Editing Ramallah (section)

==Demographics==
An [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] village list of about 1870 showed that Ramallah had 249 houses and a population of 635, though the population count included men only. The village was described as being in the ''Bire'' area,"north of [[Mikhmas]], on a rocky hill."<ref name=Socin>Socin, 1879, p. [https://archive.org/stream/zeitschriftdesde01deut#page/158/mode/1up 158] the population count is given with a "?"</ref><ref>Hartmann, 1883, p.[https://archive.org/stream/bub_gb_BZobAQAAIAAJ#page/n935/mode/1up 127] noted 120 houses</ref><ref name=Arieh90>Ben-Arieh, 1985, p. [http://www.ybz.org.il/_Uploads/dbsAttachedFiles/Article_36.8.pdf 90] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722211520/http://www.ybz.org.il/_Uploads/dbsAttachedFiles/Article_36.8.pdf |date=July 22, 2020 }}</ref> In 1896, the population of Ramallah was estimated to be about 2,061 persons.<ref>Schick, 1896, p. [https://archive.org/stream/zeitschriftdesde19deut#page/n228/mode/1up 121]</ref><ref name="Arieh90" />

In the [[1922 census of Palestine]] conducted by the [[Mandatory Palestine|British Mandate authorities]], Ramallah had a population of 3,104 (2,972 [[Christians]], 125 [[Muslim]]s, and seven Jews<ref name="Census1922">Barron, 1923, p. [https://archive.org/stream/PalestineCensus1922/Palestine%20Census%20%281922%29#page/n18/mode/1up 16]</ref><ref>Harris, Chauncy Dennison. [https://books.google.com/books?id=28l-AAAAMAAJ&q=Ramallah+jews Research paper: Issues 217–218 of World Patterns of Modern Urban Change: Essays in Honor of Chauncy D. Harris] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102005326/https://books.google.com/books?id=28l-AAAAMAAJ&q=Ramallah+jews&dq=Ramallah+jews&hl=en&ei=EZE8TIjwNo6UjAe83pjCAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDgQ6AEwBDgy |date=January 2, 2016 }} pg. 154</ref>), the Christians consisting of 2,162 Orthodox, 1 [[Syriac Orthodox Church|Syriac Orthodox]] (Jacobite), 332 [[Roman Catholics]], 144 Greek Catholic ([[Melkite Catholic]]), 211 [[Church of England]], and 122 "other".<ref name="Census1922b">Barron, 1923, p. [https://archive.org/stream/PalestineCensus1922/Palestine%20Census%20%281922%29#page/n47/mode/1up 45]</ref> The population increased at the time of the [[1931 census of Palestine|1931 census]] to 4,286 (3,766 Christians, 519 Muslims and one Jew) in a total of 1,014 houses.<ref name="Census1931">Mills, 1932, p. [https://archive.org/details/CensusOfPalestine1931.PopulationOfVillagesTownsAndAdministrativeAreas 50]</ref> In the 1938 village statistics, the population is listed as 4,900.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://users.cecs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/VillageStatistics1938orig.pdf |title=Village Statistics |year=1938 |pages=48 |access-date=November 6, 2023 |archive-date=November 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107124512/https://users.cecs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/VillageStatistics1938orig.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In the [[Village Statistics, 1945|1945 statistics]], the population stood at 5,080,<ref>Government of Palestine, Department of Statistics. ''Village Statistics, April, 1945.'' Quoted in Hadawi, 1970, p. [http://www.palestineremembered.com/download/VillageStatistics/Table%20I/Ramallah/Page-065.jpg 65] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107034222/https://www.palestineremembered.com/download/VillageStatistics/Table%20I/Ramallah/Page-065.jpg |date=November 7, 2020 }}</ref> with Christians forming the majority of the population (4,440 Christians and 640 Muslims).

However, the demographic makeup of the town changed drastically between 1948 and 1967, when considerable emigration of Christians took place. Slightly more than half of the city's 12,134 inhabitants were Christian by 1967, the other half Muslim.<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/490336/Ramallah Ramallah] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111129092138/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/490336/Ramallah |date=November 29, 2011 }}. ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. December 27, 2008.</ref>

Ramallah's population drastically decreased in the late 20th century from 24,722 inhabitants in 1987 to 17,851 in 1997. In the [[Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics]] (PCBS) census in 1997, [[Palestinian refugee]]s accounted for 60.3% of the population, which was 17,851.<ref>[http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/ram_t6.aspx Palestinian Population by Locality, Sex and Age Groups in Years] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081119061257/http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/ram_t6.aspx |date=November 19, 2008}} Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).</ref> There were 8,622 males and 9,229 females. People younger than 20 years of age made up 45.9% of the population, while those aged between 20 and 64 were 45.4%, and residents aged over 64 constituted 4.7%.<ref>[http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/ram_t1.aspx Palestinian Population by Locality, Sex and Age Groups in Years] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081119061326/http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/phc_97/ram_t1.aspx |date=November 19, 2008 }}. Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).</ref>

Only in 2005 did the population reach more than 24,000. In a PCBS projection in 2006, Ramallah had a population of 25,467 inhabitants.<ref>[http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/populati/pop07.aspx "Projected Mid -Year Population for Ramallah & Al Bireh Governorate by Locality 2004– 2006"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304011608/http://pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/populati/pop07.aspx |date=March 4, 2009 }}, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. (PCBS).</ref> In the 2007 PCBS census, there were 27,460 people living in the city.<ref name=PCBS07>[http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_PCBS/Downloads/book1487.pdf 2007 PCBS Census] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101210081942/http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_PCBS/Downloads/book1487.pdf |date=December 10, 2010 }}. Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. p.114. (Arabic)</ref> Sources vary about the current Christian population in the city, ranging around 25%.<ref>Hall, Andy. [http://www.eappi.org/ar/news-events/ea-reports/r/browse/17/article/4837/quaker-meeting-in-ramalla.html Quaker Meeting in Ramallah] [[Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel]]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110225142355/http://www.eappi.org/ar/news-events/ea-reports/r/browse/17/article/4837/quaker-meeting-in-ramalla.html |date=February 25, 2011 }}</ref><ref>Keulemans, Chris. [http://iwp.uiowa.edu/91st/vol4_n1/pdfs/keulemans.pdf Imagination Behind the Wall: Cultural Life in Ramallah] p.2. April 2005. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006013154/http://iwp.uiowa.edu/91st/vol4_n1/pdfs/keulemans.pdf |date=October 6, 2011 }}</ref>