What is the breakdown of casualties in Gaza by age and gender since the conflict began?
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Executive summary
Available reporting and datasets give partial, evolving breakdowns of Gaza casualties by age and gender: Gaza Health Ministry lists tens of thousands identified by name (34,344 names published as of 17 Sep 2024) including birth dates and gender [1] [2]. Independent peer‑reviewed and demographic studies estimate overall deaths far higher (78,318 estimated Oct 7, 2023–Dec 31, 2024; later analyses suggest >100,000 by Oct 2025) and note high shares of children and women in verified UN figures (UN human rights verified deaths up to July 20: 40% children, 22% women) [3] [4] [5].
1. What the official named data shows
The Gaza Health Ministry publicly released a dataset with names, genders and birth dates for 34,344 Palestinians identified by name on 17 September 2024; that dataset is the most concrete source for age and gender breakdowns because it records individual-level information [1] [2]. TechForPalestine and other data projects have republished and made machine-readable versions of the ministry’s lists to allow age/gender analysis [6].
2. Independent studies say totals and patterns differ
Academic demographers and health researchers model many more deaths than the named list implies. A Max Planck/CED study estimated 78,318 conflict deaths in Gaza from Oct 7, 2023 to Dec 31, 2024 and found the age/gender distribution resembled patterns observed in prior mass‑killings; the authors later concluded deaths likely exceeded 100,000 by Oct 6, 2025 [3] [4]. Those modelled totals account for underreporting and excess deaths from disrupted services [3].
3. UN verification and child/women shares
The U.N. human rights office’s verification work through July 20 reported that 40% of verified conflict deaths were children and 22% were women, a strikingly high share that underlines the youth and female burden in verified counts [5]. Think Global Health and UN child‑mortality groups highlight a dramatic rise in youth death rates in Gaza and the West Bank linked to the war [7].
4. Alternative totals and advocacy figures
Different organizations produce higher gendered totals: UN Women estimated more than 28,000 women and girls killed since October 2023, framing the toll in gendered terms to drive humanitarian and protection responses [8]. Other NGOs such as AOAV record incidents of explosive harm with partial gender/age tallies and report thousands of women and children killed or injured where data permits [9].
5. Why age/gender breakdowns vary so much
Sources disagree because of methodology: the Gaza Health Ministry’s named list is concrete but incomplete; UN verification follows a strict methodology and reports percentages for verified cases; demographers use statistical models to estimate undercounted and indirect deaths; NGOs compile incident-based tallies only when sources give explicit age/gender details [1] [5] [3] [9]. The Washington Institute and others warn that relying on different local reporting streams (GMO vs MOH) introduces inconsistencies that change the apparent share of women and children [10].
6. What is reliably known and what is not
Reliable facts in current reporting: the MOH published 34,344 identified names with gender and birth date as of 17 Sep 2024 [1]; UN‑verified data up to July 20 showed 40% children and 22% women among verified deaths [5]; academic models put deaths at ~78,318 to end‑2024 and likely >100,000 by Oct 2025 [3] [4]. Available sources do not mention a single, definitive up‑to‑date age/gender percentage covering all deaths through 2025 because reporting systems, verification methods and modelling produce different denominators and time periods (not found in current reporting).
7. How to interpret and use the numbers
Use named lists (MOH, TechForPalestine) for granular age/gender analysis of identified victims but expect undercounting of total deaths [1] [6]. Use UN verification for conservative, methodologically vetted shares [5]. Use demographers’ modeled estimates to understand likely scale and demographic impact, especially where health‑system collapse generated excess indirect deaths [3] [4]. Cross‑check any claim about percentages — e.g., “children are X%” — against the specific source and time window cited.
8. Competing agendas and caveats
Different actors have incentives: local health authorities and NGOs document named victims to memorialize and press for aid; UN bodies prioritize strict verification and transparency about methods; advocacy groups emphasize gendered impact to mobilize protection and funding; some analysts caution that relaying unofficial streams (GMO) without scrutiny risks spreading inaccuracies [1] [10] [8]. Readers must treat each breakdown as conditional on source, date and methodology.
9. Bottom line for your question
There is no single, universally accepted casualty breakdown by age and gender that covers the full, evolving death toll. Concrete named data (34,344 identified with gender and birth dates) exists and shows individual-level demographics [1], UN verification shows children and women constitute a large share of verified deaths (40% children, 22% women) [5], and demographic models indicate much higher overall mortality with similar concerning patterns by age and gender [3] [4].