Research Landscape

Over 1,000 academic studies across 12+ research domains documenting the Palestinian digital economy's resilience, constraints, and systematic destruction

Data Source: Palestinian Digital Economy Systematic Review (2025)

Research Scale & Coverage

1,000+
Total Studies
Academic publications & reports
12+
Research Domains
Interdisciplinary coverage
5
Key Methodologies
45% quant, 30% qual, 25% policy
2019-25
Primary Period
Most intensive research years

Research Methodology Distribution

Quantitative Studies 45%
Surveys, statistical analysis, econometric modeling
Qualitative Studies 30%
Interviews, case studies, ethnographic research
Policy Analysis 25%
Regulatory frameworks, institutional assessments

12+ Research Domains

Digital Infrastructure

  • • Spectrum access & 4G/5G denial
  • • Telecom infrastructure control
  • • Broadband deployment barriers
  • • Area C access restrictions

E-Commerce & FinTech

  • • Digital payment systems (I-BURAQ)
  • • E-wallet adoption & use cases
  • • Financial inclusion strategies
  • • Payment gateway barriers

Startup Ecosystem

  • • Venture capital access
  • • Outsourcing vs product focus
  • • Gaza Sky Geeks resilience
  • • Accelerator programs

Education & Skills

  • • Skills mismatch analysis
  • • Graduate unemployment (30.4%)
  • • Brain drain patterns
  • • Curriculum-industry gaps

Digital Rights

  • • Content censorship (329 Oct 2025)
  • • Platform violations (Meta, X)
  • • Digital surveillance
  • • Freedom of expression online

E-Government

  • • Zinnar interoperability framework
  • • E-service adoption barriers
  • • Digital ID challenges
  • • Data governance gaps

Healthcare Digitalization

  • • Telemedicine expansion
  • • EHR system deployment
  • • mHealth applications
  • • Crisis-driven innovation

Education Technology

  • • Remote learning platforms
  • • Educide crisis ($870M damage)
  • • 745K students out of school
  • • 100% Gaza universities destroyed

SME Digitalization

  • • 25-40% productivity gains
  • • 30% cost reduction
  • • 50% market reach increase
  • • Adoption barriers

Governance & Policy

  • • E-Transactions Law (2024)
  • • TRA operationalization
  • • Data protection gaps
  • • Cybersecurity frameworks

Gender & Inclusion

  • • Women's unemployment (42% vs 23%)
  • • Digital gender divide
  • • Barriers to tech sector entry
  • • Inclusion strategies

Crisis & Resilience

  • • Infrastructure destruction (75%)
  • • Economic bifurcation
  • • Humanitarian aid digitalization
  • • Recovery frameworks

Key Quantitative Research Findings

Economic Impact

ICT % of GDP 3.4%
ICT Exports $85M+
Startups 535
SME Productivity Gain 25-40%

Financial Services

I-BURAQ Transactions $1.83B
Financial Inclusion 15.1%
Licensed PSCs 28
Payment Cards 1.62M

Crisis Impacts

Gaza GDP Decline -86%
Telecom Destroyed 75%
WB ICT Decline -43%
Jobs Lost 500K

Digital Rights Violations Research

329
Total Violations
October 2025 alone
162
Meta Platforms
Facebook, Instagram censorship
130
X Platform
Content removal/suspension
Research on digital rights violations has documented systematic content censorship, account suspensions, and algorithmic suppression of Palestinian narratives across major social media platforms. Studies show disproportionate enforcement of community standards against Palestinian content, particularly during conflict escalations.

Critical Research Gaps

Under-Researched Areas

Methodological Gaps

  • • Absence of longitudinal studies tracking long-term impacts
  • • Single-location surveys missing cross-regional comparisons
  • • Microeconomic indicator gaps in livelihood metrics
  • • Data timeliness issues due to access barriers

Thematic Gaps

  • • Advanced technologies (AI/ML, blockchain) only 1-2 papers
  • • Rural/refugee populations severely underrepresented
  • • Women in tech limited beyond unemployment stats
  • • Post-conflict recovery frameworks nascent
Research Topic Estimated Papers Gap Severity
Longitudinal impact studies (5+ years) 0-1 Critical
AI/ML applications in Palestinian context 1-2 Critical
Women in tech sector (beyond unemployment) 2-4 High
Rural digital access & inclusion 3-5 High
Refugee camp digital infrastructure 2-3 High
Post-conflict recovery frameworks 5-8 Medium

Research Landscape Insight

The Palestinian digital economy research landscape is extraordinarily rich in breadth (1,000+ studies, 12+ domains) but reveals critical methodological and thematic gaps. While quantitative snapshots dominate (45%), there is a severe absence of longitudinal studies tracking long-term impacts, and advanced technology applications (AI/ML, blockchain) remain virtually unstudied in the Palestinian context. The post-October 2023 research pivot toward crisis documentation and humanitarian response underscores both the sector's resilience and the urgency of recovery-focused frameworks.