1.03 3551 20.2 1.02 3999 22.8 1.03 1136 6.5 0.94 737 4.2 0.87
2005 20698 10436 10262 1.02 9253 44.7 1.03 4253 20.5 1.02 4882 23.6 1.03 1483 7.2 0.96 825 4.0 0.84
Table 1/4

Tab1e 1. Population estimates, by size, age and sex.

All age groups By age group

(0-14) (15-24) (25-44) (45-59) 60 +

Country
Year T M F M/F No. % M/F No. % M/F No. % M/F No. % M/F No. % M/F
U.A.E. 1980 1015 701 314 2.23 290 28.6 1.06 179 17.6 2.03 459 45.2 4.11 67 6.6 2.94 20 2.0 1.33
1985 1349 925 424 2.18 413 30.6 1.06 167 12.4 1.69 614 45.5 3.98 124 9.2 3.77 33 2.4 1.46
1990 1589 1071 518 2.07 486 30.6 1.05 207 13.0 1.42 644 40.5 3.61 200 12.6 4.38 51 3.2 1.83
1995 1785 1178 607 1.94 515 28.9 1.04 278 15.6 1.19 603 33.8 3.03 313 17.5 4.57 76 4.3 2.36
2000 1970 1270 700 1.81 546 27.7 1.05 332 16.9 1.10 521 26.4 2.22 454 23.0 4.39 117 5.9 3.10
2005 2162 1359 804 1.69 599 27.7 1.04 344 15.9 1.07 512 23.7 1.60 521 24.1 3.93 185 8.6 3.56
Yemen 1980 8219 3919 4299 0.91 4130 50.2 1.05 1514 18.4 0.86 1537 18.7 0.67 688 8.4 0.90 350 4.3 0.90
1985 9758 4719 5039 0.94 4855 49.8 1.05 2009 20.6 1.06 1726 17.7 0.62 763 7.8 0.85 406 4.2 0.88
1990 11684 5724 5960 0.96 5801 49.6 1.05 2371 20.3 1.06 2211 18.9 0.76 835 7.1 0.77 467 4.0 0.85
1995 13897 6874 7022 0.98 6850 49.3 1.05 2772 19.9 1.06 2827 20.3 0.88 912 6.6 0.69 537 3.9 0.82
2000 16424 8189 8235 0.99 7916 48.2 1.05 3306 20.1 1.06 3591 21.9 0.98 997 6.1 0.61 614 3.7 0.78
2005 19308 9690 9618 1.01 8965 46.4 1.05 4036 20.9 1.06 4453 23.1 1.06 1160 6.0 0.59 694 3.6 0.71
Source: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia,
Compendium of Social Statistics and Indicators, Third Issue, Amman, 1993.
Table 1/5

Table 2. Selected demographic indicators of population change and composition

Country Year Average Annual rate of growth (percent) Natural rate
of
increase Crude birth rate Total fertility rate Gross repro-duction rate
Mean age of Child-bearing

Total 0-14 15-24 25-59 60+

Males Females
Bahrain 1980-1985 4.3 3.4 0.0 7.0 2.7 9.4 26.4 30.9 4.6 2.3
1985-1990 3.2 4.6 1.1 2.5 8.1 4.5 24.2 27.7 4.1 2.0
1990-1995 2.8 2.6 1.7 3.1 -1.7 1.9 22.2 26.1 3.8 1.8 28.9
1995-2000 2.4 1.0 4.4 3.0 ... 3.3 19.6 23.2 3.4 1.7 28.4
Egypt 1980-1985 2.6 2.6 1.5 3.3 2.1 2.3 26.4 39.1 5.1 2.5
1985-1990 2.4 2.3 1.6 2.9 2.6 2.8 24.3 35.1 4.5 2.2
1990-1995 2.2 1.5 2.3 2.7 3.2 3.1 22.2 31.3 4.1 2.0 28.4
1995-2000 2.0 0.7 3.4 2.6 2.8 2.7 20.4 28.4 3.7 1,8 28.0
Iraq 1980-1985 3.3 2.9 3.6 3.6 3.8 3.8 32.6 41.0 6.4 3.1 31.2
1985-1990 3.3 2.9 3.8 3.6 3.8 3.9 33.1 40.3 6.2 3.0 31.2
1990-1995 3.2 3.0 2.9 3.6 3.7 3.7 32.0 38.8 5.7 2.8 30.7
1995-2000 3.1 2.8 2.6 3.8 3.9 3.9 30.9 36.8 5.3 2.6 30.2
Jordan 1985-1990 4.6 4.6 4.6 4.6 4.6 4.2 33.7 39.9 ...
1990-1995 5.2 4.5 4.0 7.4 2.8 5.2 34.5 40.3 5.9 2.9 31.2
1995-2000 3.7 4.2 1.0 4.8 3.1 5.4 34.9 39.8 5.5 2.7 31.4
Table 2/1

Table 2. Selected demographic indicators of population change and composition

Country Year Average Annual rate of growth (percent)
Natural rate
of
increase
Crude birth rate

Total 0-14 15-24 25-59 60 +

Total fertility rate Gross repro-duction rate Mean age of Child-bearing

Mates Females
Kuwait 1980-1985 4.5 2.9 3.5 6.5 4.5 3.9 31.4 34.6 4.9 2.4 ...
1985-1990 4.4 4.1 4.4 4.6 4.5 3.3 25.7 28.1 3.9 2.0
1990-1995 -5.8 -3.5 -4.5 -8.8 -0.8 ... 26.0 28.2 3.7 1.8 28.5
1995-2000 1.4 -0.3 4.0 1.3 4.5 6.7 23.7 25.9 3.4 1.7 28.2
Lebanon 1980-1985 0.0 -1.4 1.3 0.5 1.3 1.5 20.5 29.3 3.8 1.9
1985-1990 0.5 -0.8 1.1 1.4 1.4 1.2 20.1 27.9 3.4 1.7 29.7
1990-1995 2.0 1.6 -0.4 3.7 2.0 2.5 20.0 27.1 3.1 1.5 28.9
1995-2000 1.8 1.1 0.0 3.3 1.2 1.7 17.9 24.3 2.8 1.3 28.2
Oman 1980-1985 4.9 5.2 3.7 5.1 4.3 5.8 36.5 44.4 7.2 3.5 30.0
1985-1990 3.8 4.4 3.5 2.9 4.2 3.3 37.4 43.0 7.2 3.5 29.6
1990-1995 3.6 3.5 4.9 2.8 4.0 4.8 35.6 40.5 6.7 3.3 29.6
1995-2000 3.5 3.1 4.8 3.1 4.2 3.5 34.7 39.1 6.3 3.0 29.5
Table 2/2

Table 2. Selected demographic indicators of population change and composition

Country Year (%) Annual rate of growth (percent) Average
Natural rate
of
Increase
Crude birth rate Total fertility rate
Gross repro-duction rate
Mean age of Child-bearing

Total 0-14 15-24 25-59 60 +

Males Females
Palestine
West Bank 1980-1985 3.5 3.5 3.0 4.0 1.7 4.6 35.3 44.3 7.1 3.5
1985-1990 3l7 3.8 2.8 4.5 2.3 3.2 36.6 44.0 6.8 3.3
1990-1995 3l3 3.0 2.9 4.3 3.3 33.0 39.0 5.9 2.9 31.2
1995-2000 3.2 2.3 4.0 4.2 1.4 31.7 36.7 5.5 2.7 31.4
Gaza Strip 1980-1985 3.9 3.8 3.1 3.8 4.0 5.2 38.8 48.1 7.9 3.9
1985-1990 3,9 4.0 3.8 4.4 4.2 38.9 46.3 7.5 3.7
1990-1995 3.5 3.0 3.9 4.3 4.8 2.4 35.3 41.0 6.6 3.2 31.2
1995-2000 3.4 2.4 4.0 4.6 -1.5 4.9 33.6 38.3 6.1 3.0 31.4
¦ -
Qatar 1980-1985 8.9 6.0 4.1 12.4 5.8 13.9 23.8 28.7 5.0 2.4
1985-1990 3.5 4.6 -1.9 3.9 8.1 22.6 26.7 4.8 2.3 29.2
1990-1995 2.8 2.8 4.4 2.0 12.1 13.9 18.8 22.7 4.4 2.2 29.1
1995-2000 2.0 1.2 4.7 1.2 12.0 11.2 16.3 20.4 4.0 2.0 29.0
S. Arabia 1980-1985 5.6 4.9 4.4 7.1 4.7 3.9 32.7 40.6 7.3 3.6 31.3
1985-1990 3.7 3.7 3.3 3.8 4.2 3.5 31.8 37.3 6.8 3.3 31.3
1990-1995 3.4 2.9 4.8 3.1 4.6 3.7 30.9 35.8 6.4 3.1 31.3
1995-2000 3.2 2.9 4.0 3.0 4.9 3.8 30.4 34.9 5.9 2.9 31.3
Table 2/3

Tab1e 2. Selected demographic indicators of population change and composition

Country Year Average Annual rate of growth (percent)
Natural rate
of
Increase
Crude birth rate
Total fertility rate
Cross repro-duction rate Mean age of Child-bearing

Total 0-14 15-24 25-59 60 +

Males Females
Syria 1980-1985 3.5 3.4 4.3 3.4 0.9 1.7 37.0 45.7 7.4 3.6 30.2
1985-1990 3.5 3.5 3.0 4.0 2.9 4.0 37.0 44.0 6.7 3.3 29.8
1990-1995 3.6 3.3 3.4 4.2 2.8 3.8 36.6 42.4 6.2 3.0 29.4
1995-2000 3,4 2.9 3.9 4.1 2.3 3.4 34.7 39.7 5.5 2.7 29.0
U.A.E. 1980-1985 5.7 7.1 -1.4 6.8 9.2 7.4 22.7 26.7 5.2 2.6 ...
1985-1990 3.3 3.3 4.3 2.7 11.0 6.5 19.0 22.8 4,8 2.4
1990-1995 2.3 1.2 5.9 1.6 9.1 4.0 17.3 21.2 4.5 2.2 29.2
1995-2000 2.0 1.2 3.6 1.2 11.0 5.5 17.1 21.3 4.2 2.0 29.1
Yemen 1980-1985 3.4 3.2 5.7 2.2 2.7 3.1 34.7 52.8 7.7 3.8 ...
1985-1990 3.5 3.6 3.3 4.0 2.5 3.2 36.0 52.0 7.7 3.8 30.3
1990-1995 3.5 3.3 3.1 4.1 2.5 3.2 34.6 48.3 7.2 3.5 30.3
1995-2000 3.3 2.9 3.5 4.1 2.1 3.1 33.3 45.0 6.7 3.3 30.3
Source: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia,
Compendium of Social Statistics and Indicators, Third Issue, Amman, 1993.

Table 2/4

Table 3. Social trends in the countries of the ESCWA region.

Primary % of grade 1 enrolment
Adult literacy rate enrolment Primary school enrolment ratio reaching final
19 70 19 90 ratio 1960 (gross) 1986-89 (gross) 1986-89 (net) grade of
(net) primary school
male female male female 1988-90 male female male female male female 1985-87
Bahrain NA NA NA NA 93 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Egypt 50 20 63 34 NA 80 52 100 79 NA NA 95
Iraq 50 18 70 49 84 94 36 104 87 90 82 73
Jordan 64 29 89 70 NA 94 59 98 99 88 88 96
Kuwait 65 42 77 67 85 131 102 94 91 NA 77 90
Lebanon 79 58 88 73 NA 105 99 105 95 NA NA NA
Oman NA NA NA NA 84 NA NA 105 95 85 77 92
Qatar NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Saudi Arabia 15 2 73 48 62 22 NA 78 65 64 48 90
Syria 60 20 78 51 98 89 39 115 104 100 94 89
United Arab Emirates 24 7 58 38 100 NA NA 104 104 93 89 88
Yemen 14 3 47 21 NA NA NA 132 39 NA NA 31
Table 3/1

Table 3. Social trends in the countries of the ESCWA region.

Secondary
Completing Enrolment ratios Secondary technical
primary females as a Secondary repeaters enrolment Tertiary
level (as % percentage of men Combined primary Secondary school enrolment (as % of (as% of enrolment
of grade one 1986-89 and secondary enrolment ratio ratio secondary total ratio
entrants) Primary Secondary enrolment ratio 1986-89 (gross) (gross) enrolment) secondary) (gross)
1988\a school school 1970\a 1987-90\a male female 1988-1990\a 1988-90\a 1987-88\a 1988-90\a
Bahrain 97 NA NA 83 99 NA NA NA 6 18.0 18
Egypt 95 79 73 55 90 79 58 82 NA 21.8 19
Iraq 58 84 62 49 79 60 37 47 32 13.7 14
Jordan 84 101 98 NA NA 80 78 NA 7 8.0 NA
Kuwait 90 97 92 67 94 86 79 NA NA 0.3 18
Lebanon NA 90 98 77 92 57 56 67 NA NA NA
Oman 91 90 74 25 82 46 34 54 13 5.1 5
Qatar 96 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 16 3.5 24
Saudi Arabia 90 83 67 31 65 52 35 48 13 1.9 13
Syria 88 90 68 61 83 69 47 52 15 6.9 20
United Arab Emirates 94 100 124 63 94 55 68 67 10 0.8 11
Yemen 74 30 17 NA NA 42 7 31 NA NA 3
a\Source:United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Human Development Report. 1993. pp.162-165.
Table 3/2

Table 3. Social trends in the countries of the ESCWA region.

Tertiary
science
enrolment
(as % of
total
secondary)
1987-88Va Tertiary students abroad
(as % of
those at
home)
1987-88\a Tertiary enrolment
(females
as a
percentage
of males)
1988-90

Under 5 mortality rate

Education average annual rate of
reduction (%)

(as % of GNP)

1960\a 1988-90\a 1960 1980 1990 1960-80 1980-90 1990-2000
Bahrain NA 44.6 NA NA 5.4 208 NA 17 NA NA NA
Egypt 38 1.5 53 4.1 6.0 301 172 85 2.8 7 4.1
Iraq 33 3.3 64 5.8 5.1 222 110 86 3.5 2.5 4.1
Jordan NA 41.4 NA 3.0 4.4 217 81 52 4.9 4.4 4.1
Kuwait 35 16.4 129 NA 5.0 128 34 19 6.6 5.8 4.1
Lebanon 45 21.3 44 NA NA 91 62 56 1.9 1 4.1
Oman 34 NA 80 NA 3.7 378 110 49 6.2 8.1 4.1
Qatar 10 19.7 NA NA 3.4 239 NA 36 NA NA NA
Saudi Arabia 34 5.7 73 3.2 5.8 292 131 91 4 3.6 4.1
Syria 31 8.8 72 2.0 4.4 217 88 59 4.5 4 4.1
United Arab Emirates 46 24.8 NA NA 1.9 239 43 30 8.6 3.6 4.1
Yemen 12 33.2 NA NA NA 378 235 187 2.4 2.3 9.8
a\ Source:United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Human Development Report. 1993. pp.162-165.
Table 3/3

Table 3. Social trends in the countries of the ESCWA region.

% of children 1980-91
suffering from

underweight (0-4 years)
moderate

Infant mortality rate
(under 1 year)

Total fertility rate

Average annual rate % of mothers breast-feeding

of reduction (%) 1980-91
1960 1990 & severe severe 1960 1980 1990 1960-80 1980-90 3 months 6 months 12 months
Bahrain 130 14 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Egypt 179 61 13 3 7 5.2 4.3 1.5 1.9 90 83 68
Iraq 139 63 NA NA 7.2 6.8 6.1 0.3 1.1 76 45 19
Jordan 135 40 NA NA 7.7 7.1 5.8 0.4 2 93 80 61
Kuwait 89 17 6 NA 7.3 5.4 3.7 1.5 3.8 47 32 12
Lebanon 68 44 NA NA 6.3 4 3.6 2.3 1.1 50 40 15
Oman 214 37 NA NA 7.2 7.2 7.1 0 0.1 75 55 20
Qatar 145 29 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Saudi Arabia 170 65 NA NA 7.2 7.3 7.1 -0.1 0.3 91 52 NA
Syria 135 44 NA NA 7.3 7.3 6.5 0 1.2 81 72 NA
United Arab Emirates 145 24 NA NA 6.9 5.4 4.6 1.2 1.6 NA NA NA
Yemen 214 114 53 NA 7.5 7.7 7.7 -0.1 0 74 66 34
Table 3/4

Table 3. Social trends in the countries of the ESCWA region.

% of births attended
by trained
health
personnel
1983-90
Percentage fully immunized 1981/1989-90

one-year-old children pregnant
women
Population annual
growth rate (%) Crude death rate Crude birth rate

TB DPT Polio Measles Tetanus
1965-80 1980-90 1960 1990 1960 1990
Bahrain NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Egypt 71/88 82/87 84/87 65/86 10/63 47 2.4 2.5 21 10 45 33
Iraq 76/96 13/75 16/75 33/62 4/67 50 3.4 3.5 20 7 49 42
Jordan NA 81/92 87/92 40/87 2/23 83 2.6 3.2 23 6 50 39
Kuwait NA 54/94 76/94 66/98 30/22 99 7 3.9 10 2 44 27
Lebanon NA NA/82 NA/82 NA/39 NA NA 1.6 0.1 14 8 43 31
Oman 49/93 9/96 9/96 6/96 27/97 60 3.6 4.2 28 7 51 44
Qatar NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Saudi Arabia 49/99 53/94 52/94 12/90 NA/62 88 4.6 4.1 23 7 49 42
Syria 36/92 14/90 14/90 14/87 3/84 61 3.4 3.5 18 6 47 44
United Arab Emirates 18/96 45/85 45/85 42/75 NA 99 16.1 4.5 19 4 46 22
Yemen 14/71 21/53 21/53 33/45 NA/8 12 2.3 3.5 28 15 53 52
Table 3/5

Table 3. Social trends in the countries of the ESCWA region.

Average annual GNP per capita
average
annual
growth rate (%) Dept service as
% of exports of
goods and services
Life expectancy growth rate of

urban population (%)

1960 1990 1965-80 1980-90 1965-80 1980-89 1970 1989
Bahrain NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Egypt 46 60 2.9 3.1 2.8 2.8 38 17
Iraq 49 65 5.3 4.3 NA NA NA NA
Jordan 47 67 5.3 4.4 5.8 -3 4 15
Kuwait 60 73 8.2 4.5 0.6 -2.1 NA NA
Lebanon 60 66 4.6 1.1 NA NA NA NA
Oman 40 66 8.1 7.9 9 5.3 NA NA
Qatar NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Saudi Arabia 44 65 8.5 5.6 4 -5.9 NA NA
Syria 50 66 4.5 4.3 5.1 -2.1 11 19
United Arab Emirates 53 70 18.9 4.1 NA -8.2 NA NA
Yemen 36 51 6.4 7.1 NA NA NA 17
Source: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), The State of the World's Children 1992. New York, 1992. ISBN 0-19-262228-5
Table 3/6

Table 4. Indicators for urbanization in the ESCWA region

Urban Population (as % of total) Urban Population annual growth rate (%) Population in
Cities of more
than 1 million (as
% of Urban) Population in
largest city (as
% of Urban) Major City with highest population density (Population per Km2)
Country 1960 | 1991 2000 1966-91 1991-2000 1990 1980 City 1980-88

Bahrain 83 83 85 4.1 3.1 - - -

Egypt 38 47 54 3.1 3.6 52 39 Cairo 29.393

Iraq 43 71 75 5.2 3.9 29 - Baghdad 5.384

Jordan 43 68 74 4.5 4.2 36 36 Amman 11,104

Kuwait 72 96 97 7.9 2.8 55 30 -- --

Lebanon 40 84 87 3.8 2.5 - - -- -

Oman 4 11 15 7.5 7.5 - -- - -

Palestine -- -- -- - - -- - -

Qatar 73 89 91 8.0 3.3 - - - -

6. Arabia 30 77 82 7.6 4.5 29 18 - --

Syria 37 50 56 4.5 4.6 60 33 -- -

U.A.E. 40 78 78 12.5 2.1 -- - -- -

Yemen 9 29 37 5.8 6.2 -- 33 - --
Source :
United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Human Development Report. 1993. pp. 178-179.

Table 5.

Population in urban and rural areas in largest city by sex (census rounds)

Total Population (000') Rural Population (000') Urban Population (000') Largest City (000')
Country Year ¦:
Male Female M/F Male Female M/F Male Female M/F Male Female M/F % of Urban % Of Total
Bahrain 1971 116 100 1.2 24 23 1.0 92 77 1.2 50 39 1.3 52.59 41.09
1981 205 146 1.4 38 29 1.3 166 117 1.4 72 43 1.7 40.63 32.80
1991 294 214 1.4 ... ... ... ... ... ... 87 50 1.8 ... 26.97
Egypt 1960 13,068 12,916 1.0 8,047 8,073 1.0 5,021 4,843 1.0 1.714 1,634 1.0 33.95 12.89
1966 15,058 14,790 1.0 8,894 8,862 1.0 6,164 5,928 1.0 2,619 2,500 1.0 42.34 17.15
1976 18,647 17,979 1,0 10,420 10,170 1.0 8,228 7,809 1.1 3,560 3,390 1.1 43.34 18.98
1986 24,709 23,545 1.0 13,800 13,238 1.0 10,909 10,307 1.1 3,113 2,956 1.1 28.61 12.58
Iraq 1965 4,103 3,945 1.0 1,985 1,950 1.0 2,117 1,995 1.1 722 675 1.1 33.99 17.37
1970 4,754 4,686 1.0 1,987 2,001 1.0 2.767 2,685 1.0 ... ... ... ...
1977 5,773 5,805 1.0 2,100 2,151 1.0 3.673 3,654 1.0 1,105 1,044 1.1 29.34 18.57
1982 7,260 6,850 1.1 2,270 2,238 1.0 4,990 4,612 1.1 ... ... ... ...
1987 8,396 7,939 1.1 2,444 2,422 1.0 5,951 5,518 1.1 1,490 1.460 1.0 25.72 18.06
Jordan 1979 1,087 1,013 1.1 443 415 1.1 643 599 1.1 621 565 1.1 95.51 56.48
1991 Sample 172 161 1.1 38 35 1.1 134 126 1.1 ... — ... ...
Kuwait 1980 777 581 1.3 71 67 1.1 10.17
1985 965 732 1.3 ... ... ... ... ... 104 64 1.6 ... 9.88
Table 5/1

Table 5. Population in urban and rural areas in largest city by sex (census rounds)

Country Year Total Population (000') Rural Population (000') Urban Population (000') Largest City (OOO')

Male Female M/F Male Female M/F Male Female M/F Male Female M/F % of Urban
% of Total
Lebanon 1970 1,080 1,046 1.0 431 417 1.0 649 629 1.0 ... ... ...
Qatar 1986 248 121 2.0 18 7 2.4 230 114 2.0 147 70 2.1 63.14 58.89
S. Arabia 1974 3,577 3,150 1.1 1,657 1,666 1.0 1,919 1,484 1.3 699 560 1.2 37.00 18.72
Syria 1970 1976 1981 3,233 3,072 3,985 3,741 4,622 4,424 1.1 1.1 1,0 1,815 2,145 2,422 1,749 2,029 2,367 1.0 1.1 1,0 1,418 1,323 1.1 1,840 1,712 1.1 2,200 2,057 1.1 431 561 576 405 521 537 1.1 30.52 1,1 30.45 1,1 26.13 13.27 14.00 12.29
U.A.E. 1980 720 322 2.2 147 53 2.8 573 269 2.1 ... ...
Former A.R. Yemen 1975 1986 2,150 2,369 3,838 3,989 0.9 1.0 1,878 3,180 2,129 3,435 0.9 0.9 286 248 1.2 658 554 1.2 77 237 58 190 1.3 25.23 1.2 35.26 2.98 5.46
Former D. Yemen 1973 1988 787 803 889 949 1.0 0.9 507 599 554 658 0.9 0.9 280 249 1.1 290 291 1.0 74 150 58 144 1.3 25.05 1.0 50.63 8.33 16.02
Source: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia,
Compendium of Social Statistics and Indicators, Third Issue, Amman, 1993.
Table 5/2

Table 6. Selected indicators related to literacy and schooling

Adult literacy rate (as % of age 15 +)1990 Literacy rate (as % of age 15-19) Mean years of schooling (25+)( 1990)
Country Total | Male Female 1990 Total | Male Female Female

Bahrain 77 82 69 93 3.9 4.7 3.2

Egypt 48 63 34 65 2.8 3.9 1.6

Iraq 60 70 49 85 4.8 5.7 3.9

Jordan 80 89 70 97 5.0 6.0 4.0

Kuwait 73 77 67 82 5.4 6.0 4.7

Lebanon 80 88 73 -- 4.4 5.3 3.5

Oman -- - -- -- 0.9 1.4 0.3

Palestine - - - -- -- -

Qatar -- - - -- 5.6 5.8 5.4

8. Arabia 62 73 48 -- 3.7 5.9 1.5

Syria 65 - - 82 4.2 5.2 3.1

U.A.E. - - -- - 5.1 5.1 5.2

Yemen 39 53 27 - 0.8 1.3 0.2
Source :
United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Human Development Report. 1993. pp. 144-145.

Table 7. School enrolment, annual rate of increase, enrolment ratio and pupils per teacher
First level

Country Pupils enrolled School Enrolment ratio

Year Total Male Female % female Annual rate of Increase Total Male Female Pupil / teacher ratio
Bahrain 1980 48451 46212 2239 46 104 111 97 19
1985 57330 29149 28181 46 3.37 112 113 110 20
1986 58488 29550 28938 46 2.00 111 111 111 20
1987 60505 30734 29871 46 3.39 111 112 109 21
1988 63179 32239 30945 46 4.32 110 112 108 22
Egypt 1990 66597 34131 32466 46 2.63 103 104 102 22

1980 4662816 2786867 1875949 40 78 90 65 ...
1985 6211250 3526676 2684574 43 5.73 91 101 82 31
1987 7034617 4025896 3008721 43 6.22 96 106 85 29
1988 7343716 4099166 3244550 44 4.30 96 104 88 ...
1989 6155100 3404078 2751022 45 -17.66 97 104 89 24
1990 6402472 3532216 2870256 45 3.94 98 105 90 23
Iraq 1991 6541725 3598970 2942755 45 2.15 ...

1980 2615910 1403082 1212828 46 115 120 109 28
1985 2816326 1555943 1260383 45 1.48 100 108 92 24
1986 2920959 1617570 1303389 45 3.65 99 107 91 24
1987 2996953 1644373 1352580 45 2.57 98 105 91 25
1988 3023132 1688325 1334807 44 0.87 96 104 87 23
1990 3238283 1804642 1433641 44 6.87 ... ...
1991 3238212 1848315 1389897 43 0.00 ... ... ...
Jordan 1980 454391 237813 216578 48 104 105 102 32
1985 530795 277358 253437 48 3.11 95 97 93 31
1987 570795 291777 279018 49 3.63 30
1988 575464 297306 278158 48 0.81 ... ... 28
1989 590275 305269 285006 48 2.54 ... 28
1990 618274 319171 299103 48 4.63 88 88 87
Table 7/1

Table 7 . School enrolment, annual rate of increase, enrolment ratio and pupils per teacher
First level

Pupils enroled School Enrolment ratio

Country
Year Total Male Female % Female Annual rate of Total Male Female Puptt / teacher ratio
Kuwait 1980 148983 77734 71249 48 102 104 100 19
1985 172975 88800 84175 49 2.99 103 104 102 18
1986 176378 90680 85698 49 1.95 101 103 100 18
1987 181607 92951 88656 49 2.92 101 102 100 18
1988 1990 185464 94738 90726 49 2.10 100 101 99 18
Lebanon 1980 405402 18
1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 329340 399029 175020 154320 47 -5.19 99 104 94
Oman 1980 91895 60440 31455 34 60 76 42 23
1985 177541 99181 78360 44 13.17 89 97 80 27
1987 215416 116391 99025 46 9.67 97 103 91 26
1988 232181 124350 107831 46 7.49 100 105 95 27
1989 247128 131599 115529 47 6.24 102 106 97 28
1990 262989 139385 123604 47 6.22 103 108 99 28
1991 277370 146587 130783 47 5.32 ... ... ...
Qatar 1980 30078 15606 14472 48 107 108 106 15
1985 40636 21277 19359 49 6.02 122 124 119 13
1987 45367 23866 21501 47 5.51 120 122 119 12
1988 48097 25319 22778 47 5.84 117 118 116 12
1989 49657 26201 23456 47 3.19 110 112 107 12
1990 48650 25506 23144 48 -2.05 97 99 96 1t
Table 7/2

Table 7 . School enrolment, annual rate of increase, enrolment ratio and pupils per teacher
First levc

Pupils enroled School Enrolment ratio
Country

Year Total Male Female % Female Annual rate of Increase | Total Male Female Pupil / teacher ratio
S. Arabia 1980 926531 566501 360030 39 63 75 50 18
1985 1344076 759886 584190 43 7.44 69 77 61 16
1986 1460283 810774 649509 44 8.29 71 78 64 16
1988 1694394 924027 770367 45 7.43 76 81 70 16
1989 1990 1801168 1480465 320703 46 6.11 78 83 72 16
Syria 1980 1555921 888141 667780 43 ... 102 114 89 28
1985 2029752 1098931 930821 46 5.32 109 116 101 26
1987 2217993 1189121 1028872 46 4.43 110 115 104 26
1988 2304544 1234370 1070174 46 3.83 110 116 104 27
1989 2357981 1262041 1095940 48 2.29 108 114 102 26
1990 2452086 1311955 1140131 46 3.91 109 114 102 25
U.A.E. 1980 88617 46274 42343 48 ... 88 89 88 14
1985 152125 78817 73308 48 10.81 93 94 93 18
1987 180270 92994 87276 48 8.49 98 98 99 18
1988 197869 102231 95638 48 9.31 104 104 104 18
1989 215532 111564 103968 48 8.55 11 111 10 18
1990 228980 118706 110274 48 6.05 116 117 114 18
Former D. Yemen 1980 267456 193760 73696 28 ... 65 93 36 28
1985 334309 235298 99011 30 4.46 73 102 44
1987 375780 260885 114895 31 5.85 81 111 50 26
1988 381281 262593 118688 31 1.48 81 110 51 27
1990 331042 218586 112456 34 -7.06 80 105 55 24
1991 379908 236853 143055 38 13.77 88 109 67 29
Table 7/3

Table 7 . School enrolment, annual rate of increase, enrolment ratio and pupils per teacher
First level

Country Pupils enroled School Enrolment ratio

Year Total Male Female % Female Annual rate of increase Total Male Female
Pupil / teacher ratio
Former A. R. Yemen 1980 435913 378923 56990 13 ... 38 65 10 44
1985 981127 787078 194049 20 16.23 69 108 28 54
1987 1067332 837926 229406 21 4.21 72 110 32 52
1988 1172513 906526 265987 23 9.40 77 115 36 50
1989 1250599 966839 283760 23 6.45 79 118 37 45
1990 1291372 984825 306547 24 3.21 76 112 37 37
Source: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia,
Compendium of Social Statistics and Indicators, Third Issue, Amman, 1993.
Table 7/4

Table 8. Selected indicators for the status of Women in the ESCWA region

Enrolment ratio

Life expectancy at birth Maternal mortality rate (per 100000 live births) Average age at
first marriage
(years) Primary (net) Secondary (gross) Tertiary (gross) Tertiary science
and engineering
enrolment
(%female) Administrative and managerial staff (%female) women in Labour force (% of total) Literacy rate (age 15-24 only) Parliament (% of
seats occupied
by women)
Country 1990 1988 1980-85 1988-90 1988-90 1988-90 1987-88 1980-89 1990 1980-89 1991

Bahrain 73.5 80 92 21 32 4 10 82

Egypt 61.5 300 21 69 13 26 14 11 38 2

Iraq 66.1 250 21 78 37 11 28 6 - 11

Jordan 68.8 200 23 31 14 10 77 (.)

Kuwait 76.0 30 23 84 20 43 4 14 76

Lebanon 68.0 200 27 - (.)

Oman 67.8 220 82 48 5 8 -

Palestine -

Qatar 72.6 140 94 43 34 7 - -

S. Arabia 66.5 220 56 41 11 31 ! 7 -

Syria 68.1 200 22 93 43 17 24 33 15 - 8

U.A.E. 73.5 130 18 100 72 21 54 1 6 56 (.)

Yemen 52.0 800 18 — 10 — — — 13 3
Source :
United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Human Development Report. 1993. pp. 150-151.

Economically active population by age groups and sex

Total Mala Female
Country

(1) (1) (1)

Year AGE GROUP % BY AGE %F
TOTAL POP. (000') EA. POP. (000') RATE (%) TOTAL POP. (000') EA. POP. (000) RATE (%) TOTAL POP. (000) EA. POP. (000) RATE (%)
Bahrain 1981 10-14 34.21 17.21 17.01
15-19 35.41 8.82 24.90 17.77 5.50 30.97 17.64 3.32 18.79 6.03 37.59
20-24 41.54 28.44 68.46 24.84 22.29 89.72 16.71 6.15 36.83 19.46 21.64
25-59 145.28 104.77 72.11 96.81 94.99 98.11 48.47 9.78 20.17 71.69 9.33
60 + 13.10 4.11 31.38 7.09 4.03 56.84 6.01 0.08 1.32 2.81 1.92
1987 (6) 15+ 0-14 235.34 117.24 146.13 62.10 146.52 59.04 126.81 86.55 88.82 58.20 19.33 21.76 100.00 13.22
15-19 32.99 4.67 14.17 16.49 3.47 21.03 16.50 1.21 7.32 6.32 25.82
20-24 30.79 17.86 58.01 15.06 12.25 81.29 15.73 5.61 35.70 24.14 31.43
25-59 83.53 47.46 56.82 42.15 40.07 95.08 41.39 7.39 17.85 64.16 15.56
60 + 13.93 3.98 28.56 7.34 3.88 52.87 6.60 0.10 1.53 5.38 2.54
1991 . 15+ 10-14 161.24 46.82 73.97 45.88 81.04 23.81 59.67 73.63 80.20 23.01 14.31 17.84 100.00 19.34
15-19 36.69 6.11 16.65 18.66 4.62 24.73 18.03 1.49 8.28 2.70 24.44
20-24 45.69 29.56 64.71 24.86 21.86 87.91 20.82 7.73 37.15 13.05 26.16
25-59 245.67 185.78 75.62 157.98 155.49 98.42 87.69 30.30 34.55 82.04 16.31
60 + 19.14 5.00 26.10 10.28 4.90 47.67 8.87 0.10 1.11 2.21 1.96
15+ 347,18 226.45 6S.22 211.78 186.86 88.23 135.41 39.62 29.26 100.00 17.50
Egypt 1986(6) 12-14 3289.25 287.01 8.73 1731.63 263.32 15.21 1557.63 23.68 1.52 2.25 8.25
15-19 5046.89 1202.23 23.82 2684.80 1062.23 39.56 2362.09 140.00 5.93 9.43 11.65
20-24 4227.71 2127.05 50.31 2211.09 1745.32 78.93 2016.62 381.73 18.93 16.69 17.95
25-59 16597.18 8814.42 53.11 8257.18 7961.63 96.42 8340.00 852.79 10.23 69.17 9.67
60 + 2718.96 599.81 22.06 1389.90 586.94 42.23 1329.05 12.87 0.97 4.71 2.15
15+ 28590.73 12743.51 44.57 14542.97 11356.12 78.09 14047.77 1387.40 9.88 100.00 10.89
1989 12-14 3902.20 335.70 8.60 2007.90 226.50 11.28 1894.30 109.20 5.76 2.14 32.53
15-19 5442.90 1497.60 27.51 2915.90 1066.10 36.56 2527.00 431.50 17.08 9.54 28.81
20-24 4365.60 2004.50 45.92 2357.90 1231.90 52.25 2007.70 772.60 38.48 12.77 38.54
25-59 17824.90 11623.10 65.21 8697.10 8423.20 96.85 9127.80 3199.90 35.06 74.04 27.53
60 + 2997.80 572.70 19.10 1644.40 476.20 28.96 1353.40 96.50 7.13 3.65 16.85
15+ 30631.20 15697,90 51.25 16615.30 11197.40 71.71 15015,90 4500,50 29.97 100.00 28.67
Table 9/1

Table 9. Economically active population by age groups and sex

Total Mala Female
Country

(1) (1) (1)

Year AGE GROUP % BY AGE %F
TOTAL POP. (000') EA.POP. (000) RATE (%) TOTAL POP. (000') EA. POP. (000') RATE (%) TOTAL POP. (000) EA. POP. (000') RATE (%)
Egypt 1990 12-14 3920.20 467.20 11.92 2069.00 329.80 15.94 1851.20 13.74 0.74 2.91 2.94
15-19 5671.90 1584.60 27.94 2947.80 1073.30 36.41 2724.10 51.13 1.88 9.87 3.23
20-24 4456.50 2087.20 46.83 2373.80 1250.10 52.66 2082.70 83.71 4.02 13.00 4.01
25-59 17809.50 11393.60 63.97 8606.00 8283.40 96.25 9203.50 311.02 3.38 70.94 2.73
60 + 3563.30 995.80 27.95 1955.40 858.00 43.88 1607.90 13.78 0.86 6.20 1.38
15+ 31501.20 16061.20 50.99 15883.00 11464.80 72.18 15618.20 459.64 2.94 100.00 2.86
Iraq 1977 10-14 1539.96 160.73 10.44 814.20 89.33 10.97 725.76 71.40 9.84 5.42 44.42
15-19 1010.26 251.41 24.89 488.31 194.70 39.87 521.96 56.71 10.86 8.48 22.56
20-24 1116.38 591.04 52.94 602.35 511.62 84.93 514.01 79.42 15.45 19.94 13.44
25-59 3272.94 1882.63 57.52 1674.06 1577.79 94.25 1598.88 304.83 19.07 63.50 16.19
60 + 694.42 239.70 34.52 343.90 209.13 60.81 350.52 30.57 8.72 8.08 12.75
1987 15 + 10-14 6094.00 2148.41 2964.77 48.65 3108.63 1102.26 2493.24 80.20 2985.37
1046.15 471.53 15.79 100.00 15.90
15-19 1909.11 447.20 23.42 996.79 414.59 41.59 912.32 32.61 3.57 11.64 7.29
20-24 1514.02 750.76 49.59 806.11 650.55 80.70 707.91 100.22 14.16 19.55 13.35
25-59 4489.58 2416.70 53.83 2321.44 2119.38 91.30 2168.15 297.32 13.71 62.92 12.30
60 + 834.20 226.08 27.10 390.31 213.01 54.57 443.89 13.07 2.94 5.89 5.78
15+ 8746.92 3840.75 43,91 4514.65 3397.53 75.26 4232.27 443.22 10.47 100.00 11.54
Jordan 1979 10-14
15-19 232.60 48.78 20.97 120.85 44.94 37.18 111.75 3.85 3.44 10.93 7.89
20-24 153.14 79.02 51.60 78.32 67.26 85.88 74.82 11.76 15.71 17.70 14.88
25-59 558.20 295.53 52.94 287.14 274.14 95.47 271.07 21.39 7.89 66.21 7.24
60 + 85.73 22.99 26.81 44.50 22.12 49.70 41.23 0.87 2.11 5.15 3.78
15+ 1029.67 446.32 43.35 530.81 408.45 76.95 498.86 37.86 7.59 100.00 8.48
1987 10-14 6.99 0.12 1.76 3.64 0.12 3.16 3.35 0.01 0.24 0.48 6.50
15-19 15.96 2.66 16.66 8.37 2.50 29.82 7.59 0.16 2.15 10.30 6.13
20-24 12.22 6.27 51.29 6.61 5.14 77.77 5.61 1.12 20.05 24.26 17.93
25-59 30.68 15.55 50.68 15.14 14.03 92.64 15.54 1.52 9.81 60.19 9.80
60 + 5.47 1.36 24.79 3.04 1.34 43.92 2.42 0.02 0.78 5.25 1.40
15+ 64,33 25.83 40.16 33.17 23,00 69.35 31.16 2.83 9,08 100.00 10.96
Table 9/2

Table 9 . Economically active population by age groups and sex

Country Total Male Female

(1) (1) (1)

Year AGE GROUP % BY AGE %F
TOTAL POP. (000') EA. POP. (000') RATE (%) TOTAL POP. (000) EA.POP. (000) RATE(%) TOTAL POP. (000) EA. POP. (000') RATE(%)
Jordan 1991 13-14 19.02 0.34 1.76 9.53 0.31 3.21 9.48 0.03 0.31 0.42 8.66
15-19 44.19 6.95 15.74 23.02 6.46 28.06 21.18 0.50 2.34 8.80 7.12
20-24 37.57 18.84 50.15 19.81 14.99 75.64 17.76 3.86 21.72 23.85 20.46
25-59 94.44 49.82 52.75 45.24 40.97 90.56 49.21 8.85 17.99 63.06 17.77
60 + 14.57 3.39 23.25 8.21 3.31 40.28 6.36 0.08 1.26 4.29 2.36
Kuwait 15 + 190.77 79.00 41.41 96.27 65.72 68.27 94.50 13.28 14.06 100.00 16.81

1985 10-14 172.50 87.86 84.63
15-19 145.20 14.88 10.25 72.70 10.32 14.20 72.50 4.55 6.28 2.22 30.61
20-24 148.39 87.77 59.15 76.90 61.26 79.67 71.49 26.50 37.07 13.09 30.20
25-59 742.61 559.17 75.30 477.80 458.69 96.00 264.81 100.48 37.94 83.41 17.97
60 + 36.03 8.58 23.80 19.69 7.98 40.54 16.34 0.59 3.64 1.28 6.93
1988 15+ 10-14 1072.22 202.48 670.39 62.52 647.09 104.03 538.26 83.18 425.13 98.45 132.13 31.08 100.00 19.71
15-19 180.35 12.27 6.80 89.51 8.09 9.04 90.85 4.17 4.59 1.68 34.02
20-24 163.46 92.42 56.54 75.50 55.36 73.32 87.96 37.06 42.13 12.66 40.10
25-59 822.44 615.93 74.89 501.46 480.57 95.83 320.97 135.36 42.17 84.38 21.98
60 + 40.36 9.30 23.04 23.58 8.55 36.25 16.79 0.76 4.50 1.27 8.12
15+ 1206.51 729.92 60.49 690.04 552.57 80.08 516.57 177.35 34,33 100.00 24.30
Lebanon 1970 10-14 277.07 17.46 6.30 142.62 8.54 5.98 134.45 8.93 6.64 3.27 51.12
15-19 215.40 56.55 26.25 110.16 39.90 36.22 105.24 16.65 15.82 10.60 29.44
20-24 161.42 63.09 39.09 82.40 59.94 72.75 79.02 3.15 3.99 11.83 5.00
25-59 676.86 366.19 54.10 330.74 316.99 95.84 337.13 49.20 14.59 68.64 13.44
60 + 163.68 47.69 29.13 83.12 43.20 51.98 80.57 4.49 5.57 8.94 9.41
Oman 15+ 1217.35 533.52 43.83 606.41 460.03 75.86 601.95 73.49 12.21 100.00 13.77

1986 (5) 10-14 152.00 77.00 75.00
15-19 121.00 16.08 13.29 62.00 13.87 22.38 59.00 2.21 3.74 4.83 13.72
20-24 104.00 32.42 31.18 56.00 28.69 51.23 48.00 3.74 7.79 9.75 11.53
25-59 433.78 270.33 62.32 252.65 242.44 95.96 181.12 27.89 15.40 81.26 10.32
60 + 55.56 13.84 24.91 26.43 12.81 48.46 29.13 1.03 3.54 4.16 7.46
15 + 714.34 332.68 46.57 367.08 297.81 75.00 317.26 34.86 10.99 100,00 10.48
Table 9/3

Table 9 . Economically active population by age groups and sex

Total Male Female
Country

1 (1) 1 (1) (1)

Year AGE GROUP % BY AGE %F
TOTAL POP. (000*) EA. POP. (000') RATE (%) TOTAL POP. (000') EA. POP. (000') RATE (%) TOTAL POP. (000) EA. POP. (000') RATE (%)
Qatar 1986 10-14 26.65 13.87 12.78
15-19 22.63 4.11 18.15 12.34 3.97 32.16 10.30 0.14 1.37 2.04 3.43
20 24 32.57 20.99 64.45 22.12 19.56 88.44 10.45 1.43 13.67 10.43 6.80
25-59 204.36 172.81 84.56 156.34 154.86 99.05 48.02 17.95 37.38 85.90 10.39
60 + 6.97 3.28 46.96 4.44 3.16 71.07 2.63 0.12 4.57 1.63 3.66
15+ 266.54 201.18 75.48 195.24 181.55 92.99 71.39 19.64 27.51 100.00 9.76
S. Arabia 1986 10-14 742.13 7.66 1.03 406.95 7.06 1.74 335.18 0.60 0.18 0.19 7.78
15-19 1047.63 79.92 7.63 583.50 74.17 12.71 464.13 5.75 1.24 1.97 7.19
20-24 1008.59 443.30 43.95 620.62 408.37 65.80 387.96 34.93 9.00 10.94 7.88
25-64 5025.93 3461.41 68.87 3585.62 3337.89 93.09 1440.31 123.52 8.58 85.42 3.57
65 + 279.09 67.44 24.16 141.05 64.90 46.01 138.03 2.54 1.84 1.66 3.76
15+ 7361.23 4052.06 55.05 4930.79 3885.32 78.80 2430.44 166.74 6.86 100.00 4.11
1987 10-14 805.19 4.26 0.53 448.83 3.56 0.79 356.36 0.70 0.20 0.05 16.32
15-19 1106.92 59.55 5.38 612.32 54.24 8.86 494.60 5.31 1.07 0.77 8.92
20-24 1014.75 383.28 37.77 603.79 347.34 57.53 410.96 35.93 8.74 4.95 9.38
25-59 5113.27 3430.82 67.10 3574.03 3293.94 92.16 1539.24 136.88 8.89 44.28 3.99
60 + 7234.93 3873.65 53.54 4790.14 3895.52 77.15 2444.79 178.12 7.29 50.00 4.60
15 + 14469.86 7747.29 53.54 9580.29 7391.04 77.15 4889.58 356.25 7.29 100.00 4.60
Syria 1981 10-14 1173.27 94.27 8.04 607.45 76.10 12.53 565.82 18.17 3.21 4.82 19.28
15-19 978.01 296.70 30.34 504.40 268.09 53.15 473.61 28.61 6.04 15.17 9.64
20-24 725.21 339.96 46.88 367.32 301.49 82.08 357.89 38.46 10.75 17.39 11.31
25-64 2487.91 1263.15 50.77 1259.03 1174.97 93.32 1228.88 88.18 7.18 64.60 6.98
65 + 277.34 55.44 19.99 144.18 53.97 37.43 133.17 1.47 1.10 2.84 2.65
15+ 4498.48 1955.24 43.76 2274.93 1798.52 78.00 2193.55 158.72 7.14 100.00 8,02
1984 10-14 1316.60 69.00 5.24 690.60 42.60 6.17 626.00 26.40 4.22 3.02 38.26
15-19 942.90 319.90 33.93 478.90 264.10 55.15 464.00 55.80 12.03 13.99 17.44
20-24 721.40 332.00 48.02 372.60 264.60 71.01 348.80 67.40 19.32 14.52 20.30
25-69 3045.20 1588.10 52.15 1518.20 1411.90 93.00 1527.00 176.20 11.54 69.44 11.10
70 + 298.10 47.00 15.77 150.10 45.70 30.45 148.00 1.30 0.88 2.06 2.77
15 + 5007.60 2287.00 45.67 2519.80 1886.30 78.83 2487.80 300,70 12.09 100.00 13.15
Table 9/4

Table 9 . Economically active population by age groups and sex

Total Male Female
Country

| (1) (1) | | (1)

Year AGE GROUP % BY AGE %F
TOTAL POP. (000') EA. POP. (000') RATE (%) TOTAL POP. (000') EA. POP. (000') RATE (%) TOTAL POP. (000') EA. POP. (000') RATE(%)
Syria 1901 10-14 1883.29 98.08 5.21 987.60 59.18 5.99 895.69 38.89 4.34 2.90 39.66
15-19 1507.37 428.77 28.44 781.63 333.07 42.61 725.74 95.70 13.19 12.66 22.32 I
20-24 1079.92 502.73 46.55 536.34 384.75 71.74 543.58 117.98 21.70 14.84 23.47
25-59 3748.98 2229.43 59.47 1907.51 1868.71 97.97 1841.47 360.72 19.59 65.82 16.18
60 + 577.94 226.36 39.17 343.41 211.88 61.70 234.53 14.49 6.18 6.68 6.40 I
15+ 6914.21 3387.29 48.99 3568.89 2798.40 78,41 3345.33 588.89 17.60 100,00 17,39
U.A.E. 1980 10-14 62.54 33.24 29.31
15-19 57.36 15.64 27.26 32.01 14.51 45.32 25.35 1.13 4.47 2.79 7.25
20-24 126.30 91.30 72.29 91.10 86.15 94.57 35.20 5.15 14.63 16.31 5.64
25-59 539.58 447.21 82.88 430.43 425.40 98.83 109.15 21.81 19.98 79.87 4.88
60 + 20.89 5.77 27.64 11.98 5.60 46.77 8.90 0.17 1.90 1.03 2.93
1985 1S + 10-14 744.12 96.68 559.92 75.25 565.51 50.44 531.66 94.01 178.51 46.24 28.26 15.82 100.00 5.05
15-19 73.28 12.93 17.65 38.76 10.87 28.03 34.51 2.07 5.99 1.89 15.98
20-24 122.99 79.76 64.85 75.67 67.25 88.88 47.33 12.51 26.43 11.67 15.68
25-59 715.60 583.97 81.61 539.62 533.41 98.85 175.99 50.56 28.73 85.44 8.66
60 + 26.43 6.86 25.96 14.53 6.66 45.85 11.90 0.20 1.68 1.00 2.92
15+ 938.30 (3) 583.53 (4) 72.85 668,57 (3) 518.19(4) 92,46 269.73 (3) 65.34 (4) 24.22 100.00 9.56
Former A. R. Yemen 1986 10-14 861.33 200.69 23.30 467.73 116.34 24.87 393.60 84.35 21.43 10.10 42.03
15-19 539.36 211.95 39.30 265.76 139.50 52.49 273.60 72.50 26.50 10.67 34.21
20-24 452.36 237.98 52.61 191.92 167.89 87.48 260.44 70.10 26.91 11.98 29.45 I
25-59 2207.36 1339.18 60.67 996.51 966.01 96.94 1210.84 373.17 30.82 67.43 27.87
60 + 529.67 197.04 37.20 259.57 162.63 62.65 270.10 34.40 12.74 9.92 17.46
15+ 3728.75 1986.14 53.27 1713.76 1438.03 83.79 2014.99 550.16 27,30 100.00 27.70

(1)EA.- Economically Active
(2) NEA - Not Economically Active
(3) 91 Females and 240 make (total 331), thair ago groups are not stated
(4) 79 Females and 221 males (total 300), their ago groups are not stated
(5) Provisional estimates
(6) Egyptions only
(7) Sample, No.s are in Hundreds

Source: United Nations Economic and Social Commission
for Western Asia, Compendium of Social Statistics and Indicators, Third Issue, Amman, 1993.

Table 9/5

Table 10. Never-married youth in the ESCWA region.

Male population
15-19 never-
married
(percentage) Female population
15-19 never-
married
(percentage) Male population
20-24 never-
married
(percentage) Female population
20-24 never-
married
(percentage)

1970 1980 1970 1980 1970 1980 1970 1980
Bahrain 97 NA 7 NA 57 NA 17 NA
Egypt NA 96 NA 78 NA 80 NA 39
Iraq 91 95 68 68 65 70 31 33
Jordan NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Kuwait 97 97 62 71 75 75 21 29
Lebanon NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Oman NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Qatar NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Saudi Arabia NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Syria 96 NA 72 NA 76 NA 30 NA
United Arab Emirates NA 91 NA 44 NA 74 NA 12
Yemen Arab Republic NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Source:United Nations, International Youth Year: Participation, Development, Peace Statistical Indicators on Yourth. New York 1985. ST/ESA/STAT/SER.Y/1

Table 11. Estimated and projected distribution in the main functional age groups of the total population of the ESCWA region in 1995, 2010 and 2025. (percentage of total population)

1995 2010 2025
0-4 5-14 15-24 25-59 60+ 0-4 5-14 15-24 25-59 60+ 0-4 5-14 15-24 25-59 60+
World 11.70 20.30 17.80 40.70 9.50 9.70 19.00 17.50 43.20 10.60 8.20 16.30 16.00 45.30 14.20
ESCWA region 15.80 26.30 19.00 33.70 5.20 13.40 23.90 19.80 37.00 5.90 10.40 20.50 19.10 41.60 8.40
Bahrain 11.30 20.60 14.70 50.30 3.10 8.60 16.80 16.60 53.10 4.90 7.30 14.30 14.50 54.10 9.80
Democratic Yemen 18.50 27.10 19.10 30.60 4.70 15.70 27.10 20.30 32.10 4.80 11.60 22.70 20.90 39.00 5.80
Egypt 13.00 24.70 18.70 37.20 6.40 9.80 19.40 19.40 43.70 7.70 7.70 15.40 16.30 48.20 12.40
Iraq 17.50 27.80 19.90 30.30 4.50 14.80 25.90 20.30 33.80 5.20 11.50 22.20 19.90 39.70 6.70
Jordan 17.20 26.20 21.30 30.90 4.40 13.50 25.50 20.30 35.80 4.90 10.10 20.50 19.50 42.90 7.00
Kuwait 11.80 21.70 16.40 46.80 3.30 9.40 18.10 17.00 46.40 9.10 7.80 15.70 15.40 43.70 17.40
Lebanon 13.40 22.60 19.40 36.60 8.00 9.80 20.30 19.90 42.50 7.50 8.20 16.40 16.30 48.20 10.90
Oman 18.80 28.40 17.40 30.90 4.50 17.60 27.90 20.00 29.10 5.40 13.10 25.40 21.20 34.30 6.00
Qatar 12.90 22.80 14.60 45.40 4.30 12.80 21.10 17.30 39.30 9.50 12.00 21.50 17.50 36.80 12.20
Saudi Arabia 18.20 27.10 18.20 32.40 4.10 17.40 28.00 19.00 30.80 4.80 13.00 25.00 21.40 34.50 6.10
Syrian Arab Republic 18.60 29.10 19.60 28.60 4.10 15.10 27.00 21.00 32.90 4.00 10.80 21.80 20.80 40.40 6.20
United Arab Emirates 9.50 19.10 15.70 51.50 4.20 9.90 17.20 14.90 45.40 12.60 7.60 16.50 16.20 40.30 19.40
Yemen 20.40 30.20 20.00 25.70 3.70 17.60 28.60 21.10 29.60 3.10 13.20 25.80 21.10 36.00 3.90
Source: World Population Prospects 1990, United Nations, New York 1991 (ST/ESA/SER.A/120).

Table 12. Estimated and projected population of the ESCWA region in 1995, 2010 and 2025.

A. Total population Increase B. Population 60 years Increase C. Population 60 years D. Population 65 years Increase E. Population 65 years
(thousands) factor and over (thousands) factor and over (percentage) and over (thousands) factor and over (percentage)
(Total) (60+) (65+)
Year 1995 2010 2025 1995 2010 2025 2010 2025 1995 2010 2025 1995 2010 2025
World Total 5770286 7204343 8504223 1-47 548177 763660 1207600 2.20 9.50 10.60 14.20 375069 525917 824910 2.20 6.50 7.30 9.70
ESCWA Region 142316 210181 282602 1.99 7400 12401 23739 3.21 5.20 5.90 8.40 4696 7777 15826 3.37 3.30 3.70 5.60
Bahrain 602 827 998 1.66 19 41 98 5.24 3.10 4.90 9.80 11 20 60 5.53 1.80 2.40 6.00
Democratic Yemen 2928 4583 6403 2.19 138 220 371 2.70 4.70 4.80 5.80 85 137 218 2.56 2.90 3.00 3.40
Egypt 58388 75746 90355 1.55 3737 5832 11204 3.00 6.40 7.70 12.40 2394 3712 7590 3.17 4.10 4.90 8.40
Iraq 22411 35323 49992 2.23 1008 1837 3349 3.32 4.50 5.20 6.70 628 1166 2200 3.51 2.80 3.30 4.40
Jordan 4738 7284 9879 2.09 208 357 692 3.32 4.40 4.90 7.00 128 240 405 3.17 2.70 3.30 4.10
Kuwait 2347 3153 3775 1.61 77 287 657 8.48 3.30 9.10 17.40 40 158 468 11.73 1.70 5.00 12.40
Lebanon 3014 3898 4703 1.56 241 292 513 2.13 8.00 7.50 10.90 160 199 320 2.00 5.30 5.10 6.80
Oman 1811 3106 4754 2.63 81 168 285 3.50 4.50 5.40 6.00 49 106 200 4.08 2.70 3.40 4.20
Qatar 436 631 860 1.97 19 60 105 5.60 4.30 9.50 12.20 11 34 77 7.02 2.50 5.40 8.90
Saudi Arabia 17124 29557 44 752 2.61 702 1419 2730 3.89 4.10 4.60 6.10 445 857 1835 4.12 2.60 2.90 4.10
Syria 15001 24320 34082 2.27 615 973 2113 3.44 4.10 4.00 6.20 390 632 1261 3.23 2.60 2.60 3.70
U.A.E. 1777 2283 2651 1.49 75 288 514 6.89 4.20 12.60 19.40 41 153 411 10.05 2.30 6.70 15.50
Yemen 11065 18522 28171 2.55 409 574 1099 2.68 3.70 3.10 3.90 254 370 592 2.32 2.30 2.00 2.10
Source: World Population Prospects 1990, United Nations, New York, 1991. (ST/ESA/SER.A/120) pp. 294-295.

Table 13. Sex ratios (number of males per 100 females) in the ESCWA region for the 60-plus population in 1995, 2010 and 2025.

1995 2010 2025
World 82.10 84.60 86.30
ESCWA region 95.50 95.40 96.60
Bahrain N/A N/A N/A
Democratic Yemen 84.00 76.60 80.10
Egypt 83.00 82.90 87.50
Iraq 91.40 91.50 90.70
Jordan 93.50 87.80 91.80
Kuwait 184.00 183.90 159.70
Lebanon 86.80 76.40 68.40
Oman 105.40 121.10 105.60
Qatar 216.60 252.90 251.60
Saudi Arabia 101.10 121.60 139.80
Syrian Arab Republic 88.40 81.60 88.90
United Arab Emirates 233.30 372.70 296.50
Yemen 82.30 60.70 61.30
Source: ESCWA calculations based on World Demographic Estimates and Projections, 1950-2025 (ST/ESA/SER.R/79), United Nations, New York, 1988.

Table 14. Marital status for the elderly, by sex, in selected ESCWA countries.

Year Age group Sex Never Married % Married % Divorced % Widowed %
Bahrain 1981 50+ M 4.30 89.80 2.20 3.70
(Bahrainis & non-Bahrainis) F 2.05 51.50 4.60 47.90
Total 3.40 73.40 3.10 20.20
Egypt 1976 60+ M 4.80 84.60 0.60 9.90
F 5.40 29.90 0.80 63.80
Total 5.10 56.60 0.70 37.50
Iraq 1977 60+ M 3.20 86.40 0.80 9.60
F 1.70 43.70 1.20 53.40
Total 2.40 64.80 1.00 31.80
Jordan 1979 60+ M 1.60 88.30 0.60 9.50
F 1.70 41.50 1.30 55.50
Total 1.70 65.90 0.90 31.60
Kuwait 1985 60+ M 1.90 89.60 0.90 7.60
(Kuwaitis & non-Kuwaitis) F 1.40 30.20 2.70 65.70
Total 1.60 62.50 1.80 34.10
Qatar 1986 60+ M 4.60 88.90 1.50 4.90
F 4.00 36.00 4.10 55.90
Total 4.40 69.70 2.40 23.50
Syrian Arab Republic 1981 60+ M 2.00 88.60 0.40 9.00
F 2.70 49.70 0.80 46.80
Total 2.30 69.80 0.60 27.30
United Arab Emirates 1975 60+ M 4.00 82.10 4.20 9.70
F 1.30 28.60 4.40 65.70
Total 2.90 59.60 4.30 33.20
Source: Yahya El-Haddad, "Aging in the ESCWA region" (unpublished), table 6, p. 27 (ESCWA calculations based on national censuses).

Table 15. Estimated and projected total dependency ratios, youth dependency ratios and aged dependency ratios in the ESCWA region, 1995, 2010 and 2025.

1995 2010 2025 No. of persons
15-59
per person 1995 -2025
aged 65 plus Increase
Total 0-14 65 + Total 0-14 65+ Total 0-14 65 + in 2025 Factors
World 62.70 52.10 10.60 56.00 44.70 11.30 52.10 37.30 14.80 6.76 1.40
ESCWA region 83.10 77.10 6.00 69.50 63.20 6.30 57.40 48.70 8.80 11.36 1.47
Bahrain 50.80 48.00 2.80 38.40 35.10 3.30 38.00 29.70 8.30 12.05 2.96
Democratic Yemen 94.00 88.50 5.60 84.70 79.10 5.60 60.60 55.10 5.50 18.18 0.98
Egypt 71.80 64.70 7.10 51.70 44.30 7.40 45.90 33.70 12.20 8.20 1.72
Iraq 92.80 87.30 5.50 78.70 72.70 6.00 61.40 54.30 7.10 14.08 1.29
Jordan 85.50 80.50 5.00 73.50 67.70 5.70 53.30 46.90 6.30 15.87 1.26
Kuwait 54.20 51.70 2.60 48.20 40.80 7.40 55.90 36.60 19.30 5.18 7.42
Lebanon 70.50 61.50 9.00 54.30 46.40 7.90 45.80 35.80 10.00 10.00 1.11
Oman 99.80 94.30 5.50 95.60 89.00 6.60 74.60 67.20 7.30 13.70 1.33
Qatar 61.80 57.80 4.00 64.60 55.70 8.80 73.60 58.10 15.50 6.45 3.88
Saudi Arabia 91.90 87.00 4.90 93.10 87.60 5.50 72.80 65.70 7.10 14.08 1.45
Syrian Arab Republic 101.40 96.20 5.30 81.00 76.30 4.60 56.90 51.00 5.90 16.95 1.11
United Arab Emirates 44.60 41.30 3.30 50.90 40.80 10.10 65.50 39.80 25.70 3.89 7.79
Yemen 112.10 107.30 4.80 93.40 89.50 3.90 70.00 66.40 3.60 27.78 0.75
Source: United Nations, World Population Prospects 1990 (ST/ESA/SER.A/120), New York, 1991, Sales No. E.91.XIII.4.

Table 16. Rate of economic activity for the 60-plus population in Western Asia.

19 95 20 10 20 25
Male Female Male Female Male Female
World 60-64 62.16 18.06 59.06 14.74 55.38 11.65
65+ 29.60 6.58 25.00 5.19 19.93 3.75
Western Asia 60-64 65.95 21.93 61.62 16.70 58.44 14.36
65+ 34.09 9.49 24.92 5.77 19.51 3.58
Bahrain 60-64 N/A 65+ N/A
Democratic Yemen 60-64 71.77 7.36 64.97 8.09 61.56 8.89
65+ 33.99 2.56 22.74 2.51 17.09 2.47
Egypt 60-64 67.63 2.20 60.60 2.41 55.99 2.65
65+ 27.19 0.93 18.62 0.92 13.00 0.90
Iraq 60-64 68.82 15.33 65.62 14.41 64.00 13.05
65+ 38.86 7.22 28.25 5.20 23.89 3.25
Jordan 60-64 74.94 1.10 71.13 1.21 70.09 1.33
65+ 30.58 0.49 25.76 0.48 23.00 0.47
Kuwait 60-64 66.65 8.35 66.30 8.49 66.10 8.37
65+ 31.34 2.75 29.82 1.98 29.07 1.29
Lebanon 60-64 65.15 8.99 63.36 8.05 62.34 7.52
65+ 31.72 2.56 26.39 1.56 23.35 0.97
Oman 60-64 67.73 3.96 60.47 4.34 55.40 4.78
65+ 42.12 2.85 29.59 2.80 20.25 2.75
Qatar 60-64 77.12 5.50 76.55 5.56 76.23 5.45
65+ 34.21 1.97 32.10 1.42 30.90 0.88
Saudi Arabia 60-64 67.67 5.28 60.60 5.79 55.66 6.37
65+ 37.85 2.56 26.22 2.51 18.09 2.47
Syrian Arab Republic 60-64 70.61 6.05 66.18 6.64 64.23 7.30
65+ 34.38 2.65 24.72 2.61 20.45 2.56
United Arab Emirates 60-64 74.65 3.74 73.78 3.74 73.29 3.63
65+ 32.86 1.57 29.89 1.13 28.20 0.71
Yemen 60-64 75.08 7.14 69.40 7.84 62.71 8.62
65+ 54.65 4.42 45.13 4.35 34.34 4.27
Source: World Demographic Estimates and Projections, 1950-2025 (ST/ESA/SER.R/79), United Nations, New York, 1988.

Table 17. Average number of handicapped persons per 100,000 of the population in Syria by residence, type of handicap and sex.

Residence Sex Blind Deaf and
mute With
one arm Without
arms With
one leg Without
legs Paralysed Mentally
retarded Others Total

Urban
Male 134 172 46 18 51 20 340 205 221 1208
Female 101 147 20 17 21 18 224 121 125 794
Total 118 160 33 18 37 19 284 165 174 1008
Rural
Male 181 214 55 14 51 17 285 186 251 1255
Female 147 161 24 15 21 17 183 108 133 809
Total 165 188 40 15 36 17 234 147 193 1034
Total
Male 159 194 50 16 51 18 311 195 237 1232
Female 126 154 22 16 21 17 202 114 129 802
Total 143 175 37 16 37 18 258 155 184 1022
Source: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Social Statistics
and Indicators in the ESCWA Region, December 1989 (E/ESCWA/SD/89/8). pp. 145.

Table 18. Number and percentage distribution of handicapped and total population in Jordan by age group.

Age group Handicapped Total
No. % No. %
0-4 1546 8.3 386237 19.2
5-9 4660 24.9 351478 17.5
10-14 3836 20.5 300506 14.9
15-19 2025 10.8 225408 11.2
20-24 894 4.8 142709 7.1
25-29 548 2.9 102041 5.1
30-34 565 3.0 96179 4.8
35-39 515 2.7 92101 4.6
40-44 518 2.8 81569 4.1
45-49 462 2.5 64171 3.2
50-54 439 2.3 49866 2.5
55-59 387 2.1 35072 1.7
60+ 2334 12.5 83714 4.2
Total 18729 100.0 2011051 100.0
Source: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia,
Social Statistics and Indicators in the ESCWA Region, December 1989 (E/ESCWA/SD/89/8). pp.69.

Table 19. Percentage distribution of handicapped population in Al-Yarmouk camp, Palestine by age group and type of handicap.
Table A. Percentage distribution of male handicapped population in Al-Yarmouk camp, Palestine by age group and type of handicap.

Age group Blind Deaf and
Dumb Loss of
upper limb Loss of
upper limbs Loss of
tower limb Loss of
tower limbs Paralysis
Mental
handicap Other Handicapped
population Total
population

00-04 2.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.8 0.0 2.7 2.0 15.5
05-09 2.2 13.9 0.0 11.1 0.0 0.0 9.4 13.4 5.4 7.5 13.9
10-14 13.3 11.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 16.0 14.9 10.1 11.5 13.2
15-19 6.7 11.1 23.1 11.1 0.0 14.3 17.0 19.4 18.2 15.5 12.7
20-24 11.1 22.2 7.7 22.2 15.0 14.3 12.3 13.4 17.6 15.1 10.9
25-29 4.4 13.9 0.0 0.0 10.0 28.6 9.4 14.9 6.8 9.1 8.1
30-34 8.9 5.6 7.7 11.1 10.0 14.3 2.8 7.5 3.4 5.3 5.1
35-39 2.2 2.8 7.7 0.0 25.0 0.0 2.8 3.0 3.4 4.0 4.5
40-44 2.2 2.8 15.4 11.1 15.0 14.3 3.8 9.0 4.1 5.5 4.1
45-49 2.2 0.0 15.4 11.1 0.0 0.0 3.8 3.0 6.1 4.2 3.6
50-54 4.4 0.0 0.0 11.1 0.0 0.0 4.7 0.0 3.4 2.9 2.5
55-59 6.7 2.8 15.4 0.0 15.0 0.0 2.8 1.5 4.7 4.4 2.0
60-64 0.0 2.8 7.7 0.0 5.0 14.3 2.8 0.0 4.7 3.1 1.5
65-69 6.7 2.8 0.0 0.0 5.0 0.0 1.9 0.0 0.7 1.8 0.8
70+ 26.7 8.3 0.0 11.1 0.0 0.0 6.6 0.0 8.8 8.0 1.6
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Total 10.0 8.0 2.9 2.0 4.4 1.6 23.5 14.9 32.8 100.0
Table B. Percentage distribution of female handicapped population in Al-Yarmouk camp, Palestine by age group and type of handicap.

Age group Blind Deaf and
Dumb Loss or
upper limb Loss of
upper limbs Loss of
tower limb Loss of
tower limbs Paralysis Mental
handicap Other Handicapped
population Total
population

00-04 9.1 0.0 0.0 100.0 0.0 0.0 15.9 0.0 5.6 7.3 16.3
05-09 4.5 16.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 6.3 14.0 12.5 10.5 14.4
10-14 4.5 13.3 50.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 11.1 14.0 5.6 9.7 14.0
15-19 4.5 26.7 0.0 0.0 33.3 33.3 20.6 22.0 19.4 19.8 12.9
20-24 13.6 13.3 0.0 0.0 33.3 0.0 6.3 22.0 12.5 13.0 10.4
25-29 9.1 3.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 7.9 12.0 6.9 7.7 6.9
30-34 4.5 3.3 50.0 0.0 0.0 33.3 6.3 4.0 4.2 5.3 4.7
35-39 4.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.2 4.0 1.4 2.4 4.1
40-44 4.5 3.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 5.6 2.4 3.5
45-49 4.5 10.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 7.9 2.0 2.8 4.9 3.8
50-54 4.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.4 0.8 2.6
55-59 4.5 3.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 2.0 2.8 2.4 1.8
60-64 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 0.0 6.9 2.4 1.7
65-69 4.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.2 0.0 2.8 2.0 1.0
70+ 22.7 6.7 0.0 0.0 33.3 33.3 7.9 4.0 9.7 9.3 1.8
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Total 8.9 12.1 0.8 0.8 1.2 1.2 25.5 20.2 29.1 100.0
Table C. Percentage distribution of total handicapped population in Al-Yarmouk, Palestine by age group and type of handicap.

Age group Blind Dear and Loss or Loss of Loss or Loss of Paralysis Mental Other Handicapped Total
Dumb upper limb upper limbs lower limb lower limbs handicap population population
00-04 4.5 0.0 0.0 18.2 0.0 0.0 8.3 0.0 3.6 3.9 15.9
05-09 3.0 15.2 0.0 9.1 0.0 0.0 8.3 13.7 7.7 8.6 14.2
10-14 10.4 12.1 6.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 14.2 14.5 8.6 10.9 13.6
15-19 6.0 18.2 20.0 9.1 4.3 20.0 18.3 20.5 18.6 17.0 12.8
20-24 11.9 18.2 6.7 18.2 17.4 10.0 10.1 17.1 15.9 14.3 10.7
25-29 6.0 9.1 0.0 0.0 8.7 20.0 8.9 13.7 6.8 8.6 7.5
30-34 7.5 4.5 13.3 9.1 8.7 20.0 4.1 6.0 3.6 5.3 4.9
35-39 3.0 1.5 6.7 0.0 21.7 0.0 3.0 3.4 2.7 3.4 4.3
40-44 3.0 3.0 13.3 9.1 13.0 10.0 2.4 5.1 4.5 4.4 3.8
45-49 3.0 4.5 13.3 9.1 0.0 0.0 5.3 2.6 5.0 4.4 3.7
50-54 4.5 0.0 0.0 9.1 0.0 0.0 3.0 0.0 2.7 2.1 2.5
55-59 6.0 3.0 13.3 0.0 13.0 0.0 2.4 1.7 4.1 3.7 1.9
60-64 0.0 1.5 6.7 0.0 4.3 10.0 2.4 0.0 5.5 2.9 1.6
65-69 6.0 1.5 0.0 0.0 4.3 0.0 2.4 0.0 1.4 1.9 0.9
70+ 25.4 7.6 0.0 9.1 4.3 10.0 7.1 1.7 9.1 8.5 1.7
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Total 9.6 9.5 2.1 1.6 3.3 1.4 24.2 16.8 31.5 100.0
Source: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Social Statistics and Indicators in the ESCWA Region, December 1989 (E/ESCWA/SD/89/8). pp. 128.

Table 20. Percentage distribution of handicapped population (10 years old and over) in Syria by education attainment and type of handicap.
Table A. Percentage distribution of handicapped male population (10 years old and over) in Syria by educational attainment and type of handicap.

Educational Blind Deaf and
mute With
one arm Without
arms With
one leg Without
legs Paralyzed Mentally
retarded Other Handicapped
population Total
population
Attainment

Illiterate 74.35 74.14 38.37 34.37 44.52 28.64 49.56 81.10 49.02 60.51 21.95
Read and write 14.03 16.09 31.44 29.01 30.05 29.95 24.74 10.71 27.79 20.96 31.52
Subtotal 88.38 90.22 69.80 63.38 74.57 58.59 74.31 91.80 76.82 81.48 53.47
Primary 6.44 6.63 18.10 18.03 14.79 25.37 16.52 4.88 14.83 11.56 26.35
Intermediate 2.33 1.62 6.10 5.92 4.79 7.20 5.38 1.64 4.17 3.58 9.32
Secondary 1.79 0.78 3.77 7.32 3.70 4.75 2.70 1.02 2.86 2.21 6.63
Vocat/Tech. diploma 0.20 0.20 0.93 2.82 0.87 1.80 0.36 0.26 0.56 0.42 1.63
University and Masters 0.79 0.46 1.24 2.54 1.28 2.13 0.63 0.36 0.67 0.68 2.48
Doctorate 0.03 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.05 0.01 0.03 0.03 0.09
Subtotal 11.59 9.70 30.14 36.62 25.43 41.24 25.65 8.17 23.13 18.48 46.50
Not stated 0.03 0.07 0.05 0.00 0.00 0.16 0.04 0.03 0.05 0.04 0.03
Total 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
Table B. Percentage distribution of handicapped female population (10 years old and over) in Syria by educational attainment and type of handicap.

Educational
Attainment Blind Deaf and
mute With
one arm Without
arms With
one leg Without
legs Paralyzed Mentally
retarded Other Handicapped
population Total
population

illiterate 87.60 85.60 65.45 62.08 71.93 53.60 74.63 90.62 75.39 80.50 54.53
Read and write 5.88 8.90 15.53 17.42 12.94 19.41 12.00 5.16 12.03 9.70 20.17
Subtotal 93.48 94.49 80.98 79.49 84.86 73.01 86.62 95.78 87.42 90.20 74.70
Primary 4.25 3.68 12.04 13.20 8.28 16.08 8.63 2.37 7.90 6.19 15.16
Intermediate 1.27 1.00 3.65 2.53 3.10 5.91 3.04 0.99 2.41 2.02 5.53
Secondary 0.76 0.67 2.22 2.81 2.07 2.96 1.28 0.47 1.47 1.09 2.88
Vocat/Tech. diploma 0.08 0.06 0.48 0.84 0.91 0.92 0.18 0.21 0.31 0.22 1.09
University and Masters 0.13 0.06 0.63 1.12 0.78 1.11 0.21 0.17 0.31 0.23 0.59
Doctorate 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01
Subtotal 6.50 5.47 19.02 20.51 15.14 26.99 13.33 4.22 12.40 9.75 25.27
Not stated 0.02 0.04 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.04 0.00 0.18 0.05 0,03
Total 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
Table C. Percentage distribution of total handicapped population (10 years old and over) in Syria by educational attainment and handicap.

Educational
Attainment Blind Deaf and
mute With
one arm Without
arms With
one leg Without
legs Paralyzed Mentally
retarded Other Handicapped
population Total
population

Illiterate 79.96 79.01 45.03 48.24 51.67 40.36 58.95 84.44 57.82 67.95 37.88
Read and write 10.58 13.03 27.52 23.21 25.58 25.00 19.97 8.76 22.53 16.77 25.97
Subtotal 90.54 92.04 72.55 71.45 77.25 65.36 78.92 93.20 80.35 84.72 63.85
Primary 5.51 5.38 16.61 15.61 13.09 21.01 13.57 4.00 12.52 9.56 20.88
Intermediate 1.88 1.36 5.50 4.22 4.35 6.60 4.51 1.41 3.58 3.00 7.47
Secondary 1.35 0.73 3.39 5.06 3.27 3.91 2.17 0.83 2.40 1.79 4.80
Vocat/Tech. diploma 0.15 0.14 0.82 1.83 0.88 1.39 0.29 0.24 0.48 0.35 1.36
University and Masters 0.51 0.29 1.09 1.83 1.15 1.65 0.47 0.29 0.55 0.51 1.56
Doctorate 0.02 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.03 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.05
Subtotal 9.43 7.90 27.41 28.55 22.75 34.55 21.04 6.78 19.55 15.23 36.12
Not stated 0.03 0.06 0.04 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.04 0.02 0.10 0.05 0.03
Total 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
Source: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Social Statistics and Indicators in the ESCWA Region, December 1989 (E/ESCWA/SD/89/8). pp. 147.

Table 21. Percentage distribution of handicapped population (10 years old and over) in Syria by employment status and type of handicap.
Table A. Percentage distribution of handicapped male population (10 years old and over) in Syria by employment status and type of handicap.

Employment status
Blind Deaf and
mute With
one arm Without
arms With
one leg Without
tegs Paralysed Mentally
retarded Other Handicapped
population Total
population

Self employed 6.77 12.79 19.39 15.49 15.48 10.80 4.77 0.00 17.80 9.36 16.56
Employer 1.10 1.70 2.38 3.94 2.47 3.27 0.83 0.00 2.33 1.36 2.69
Employee paid in wages 12.23 26.05 29.89 35.49 21.92 25.20 9.71 0.00 26.18 16.01 39.06
Employee paid in kind 0.06 0.29 0.21 0.00 0.18 0.00 0.06 0.00 0.29 0.14 0.23
Unpaid family worker 0.62 6.57 2.17 1.41 1.92 2.95 0.99 0.00 2.27 1.97 4.13
Other unpaid worker 0.02 0.04 0.05 0.56 0.09 0.00 0.04 0.00 0.07 0.04 0.06
Not stated 0.44 0.39 0.78 0.00 0.82 0.49 0.37 0.00 0.60 0.41 0.30
Subtotal 21.24 47.84 54.86 56.90 42.88 42.72 16.77 0.00 49.53 29.30 63.02
Seeking work 1th time 1.51 7.18 3.31 3.94 1.96 3.27 1.70 0.00 2.82 2.54 1.95
Not EAP. 77.26 44.98 41.83 39.15 55.16 54.01 81.54 100.00 47.64 68.17 35.03
Total 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
Table B. Percentage distribution of handicapped female population (10 years old and over) in Syria by employment status and type of handicap.

Employment status
Blind Deaf and
mute With
one arm Without
arms With
one leg Without
legs Paralysed Mentally
retarded Other Handicapped
population Total
population

Self employed 0.28 0.90 0.63 0.91 0.91 0.37 0.62 0.00 0.98 0.58 0.68
Employer 0.02 0.10 0.00 0.13 0.13 0.18 0.03 0.00 0.06 0.05 0.06
Employee paid in wages 1.16 2.19 3.17 4.21 4.27 4.99 1.42 0.00 3.23 1.84 3.98
Employee paid in kind 0.00 0.02 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.02 0.01 0.01
Unpaid family worker 0.17 1.94 1.74 0.84 0.78 1.85 0.16 0.00 0.82 0.67 1.39
Other unpaid worker 0.00 0.02 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.00 0.02 0.01 0.02
Not stated 0.00 0.02 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01
Subtotal 1.63 5.19 5.55 5.90 6.08 7.39 2.25 0.00 5.13 3.17 6.15
Seeking work 1th time 0.23 0.74 0.32 0.28 0.39 0.55 0.32 0.00 0.45 0.36 0.25
Not EAP. 98.14 94.06 94.14 93.82 93.53 92.05 97.43 100.00 94.43 96.47 93.59
Total 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
Table C. Percentage distribution of total handicapped population (10 years old and over) in Syria by employment status and type of handicap.

Employment status
Blind Deaf and
mute With
one arm Without
arms With
one leg Without
legs Paralysed Mentally
retarded Other Handicapped
population Total
population

Self employed 4.02 7.74 14.78 8.02 11.68 5.90 3.21 0.00 12.19 6.10 8.80
Employer 0.65 1.02 1.79 2.11 1.86 1.82 0.53 0.00 1.57 0.87 1.41
Employee paid in wages 7.54 15.90 23.31 19.83 17.31 15.71 6.61 0.00 18.52 10.74 21.91
Employee paid in kind 0.04 0.18 0.16 0.00 0.13 0.00 0.04 0.00 0.20 0.09 0.12
Unpaid family worker 0.43 4.60 2.07 1.13 1.62 2.43 0.68 0.00 1.78 1.49 2.79
Other unpaid worker 0.01 0.03 0.04 0.28 0.07 0.00 0.03 0.00 0.05 0.03 0.04
Not stated 0.25 0.23 0.58 0.00 0.61 0.26 0.23 0.00 0.40 0.26 0.16
Subtotal 12.93 29.70 42.73 31.36 33.28 26.13 11.33 0.00 34.72 19.58 35.22
Seeking work 1th time 0.97 4.44 2.57 2.11 1.55 2.00 1.18 0.00 2.03 1.73 1.12
Not EAP. 86.10 65.86 54.70 66.53 65.17 71.88 87.49 100.00 63.25 78.69 63.66
Total 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
Source: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Social Statistics
and Indicatiors in the ESCWA Region, December 1989 (E/ESCWA/SD/89/8). pp150.

Table 22. Number and percentage distribution of handicapped population (13 years old and over) in the East Bank of Jordan by age group and marital status.
Table A. Number and percentage distribution of male handicapped population (13 years old and over) in the East Bank by age group and marital status.

Age group Single Married Divorced Number Widowed Total Single Married Divorced Percentage Widowed Total
13-14 477 1 0 0 478 16.45 0.06 0.00 0.00 9.77
15-19 1019 4 0 0 1023 35.15 0.22 0.00 0.00 20.91
20-24 562 35 3 0 600 19.39 1.95 6.25 0.00 12.26
25-29 264 80 8 1 353 9.11 4.46 16.67 0.67 7.22
30-34 152 81 9 2 244 5.24 4.51 18.75 1.33 4.99
35-39 129 138 5 0 272 4.45 7.69 10.42 0.00 5.56
40-44 99 142 7 0 248 3.41 7.91 14.58 0.00 5.07
45-49 58 126 3 2 189 2.00 7.02 6.25 1.33 3.86
50-54 37 189 3 7 236 1.28 10.53 6.25 4.67 4.82
55-59 23 125 3 6 157 0.79 6.96 6.25 4.00 3.21
60-64 20 203 2 17 242 0.69 11.31 4.17 11.33 4.95
65+ 59 671 5 115 850 2.04 37.38 10.42 76.67 17.38
Total 2899 1795 48 150 4892 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
Table B. Number and percentage distribution of female handicapped population (13 years old and over) in the East Bank by age group and marital status.

Age group Single Married Divorced Number Widowed Total Single Married Divorced Percentage Widowed Total
13-14 298 0 0 0 298 17.49 0.00 0.00 0.00 10.87
15-19 604 6 3 0 613 35.45 1.34 3.26 0.00 22.36
20-24 309 15 7 1 332 18.13 3.36 7.61 0.20 12.11
25-29 162 17 8 2 189 9.51 3.80 8.70 0.40 6.90
30-34 82 25 6 4 117 4.81 5.59 6.52 0.80 4.27
35-39 71 42 11 7 131 4.17 9.40 11.96 1.41 4.78
40-44 49 42 13 12 116 2.88 9.40 14.13 2.41 4.23
45-49 33 49 10 9 101 1.94 10.96 10.87 1.81 3.68
50-54 30 50 13 35 128 1.76 11.19 14.13 7.03 4.67
55-59 12 37 4 18 71 0.70 8.28 4.35 3.61 2.59
60-64 18 44 5 47 114 1.06 9.84 5.43 9.44 4.16
65+ 36 120 12 363 531 2.11 26.85 13.04 72.89 19.37
Total 1704 447 92 498 2741 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
Table C. Number and percentage of total handicapped population (13 years old and over) in the East Bank by age group and marital status.

Age group Single Married Divorced Number Widowed Total Single Married Divorced Percentage Widowed Total
13-14 775 1 0 0 776 16.84 0.04 0.00 0.00 10.17
15-19 1623 10 3 0 1636 35.26 0.45 2.14 0.00 21.43
20-24 871 50 10 1 932 18.92 2.23 7.14 0.15 12.21
25-29 426 97 16 3 542 9.25 4.33 11.43 0.46 7.10
30-34 234 106 15 6 361 5.08 4.73 10.71 0.93 4.73
35-39 200 180 16 7 403 4.34 8.03 11.43 1.08 5.28
40-44 148 184 20 12 364 3.22 8.21 14.29 1.85 4.77
45-49 91 175 13 11 290 1.98 7.81 9.29 1.70 3.80
50-54 67 239 16 42 364 1.46 10.66 11.43 6.48 4.77
55-59 35 162 7 24 228 0.76 7.23 5.00 3.70 2.99
60-64 38 247 7 64 356 0.83 11.02 5.00 9.88 4.66
65+ 95 791 17 478 1381 2.06 35.28 12.14 73.77 18.09
Total 4603 2242 140 648 7633 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
Source: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Social Statistics
and Indicators in the ESCWA Region, December 1989 (E/ESCWA/SD/89/8). pp. 84,

Table 23. Selected indicators for human development in the ESCWA region

Population with access to People in absolute poverty (Millions)
Life expectancy at birth Health Services (%) Safe water (%) Sanitation (%) Adult literacy rate (%) GNP per capita (US$) Infant Mortality
(per 1,000 live
births) Children dying
before age five
(thousands) Total Rural Daily calorie
Supply (as % of
requirements)
Country 1990 1987-90 1988-90 1988-90 1990 1990 1991 1990 1991 1991 1988-1990

Bahrain 71.0 100 100 100 77 6,830 14 (.) - -

Egypt 60.3 99 86 54 48 610 59 148 12.6 7.2 132

Iraq 65.0 98 93 72 60 - 60 17 - - 128

Jordan 66.9 90 99 100 80 1,340 38 8 0.7 0.2 110

Kuwait 73.4 100 100 98 73 - 14 1 - - 130

Lebanon 66.1 95 98 78 80 - 36 5 - - 127

Oman 65.9 89 57 51 - 5,650 32 3 - -

Palestine - - - - - - - - -

Qatar 69.2 100 91 97 - 15,870 28 (.) - -

S. Arabia 64.5 98 95 86 62 7,070 33 54 - 121

Syria 66.1 99 79 63 65 1,000 42 33 - -- 126

U.A.E. 70.5 90 166 95 19,870 23 1 - -- 151

Yemen 51.5 - - - 39 540 110 113 - --
Source :
United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Human Development Report. 1993. pp. 138-143.

Table 24.

Selected indicators on culture and communication

Country Daily Newspapers Paper consumption
Kg. per 000'
Radio receivers
Television receivers Telephone lines

Number
000' Circulation per 000'
Number
000'
Per 000' population Number
000'
Per 000' population
Per 000' population
Year Books Published

Bahrain 1975 5515 85 313 30 110 ...

1980 ... 3 40 4913 125 361 90 260 12

1985 ... 2 44 4895 210 490 170 396 ...

1988 ... ... ... 175

1990 ... 2 56 4070 274 531 208 403 185

Egypt 1991 ... 537 278 215 415 194

1975 ... 1095 30 2706 4900 135 620 17

1980 ... 1701 42 4565 6000 147 1400 34 ...

1985 ... 2383 51 1988 1451 4651 12000 258 3860 83 28(1)

1990 ... 3000 S7 4618 17000 324 5700 109 ...

1991 ... 17500 325 6200 116 ...

Iraq 1975 ... 230 21 1679 1252 66 415 38 ...

1980 ... 340 26 1843 2100 165 650 49 ...

1985 ... 600 38 3522 3000 210 900 57 ...

1988 ... ... ... 48

1990 ... 650 34 3700 3880 247 1300 69 47(2)

1991 ... ... ... ... 4020 215 1350 166 41

Table24/1

Table 24. Selected indicators on culture and communication

Daily Newspapers Paper consumption
Kg. per 000' Radio receivers Television receivers Telephone lines
Country .

Number
000'
Circulation per 000*
Number
000'
Per 000' population Number
000'
Per 000' population
Per 000' population
Year Books Published

Jordan 1975 58 22 1038 450 173 120 46 ...
1980 66 23 3318 550 188 171 59 28
1985 ... 155 45 4726 791 232 240 70 52
1988 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 67
1990 ... 225 56 4415 1020 254 325 81 72
1991 ... ... ... 1080 256 330 80 72
Kuwait 1975 ... 180 179 15476 203 201 150 149 86
1980 305 222 30327 390 284 353 257 117
1985 ... 380 221 19070 535 311 450 262 130
1988 793 .... ... ... ... ... ... ... 144
1990 ... 450 221 17067 700 343 580 285 ...
1991 ... ... ... ... 715 343 590 283 ...
Lebanon 1975 ... 300 108 11457 1321 477 410 148 ...
1980 ... 290 109 15051 2000 749 750 281 ...
1985 1988 ... 300 112 9596 2050 768 800 300 ...
1990 ... 320 118 9219 2270 840 890 330 ,..
1991 ... ... ... ... 2320 833 905 325 ...
Table 24/2

Table 24.

Selected indicators on culture and communication

Country

Year
Books Published Daily Newspapers Paper consumption
Kg. per 000' Radio receivers Television receivers
Telephone lines

Number
000'
Circulation per 000*
Number
000'
Per 000' population Number
000'
Per 000' population

Per 000' population

Oman 1975 15 20 3
1980 300 305 35 36l
1985 ... 51 41 5314 800 644 900 725 33
1988 ... ... ... ... 59
1990 ... 62 41 4927 970 646 1150 766 70
Qatar 1991 1006 637 1150 728 76

1975 ... 20 117 8187 50 292 20 117 ...
1980 ... 30 131 14847 100 437 80 399 ...
1985 ... 60 201 11706 150 502 120 401 ...
1988 ... ... ... ... 238
I 1990 ... 80 217 9511 189 514 190 516 222
S. Arabia 1991 195 443 198 450 ...

1975 ... 215 30 1999 950 131 800 110 ...
1980 ... 350 37 6210 2500 267 2800 224 ...
1985 ... 450 39 13040 3350 306 3100 267 ...
1988 ... ... ... ... 77
1990 ... 600 42 4117 4500 318 4000 283 92
1991 ... 4070 304 4100 255 ...
Table 24/3

Table 24. Selected indicators on culture and communication

Country

Year
Books Published Daily Newspapers Paper consumption
Kg. per 000' Radio receivers Television receivers Telephone lines |

Number
000'
Circulation per 000'
Number
000' Per 000' population Number
000'
Per 000' population
Per 000' population

Syria 1975 ... 77 10 1734 1400 188 224 30 ...
1980 ... 114 13 3829 1700 193 385 44 ...
1985 1988 ... 103 16 2878 2200 210 600 57 48 47
1990 280 22 2322 3150 251 740 59 43
1991 ... ... ... 3270 255 770 60 42
U.A.E 1975 ... 10 20 ... 52 103 25 50 ...
1980 ... 152 149 ... 240 236 93 92 ...
1985 1988 290 215 380 281 130 96 207
1990 281 250 157 ... 515 324 175 110 ...
1991 ... ... ... ... 530 325 175 107 ...
Former D. Yemen 1975 ... 14 8 ... 90 54 31 19 ...
1980 ... 14 8 ... 118 63 35 19 ...
1985 1988 ... 15 7 ... 150 70 41 19 ...
1990 ... 15 6 ... ... ... 160 64 ...
1991 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Table 24/4

Table 24. Selected indicators on culture and communication

Country

Year
Books Published Daily Newspapers Paper consumption
Kg. per 000' Radio receivers Television receivers Telephone lines

Number
000'
Circulation per 000*
Number
000'
Per 000' population Number
000'
Per 000' population
Per 000' population

Former A. R. Yemen 1975 ... 70 13 1980 ... 84 13 1985 ... 110 14 ... 87 16 110 17 150 20 5 0.8 28 3.7
1988
1990 ... 120 13 1991 ... ... 175 19
(1) 1986-1988
(2) Excluding autonomous region
Source: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia,
Compendium of Social Statistics and Indicators, Third Issue, Amman, 1993.
Table 24/5

Table 25. Selected communication profile in the ESCWA region

Radios (per 1000 people) Televisions (par 1000 people) Daily Newspaper circulation (par 1000 people) Telephones (par 1000 people) Passenger cars
(per 1000
people) Book titles published (per 100000 people) Annual cinema
attendances (per
person) Average no. of
people served by
one post office
Country 1990 1990 1988-90 1986-88 1985-89 1988-90 1987 90 1986-88

Bahrain 531 403 58 282 185 - - -

Egypt 324 109 57 28 20 3 0.7 5,500

Iraq 205 59 34 - 15 - - -

Jordan 254 81 58 - 58 - - 3,600

Kuwait 343 285 221 189 227 41 0.8 -

Lebanon 840 330 118 - - - - -

Oman 848 788 41 53 - - - 14,600

Palestine - - - - - - - -

Qatar 514 | 518 217 348 233 - 1.8 10,400

8. Arabia 318 283 42 158 - 15,800

Syria 251 59 22 58 11 1.1 19,100

U.A.E. 324 110 157 245 - 18 15,600

Yamen 33 31 11 15 2.5 65,800
8ource :
United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Human Development Report. 1993. pp. 166-167.

Table 26 •Government expenditure on education, health and the military

Country Public expenditure on (as % of GNP ) Public expenditure on health (as % of GDP) Military expenditure (as % of GDP) Military expenditure (as % of
combined
education and health
expenditure ) Armed forces

as % of total Population
Per teacher ....
Per doctor

1960 - 1988-90 1960 1988-90 1960 199a 1977 1990 1987 1967 1967
Bahrain Egypt Iraq Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Oman Qatar S. Arabia Syria .A.E. Yemen 5.4 5.0 32 134 0.65 0.6 5

4.1 6.0 0.6 5.0 5.5 4.6 341 57 0.89 1.1 7

5.8 5.1 1.0 8.7 20.0 212 511 5.86 6.3 105

3.0 4.4 0.6 6.0 16.7 10.9 183 128 2.11 2.1 .26

5.0 ... 6.5 88 83 0.81 0.5 5

... 1.3 3.1 ... ... 0.58 0.4 5

3.7 2.1 15.8 268 1.65 1.7 18

3.4 3.1 ... 53 2.15 1.2 1111

3.2 5.8 0.6 2.1 5.7 17.7 137 177 0.59 0.5 4

2.0 4.4 4.0 7.9 13.0 243 204 3.63 3.0 47

1.9 9.0 4.7 149 174 2.96 2.7 23

... ... ... ... ... •X* 207 ... 0.68 ... ...
Source: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia,
Compendium of Social Statistics and Indicators, Third Issue, Amman, 1993.

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