Australia and Palestine
Australia and Palestine connect diplomacy, development and humanitarian assistance. State recognition in September 2025 changed the political framework.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07History and institutional framework
Representation offices in Canberra and Ramallah sustain institutional contact.
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, goods trade between Australia and Palestine totalled 4 million current USD.
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, meat and edible offal stands out in shipments from Australia to Palestine, at 2.6 million USD in 2025.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 4.03 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / AUS |
| Goods: Australia to Palestine | 2.61 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / AUS |
| Goods: Palestine to Australia | 1.41 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / AUS |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Australia to Palestine | 0 % | 2025 · UN Comtrade / AUS |
| Export share: Palestine to Australia | ||
| Investment stock: Australia in Palestine | ||
| Investment stock: Palestine in Australia |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / AUS · Goods; full year; reporter AUS. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. Mirror reports are not added together.
- Goods: Australia to Palestine
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / AUS · Goods; full year; reporter AUS. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. Mirror reports are not added together.
- Goods: Palestine to Australia
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / AUS · Goods; full year; reporter AUS. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. Mirror reports are not added together.
- Export share: Australia to Palestine
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / AUS · Goods share: AUS exports to the partner / exports by the same reporter to the world, same year.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
The aggregate Palestinian CPI reflects large differences between Gaza and the West Bank; its decline does not mean prices have fallen uniformly or living standards have recovered. Fiscal data cover central government.
| Indicator | Australia | Palestine |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 1.8 trillion USD2025 · WB | 17.17 billion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 65,129.72 USD2025 · WB | 3,171.11 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 1.35 %2025 · WB | 4.34 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 4.6 %2026-09-29 · RBA | Not comparable · ITA |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.87 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 9.81 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 4 %Headline CPI · 2026-08 · year-on-year · ABS | -34.25 %Year-on-year · Aug. 2026 · PCBS |
| Unemployment | 4.09 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 48.5 %PCBS est.2025 · PCBS |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -2.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -0.6 %provisionalprovisional2025 · PCBSCentral government · after grants |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 51 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 27.9 %provisionalprovisional2025 · PCBSCentral government |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -2.68 %2025 · WB | -15.82 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 27,614,4112025 · WB | 5,413,5962025 · WB |
| Area | 7,741,220 km²2023 · WB | 6,025 km²2023 · WB |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDAustralia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Palestine: 2025 · World Bank
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personAustralia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Palestine: 2025 · World Bank
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Australia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Palestine: 2025 · World Bank
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)Australia: 2026-09-29 · Cash rate target · RBA · Official central-bank decision; not a commercial lending rate or a bill yield.Palestine: There is no national currency of its own or single directly comparable rate for this row. Lending and deposit rates by currency are not monetary policy rates; Israel's rate is not automatically inherited. · International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Australia: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Palestine: 2025 · Annual average change in CPI (%) · World Bank
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedAustralia: 2026-08 · National headline CPI, change from the same month of the previous year · ABS · Published: 2026-09-30 · Official monthly data. Not mixed with the annual average. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-07Palestine: 2026-08 · Change in headline CPI against the same month of the previous year (%) · Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics · Published: 2026-09-14 · Palestinian aggregate published by PCBS in NIS. The result reflects very different situations: Gaza −58.39%, the West Bank +3.27% and Jerusalem J1 +3.30%. It does not mean prices have fallen uniformly or living standards have recovered; PCBS territorial coverage is retained.
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionAustralia: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, % of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Palestine: 2025 · PCBS annual estimate of aggregate unemployment in Palestine (aged 15 or over); excludes parts of Jerusalem as specified in the report. · Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics · PCBS est. · Table 3: Palestine 48.5%, the West Bank 30.9%, Gaza 77.9%. PCBS states that the Palestinian aggregate and Gaza are estimates for 2023–2025; this is not a complete survey of Gaza in 2025.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Australia: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.Palestine: 2025 · Overall central government balance after grants, on a commitment basis, as % of GDP; not a current or cash balance. · Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics · provisional · Provisional · PCBS publishes a deficit of 0.6% of GDP. Table 5: −94.9 M USD and preliminary GDP of 17,167.1 M USD. Not the consolidated general-government WEO coverage used for other countries.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Australia: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.Palestine: 2025 · Central government public debt at the end of 2025 divided by annual GDP, according to PCBS. · Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics · provisional · Provisional · PCBS publishes 27.9% (debt 4,788.8 M USD). The debt and GDP scope of the same publication is retained; no inference is made to include every liability or arrear outside the source's coverage.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPAustralia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Palestine: 2025 · World Bank
- Population
- PeopleAustralia: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Palestine: 2025 · World Bank
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceAustralia: 2023 · World Bank / FAO · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.Palestine: 2023 · Area according to the series' coverage; does not determine sovereignty or effective control · World Bank
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
Australia to Palestine
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Meat and edible offal | 2.6 M USD2025 · Source |
Palestine to Australia
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
Connections between people
Contacts between people and relations between governments are distinct dimensions. Published counts appear in the table with their date and definition; a resident community is not inferred from trade or diplomatic representation. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Australia living in Palestine | ||
| Residents from Palestine living in Australia | ||
| Study and training: Australia in Palestine | ||
| Study and training: Palestine in Australia | ||
| Academic stays: Australia in Palestine | ||
| Academic stays: Palestine in Australia | ||
| Travel: Australia to Palestine | ||
| Travel: Palestine to Australia |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
History and institutional framework
Representation offices in Canberra and Ramallah sustain institutional contact. Assistance and support for a negotiated two-state solution are areas distinct from the relationship's political classification. [1]
The scale of both economies
Nominal GDP for Australia is 1,798.5 billion USD (2025), compared with 17.2 for Palestine (2025). The reference populations are 27.61 and 5.41 million, respectively. In the same year, the economy of Australia was 104.77 times that of Palestine in nominal GDP. The comparison provides context on market size, but does not, on its own, measure influence, well-being or diplomatic closeness. Estimates and their sources retain their labels in the tables. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
Areas of the relationship
Recognition of the State of Palestine: Australia formalised recognition as part of its approach towards a two-state solution. [1]
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, merchandise trade between the two countries (Australia and Palestine) totalled 4 million current USD. Shipments from the first to the second were 2.6 million; those in the opposite direction, 1.4 million. The difference between the two flows was 1.2 million, in favour of Australia. This is a goods balance, not the total balance of the economic relationship: it excludes services, income and transfers. Both directions come from a single customs reporter to avoid adding mirror records. [2]
The partner's share of exports
Sales from Australia to the partner represented 0% of its worldwide goods exports in 2025. The share compares the same reporter, year and coverage. It measures export concentration, not the percentage of GDP dependent on this relationship. A partner may be important in a specific sector even if its share of total goods trade is small. [2]
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, meat and edible offal stands out in shipments from Australia to Palestine, at 2.6 million USD in 2025. The table compares eight selected chapters with the same coverage as the trade total. It is not a complete list or proof that the first item in this selection is the leading product across the entire relationship. A chapter groups numerous goods: machinery and components, for example, do not describe a single business transaction. [3]
Milestones and consequences
- 2025-09
Recognition of the State of Palestine
Australia formalised recognition as part of its approach towards a two-state solution. [1]
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Institutional sources and periods accompany each figure. Annual trade, investment positions, residents and visits are distinct measures. Empty cells do not mean zero. Statements of intent are not presented as project implementation or treaties in force.
- Bilateral relations — AUS-PSE
Australia DFAT · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Annual TOTAL X/M; 2025; reporter 36; partners 0,50,882,804,586,90,643,520,422,296,776,496,116,756,300,626,512,408,634,528,400,380,524,144,56,364,642,492,246,376,705,462,418,620,152,96,404,64,604,798,688,438,585,583,275
UN Comtrade / AUS · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Selected HS2 chapters; reporter 36; annual 2025; same partner/flow/coverage as total
UN Comtrade / AUS · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- SP.POP.TOTL; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade / AUS
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · Selected HS2 chapters; reporter 36; annual 2025; same partner/flow/coverage as total.