Demographics of Israel

Demographics of Israel (including Israelis in West Bank)
Population pyramid of Israel, 2023 (numbers by age group)
Population	9,842,000 (ca. 95th)
• Year	December 2023
• Source	Israeli CBS
Density	431/km2 (6th)
Growth rate	1.9%
Birth rate	21.5 births/1,000 (101st)
Death rate	5.2 deaths/1,000 population (174th)
Life expectancy	82.7 years (8th)
• male	80.7 years
• female	84.6 years
Fertility rate	3.01 children born/woman (59th)
Infant mortality rate	4.03 deaths/1,000 live births (25th)
Age structure
0–14 years	28%
15–64 years	60%
65 and over	12%
Sex ratio
Total	1.01 males/female
At birth	1.05 males/female
Under 15	1.05 males/female
15–64 years	1.03 males/female
65 and over	0.78 males/female
Nationality
Nationality	Israelis
Major ethnic	Jews (7,208,000, 73.6%)
Minor ethnic	Arabs (2,080,000, 21.1%) Other (non-Jewish, non-Arab) 554,000 (5.7%)
Language
Official	Hebrew
Spoken	Arabic, Russian, Yiddish

The demographics of Israel, monitored by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, encompass various attributes that define the nation's populace. Since its establishment in 1948, Israel has witnessed significant changes in its demographics. Formed as a homeland for the Jewish people, Israel has attracted Jewish immigrants from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics defines the population of Israel as including Jews living in all of the West Bank and Palestinians in East Jerusalem but excluding Palestinians anywhere in the rest of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and foreign workers anywhere in Israel. As of December 2023, this calculation stands at approximately 9,842,000 of whom:

• 73.2% (about 7,208,000 people) are Jews, including about 503,000 living outside the self-defined borders of the State of Israel in the West Bank
• 21.1% (around 2,080,000 people) are Israeli citizens classified as Arab, some identifying as Palestinian, and including Druze, Circassians, all other Muslims, Christian Arabs, Armenians (which Israel considers "Arab")
• An additional 5.7% (roughly 554,000 people) are classified as "others". This diverse group comprises those with Jewish ancestry but not recognized as Jewish by religious law, non-Jewish family members of Jewish immigrants, Christians other than Arabs and Armenians, and residents without a distinct ethnic or religious categorization.

Israel's annual population growth rate stood at 2.0% in 2015, more than three times faster than the OECD average of around 0.6%. With an average of three children per woman, Israel also has the highest fertility rate in the OECD by a considerable margin and much higher than the OECD average of 1.7.

Definitions

The definition of what constitutes the population of Israel varies depending on which territories are counted and which population groups are counted in each territory.

The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics ("CBS") definition of the Area of the State of Israel:

• includes East Jerusalem since 1967, which Israel unilaterally annexed
• includes the Golan Heights since 1982, which Israel unilaterally annexed
• excludes the West Bank other than East Jerusalem

The CBS' definition of the Population of Israel, however:

• includes non-Israeli Palestinians (as well as Israeli Arabs/Palestinians) in East Jerusalem who have permission to live there
• includes Israeli settlers and others with Israeli residency permits living in the Area C of West Bank
• excludes Palestinian/Arab/other residents of Area C and East Jerusalem who do not have Israeli citizenship or residence
• excludes persons who are not registered (from 2008 on) and/or entered illegally, and foreign workers.

Population

Israeli population growth since 1949

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1950	1,370,100	—
1960	2,150,400	+4.61%
1970	3,022,100	+3.46%
1980	3,921,700	+2.64%
1990	4,821,700	+2.09%
2000	6,369,300	+2.82%
2010	7,695,100	+1.91%
2019	9,098,700	+1.88%
2023	9,727,000	+1.68%
Source: (2019 data)

Total population

9,945,980 (most current update from the Israeli Central Bureau for Statistics, via live feed)

Note: includes over 200,000 Israelis and 250,000 Arabs in East Jerusalem, about 421,400 Jewish settlers on the West Bank, and about 42,000 in the Golan Heights (July 2007 estimate). Does not include Arab populations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Does not include 222,000 foreigners living in the country.

Demographics of Israel and its Occupied Territories

Region & Status	By nationality						Total Population	Year Source	By ethnoreligious group			Area (km2)
	Israeli citizen		Total Israelis (including PCI)*	Year Source	Palestinian non-Israeli- citizen	Year			Jewish	Palestinian	Other
	Jews and Other	Palestinian citizens of Israel (PCI)*
Green Line De facto 1949–1967 borders	6,976,761	1,689,018	8,665,779	2019/ -21/-3		0		8,660,209	2019/ -21/-3	6,422,761 74%	1,689,018 20%	554,000 6%	20,582
Golan Heights Per Israel: annexed Per UN: Occupied Syria	27,000	26,000	53,000 Jews 27,000 Druze 24,000 Alawite 2,000	2021	0	2021	53,000	2021	27,000	26,000	0	1,154
East Jerusalem Per Israel: Annexed Per UN: Occupied	240,832	~18,982	259,814	2021	351,570	2021	611,384	2021	240,832	370,552 of which PCI* ~18,982	0	336
Area of the State of Israel as per CBS definition												22,072
Seam Zone (Occupied) Israelis	517,407	0	517,407	1/2024	not counted in population of Israel	2019	517,407	2019/ 1/1/24	517,407	not counted in population of Israel	0	200
West Bank Area C (Full Israeli control) Israelis												3,378
Population of Israel as per CBS definition	7,762,000	1,734,000	9,496,000		~351,570 East Jerusalem Palestinians		9,842,000	2023	7,208,000	2,080,000 PCI* 1,734,000 Non-PCI ~346,000	554,000	25,650
Others (Palestinians) in Area C incl. Seam Zone plus other regions that Israeli government includes on official maps of Israel:
Seam Zone and Area C Palestinians	counted in row above	0	counted in row above		300,000	2019	300,000			300,000	0
West Bank Areas A & B (Some Palestinian control)			0		2,464,566	2023	2,464,566	2023	0	2,464,566	0	2,808
Gaza Strip (Some Palestinian control)			0		2,226,544	mid- 2023	2,226,544	mid- 2023	0	2,226,544	0	365
Total area shown on Israeli government maps of Israel a.k.a. Region of Palestine plus Golan Heights; a.k.a. "Greater Israel", "Eretz Israel", "Land of Israel"							14,833,110	Sum	7,208,000 48.6%	7,071,000 47.7% Palestinian citizens of Israel: 1,734,000 11.7%, Palestinian non-citizen: 5,337,110 36.0%	554,000 3.7%	28,823

*Palestinian citizens of Israel

Density

Population density per square kilometer, by district, sub-district and geographical area

Geographic deployment, as of 2018:

• Central District: 24.5% (2,196,100)
• Tel Aviv District: 15.9% (1,427,200)
• Northern District: 16.2% (1,448,100)
• Southern District: 14.5% (1,302,000)
• Haifa District: 11.5% (1,032,800)
• Jerusalem District: 12.6% (1,133,700)
• Judea and Samaria Area (West Bank) (Israelis only): 4.8% (427,800)

Population growth rate

• 2.0% (2016)

During the 1990s, the Jewish population growth rate was about 3% per year, as a result of massive immigration to Israel, primarily from the republics of the former Soviet Union. There is also a very high population growth rate among certain Jewish groups, especially adherents of Orthodox Judaism. The growth rate of the Arab population in Israel is 2.2%, while the growth rate of the Jewish population in Israel is 1.8%. The growth rate of the Arab population has slowed from 3.8% in 1999 to 2.2% in 2013, and for the Jewish population, the growth rate declined from 2.7% to its lowest rate of 1.4% in 2005. Due to a rise in fertility of the Jewish population since 1995 and immigration, the growth rate has since risen to 1.8%.

Fertility

The total fertility rate (TFR) of a population is the average number of children that an average woman would have, in her lifetime.

• 3.01 children born/woman (2019)

Jewish total fertility rate increased by 10.2% during 1998–2009, and was recorded at 2.90 during 2009. During the same time period, Arab TFR decreased by 20.5%. Muslim TFR was measured at 3.73 for 2009, and 2.9 for 2022.

In 2000, the Jewish and Arab TFRs in Jerusalem were 3.79 and 4.43 respectively. By 2009, the Jewish TFR in Jerusalem was measured higher than the Arab TFR (2010: 4.26 vs 3.85, 2009: 4.16 vs 3.87). As of 2021, the Jewish and Arab TFRs in Jerusalem were 4.4 and 3.1 respectively. TFR for Arab residents in the West Bank was measured at 2.91 in 2013, while that for the Jewish residents was reported at 5.10 children per woman.

The ethnic group with highest recorded TFR is the Bedouin of Negev. Their TFR was reported at 10.06 in 1998, and 5.73 in 2009. TFR is also very high among Haredi Jews. For Ashkenazi Haredim, the TFR rose from 6.91 in 1980 to 8.51 in 1996. The figure for 2008 is estimated to be even higher. TFR for Sephardi/Mizrahi Haredim rose from 4.57 in 1980 to 6.57 in 1996. In 2020 the overall Jewish TFR in Israel (3.00) was for the first time measured higher than Arab Muslim TFR (2.99).

As of 2022, the fertility rates in Israeli cities dominated by specific demographic groups were: Haredi 6.1, Bedouin 4.4, Jewish non-Haredi 2.4, Arab 2.2, Druze 1.8.

Year	Jews	Muslims	Christians	Druze	Others	Total
2000	2.66	4.74	2.55	3.07		2.95
2001	2.59	4.71	2.46	3.02		2.89
2002	2.64	4.58	2.29	2.77		2.89
2003	2.73	4.50	2.31	2.85		2.95
2004	2.71	4.36	2.13	2.66	1.47	2.90
2005	2.69	4.03	2.15	2.59	1.49	2.84
2006	2.75	3.97	2.14	2.64	1.55	2.88
2007	2.80	3.90	2.13	2.49	1.49	2.90
2008	2.88	3.84	2.11	2.49	1.57	2.96
2009	2.90	3.73	2.15	2.49	1.56	2.96
2010	2.97	3.75	2.14	2.48	1.64	3.03
2011	2.98	3.51	2.19	2.33	1.75	3.00
2012	3.04	3.54	2.17	2.26	1.68	3.05
2013	3.05	3.35	2.13	2.21	1.68	3.03
2014	3.11	3.35	2.27	2.20	1.72	3.08
2015	3.13	3.32	2.12	2.19	1.72	3.09
2016	3.16	3.29	2.05	2.21	1.64	3.11
2017	3.16	3.37	1.93	2.10	1.58	3.11
2018	3.17	3.20	2.06	2.16	1.54	3.09
2019	3.09	3.16	1.80	2.02	1.45	3.01
2020	3.00	2.99	1.85	1.94	1.35	2.90
2021	3.13	3.01	1.77	2.00	1.39	3.00
2022	3.03	2.91	1.68	1.85	1.26	2.89
Year	Jews	Muslims	Christians	Druze	Others	Total

Birth rate

TFR of Israel to 2016

2021 :

• Total: 19.7 births/1,000 population
• Jews and others: 19.1 births/1,000 population
• Muslims: 23.4 births/1,000 population
• Christians: 13.3 births/1,000 population
• Druze: 15.8 births/1,000 population

Births, in absolute numbers, by mother's religion

Birth rates of various Israeli peoples

Year	Jewish		Muslim		Christian		Druze		others		Total
	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%
1996	83,710	69.0%	30,802	25.4%	2,678	2.2%	2,682	2.2%	1,461	1.2%	121,333
2000	91,936	67.4%	35,740	26.2%	2,789	2.0%	2,708	2.0%	3,217	2.4%	136,390
2005	100,657	69.9%	34,217	23.8%	2,487	1.7%	2,533	1.8%	4,019	2.8%	143,913
2006	104,513	70.5%	34,337	23.2%	2,500	1.7%	2,601	1.8%	4,219	2.9%	148,170
2007	107,986	71.2%	34,572	22.8%	2,521	1.7%	2,510	1.7%	4,090	2.7%	151,679
2008	112,803	71.9%	34,860	22.2%	2,511	1.6%	2,534	1.6%	4,215	2.7%	156,923
2009	116,599	72.4%	35,253	21.9%	2,514	1.6%	2,517	1.6%	4,159	2.6%	161,042
2010	120,673	72.58%	36,221	21.79%	2,511	1.51%	2,535	1.52%	4,306	2.59%	166,255
2011	121,520	73.07%	35,247	21.19%	2,596	1.56%	2,469	1.48%	4,457	2.68%	166,296
2012	125,409	73.36%	36,041	21.08%	2,610	1.53%	2,371	1.39%	4,492	2.63%	170,940
2013	126,999	74.07%	34,927	20.37%	2,602	1.52%	2,350	1.37%	4,561	2.66%	171,444
2014	130,576	74.01%	35,965	20.38%	2,814	1.59%	2,366	1.34%	4,697	2.66%	176,427
2015	132,220	73.98%	36,659	20.51%	2,669	1.49%	2,376	1.33%	4,792	2.68%	178,723
2016	134,100	73.92%	37,592	20.72%	2,613	1.44%	2,446	1.35%	4,652	2.56%	181,405
2017	134,630	73.31%	39,550	21.53%	2,504	1.36%	2,350	1.28%	4,609	2.51%	183,648
2018	135,809	73.66%	38,757	21.02%	2,721	1.47%	2,434	1.32%	4,639	2.52%	184,370
2019	133,243	73.20%	39,525	21.71%	2,409	1.32%	2,298	1.26%	4,532	2.49%	182,016
2020	129,884	73.25%	38,388	21.65%	2,497	1.41%	2,239	1.26%	4,290	2.42%	177,307
2021	136,120	73.56%	39,703	21.46%	2,434	1.32%	2,339	1.26%	4,432	2.39%	185,040
2022	132,771	73.24%	39,717	21.91%	2,331	1.29%	2,186	1.21%	4,257	2.35%	181,269
2023	131,024	73.42%	39,114	21.92%	2,189	1.23%	2,088	1.17%	4,032	2.25%	178,454

Births by mother's religion in January–May

	Jewish		Muslim		Christian		Druze		others		total
	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%
2023	53,695	73.95%	15,533	21.39%	866	1.19%	861	1.19%	1,656	2.28%	72,613
2024	54,706	75.34%	14,889	20.50%	824	1.13%	794	1.09%	1,428	1.97%	72,644

Between the mid-1980s and 2000, the fertility rate in the Muslim sector was stable at 4.6–4.7 children per woman; after 2001, a gradual decline became evident, reaching 3.51 children per woman in 2011. By point of comparison, in 2011, there was a rising fertility rate of 2.98 children among the Jewish population.

Life expectancy

Life expectancy in Israel since 1950

Life expectancy in Israel since 1961 by gender

As of 2019:

• Total population: 82.8 years
• Male: 81 years
• Female: 84.7 years

Average life expectancy at age 0 of the total population.

Period	Life expectancy	Period	Life expectancy
1950–1955	68.9	1985–1990	75.9
1955–1960	70.0	1990–1995	77.2
1960–1965	71.0	1995–2000	78.3
1965–1970	71.8	2000–2005	79.6
1970–1975	72.6	2005–2010	80.9
1975–1980	73.5	2010–2015	81.9
1980–1985	74.6

Infant mortality rate

• Total: 4.03 deaths/1,000 live births
• Male: 4.20 deaths/1,000 live births
• Female: 3.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)

Age structure

The table shows population estimates by sex and age group, as of July 1, 2019. It includes data for East Jerusalem and Israeli residents in certain other territories under occupation by Israeli military forces since June 1967. Data refer to Israeli citizens and permanent residents who are listed in the Population Register.

Age Group	Male	Female	Total	%
Total	4,494,051	4,559,975	9,054,026	100%
0–4	469 807	444 266	914 073	10.10%
5–9	441 977	419 861	861 838	9.52%
10–14	396 165	376 914	773 079	8.54%
15–19	365 754	349 118	714 872	7.90%
20–24	331 474	319 040	650 514	7.18%
25–29	312 165	304 844	617 009	6.81%
30–34	299 747	298 768	598 515	6.61%
35–39	289 123	292 026	581 149	6.42%
40–44	277 424	282 277	559 701	6.18%
45–49	251 526	257 539	509 065	5.62%
50–54	210 803	217 399	428 202	4.73%
55–59	191 364	204 826	396 191	4.38%
60–64	178 062	196 878	374 940	4.14%
65–69	166 374	188 225	354 598	3.92%
70–74	131 622	154 117	285 739	3.16%
75–79	73 046	91 752	164 798	1.82%
80–84	58 830	81 606	140 436	1.55%
85–89	31 038	48 194	79 233	0.88%
90–94	12 882	23 779	36 661	0.40%
95–99	3 434	6 783	10 216	0.11%
100+	1 432	1 765	3 197	0.04%
Age group	Male	Female	Total	Percent
0–14	1,307,949	1,241,041	2,548,990	28.15%
15–64	2,707,444	2,722,713	5,430,157	59.98%
65+	478 658	596 221	1,074,879	11.87%

Population by Age Group (2010 est.)

Group	0–14 years	15–64 years	65+ years
Total	28.0%	62.1%	9.9%
Jews	25.5%	63.1%	11.4%
Palestinian citizens of Israel	37.5%	58.6%	3.9%

Median age

Overall	Jewish	Palestinian citizens of Israel
29.7	31.6	21.1

The Jewish median age in Jerusalem district and the West Bank are 24.9 and 19.7, respectively, and both account for 16% of the Jewish population, but 24% of 0- to 4-year-olds. The lowest median age in Israel, and one of the lowest in the world, is found in two of the West Bank's biggest Jewish cities: Modi'in Illit (11), Beitar Illit (11) followed by Bedouin towns in the Negev (15.2).

Cities

Main article: List of cities in Israel

Within Israel's system of local government, an urban municipality can be granted a city council by the Israeli Interior Ministry when its population exceeds 20,000. The term "city" does not generally refer to local councils or urban agglomerations, even though a defined city often contains only a small portion of an urban area or metropolitan area's population.

Largest cities in Israel Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
	Rank	Name	District	Pop.	Rank	Name	District	Pop.
Jerusalem Tel Aviv	1	Jerusalem	Jerusalem	981,711a	11	Ramat Gan	Tel Aviv	172,486	Haifa Rishon LeZion
	2	Tel Aviv	Tel Aviv	474,530	12	Beit Shemesh	Jerusalem	154,694
	3	Haifa	Haifa	290,306	13	Ashkelon	Southern	153,138
	4	Rishon LeZion	Central	260,453	14	Rehovot	Central	150,748
	5	Petah Tikva	Central	255,387	15	Bat Yam	Tel Aviv	128,465
	6	Netanya	Central	233,104	16	Herzliya	Tel Aviv	106,741
	7	Ashdod	Southern	226,827	17	Hadera	Haifa	103,041
	8	Bnei Brak	Tel Aviv	218,357	18	Kfar Saba	Central	101,556
	9	Beersheba	Southern	214,162	19	Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut	Central	99,171
	10	Holon	Tel Aviv	197,957	20	Lod	Central	85,351

^a This number includes East Jerusalem and West Bank areas, which had a total population of 573,330 inhabitants in 2019. Israeli sovereignty over East Jerusalem is internationally unrecognized.

Ethnic and religious groups

Further information: Israelis and Religion in Israel

See also: Doms in Israel

Statistics

Ethnic map of Israel and Palestine, with the Golan Heights

Population pyramid of Israel by ethnic group in 2021

Population demography (2023)

Group	Population	Proportion of total	Areas included
			Green Line Israel	Golan Heights	East Jerusalem	Rest of West Bank	Gaza Strip
Jews	7,181,000	73%	yes	yes	yes	yes	n/a
Arabs	2,065,000	21%	yes	yes	yes	no	no
Other	549,000	6%	yes	yes	yes	n/a	n/a
Total	9,795,000	100%	all	all	all	Jews only	no

Population of Arabs and Jews and Others, by natural region (2018)
including Jews only in the occupied West Bank

Natural region	Total population	Jews and Others		Arabs
		#	%	#	%
Judean Mountains	991,503	629,659	63.5%	361,844	36.5%
Judean Foothills	142,152	141,704	99.7%	448	0.3%
Hula Valley	41,076	40,173	97.8%	903	2.2%
Eastern Upper Galilee	54,327	48,364	89%	5,963	11%
Hazor Region	24,097	17,362	72.1%	6,735	27.9%
Central Lower Galilee	1,716	1,715	99.9%	1	0.1%
Kinerot	61,247	58,783	96%	2,464	4%
Eastern Lower Galilee	51,660	19,600	37.9%	32,060	62.1%
Bet She'an Valley	31,641	31,467	99.4%	174	0.5%
Harod Valley	11,741	9,835	83.8%	1,906	16.2%
Kokhav Plateau	13,765	3,511	25.5%	10,254	74.5%
Yizre'el Valley	83,632	75,771	90.6%	7,861	9.4%
Yoqne'am Region	36,964	36,936	99.9%	28	0.1%
Menashe Plateau	5,998	5,994	99.9%	4	0.1%
Nazareth-Tir'an Mountains	336,405	75,033	22.3%	261,372	77.7%
Shefar'am Region	221,921	12,247	5.5%	209,674	94.5%
Karmi'el Region	119,002	50,840	42.7%	68,162	57.3%
Yehi'am Region	101,383	34,352	33.9%	67,031	66.1%
Elon Region	20,616	9,357	45.4%	11,259	54.6%
Nahariyya Region	104,177	74,904	71.9%	29,273	28.1%
Akko Region	76,186	39,736	52.2%	36,450	47.8%
Hermon Region	13,239	131	1%	13,108	99%
Northern Golan	16,520	3,735	22.6%	12,785	77.4%
Middle Golan	11,167	11,089	99.3%	78	0.7%
Southern Golan	9,636	9,627	99.9%	9	0.1%
Haifa Region	583,443	516,228	88.5%	67,215	11.5%
Karmel Coast	32,356	19,061	58.9%	13,295	41.1%
Zikhron Ya'aqov Region	28,488	28,071	98.5%	417	1.5%
Alexander Mountain	139,820	13,163	9.4%	126,657	90.6%
Hadera Region	248,666	191,627	77.1%	57,039	22.9%
Western Sharon	362,045	360,729	99.6%	1,316	0.4%
Eastern Sharon	115,401	16,552	14.3%	98,849	85.7%
Southern Sharon	283,513	273,306	96.4%	10,207	3.6%
Petah Tiqwa Region	470,779	443,527	94.2%	27,252	5.8%
Modi'in Region	102,151	102,124	100%	27	0%
Ramla Region	249,540	208,404	83.5%	41,136	16.5%
Rehovot Region	304,397	303,638	99.8%	759	0.2%
Rishon LeZiyyon Region	308,234	307,989	99.9%	245	0.1%
Tel Aviv Region	595,797	575,204	96.5%	20,593	3.5%
Ramat Gan Region	495,084	494,432	99.9%	652	0.1%
Holon Region	336,286	335,175	99.7%	1,111	0.3%
Mal'akhi Region	62,064	61,800	99.6%	264	0.4%
Lakhish Region	71,416	71,345	99.9%	71	0.1%
Ashdod Region	224,629	224,328	99.9%	301	0.1%
Ashqelon Region	193,136	192,594	99.7%	542	0.3%
Gerar Region	56,110	56,065	99.9%	45	0.1%
Besor Region	52,014	51,737	99.5%	277	0.5%
Be'er Sheva Region	518,798	258,777	49.9%	260,021	50.1%
Dead Sea Region	1,283	1,254	97.7%	29	2.3%
Arava Region	58,916	56,543	96%	2,373	4%
Northern Negev Mountain	62,673	55,710	88.9%	6,963	11.1%
Southern Negev Mountain	937	920	98.1%	17	1.8%
Judea and Samaria Area (non-Israeli Arabs not included)	427,847	426,925	99.8%	922	0.2%

The most prominent ethnic and religious groups that live in Israel at present and that are Israeli citizens or nationals are as follows:

Jews

Main article: Israeli Jews

According to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, in 2008, of Israel's 7.3 million people, 75.6 percent were Jews of any background. Among them, 70.3 percent were Sabras (born in Israel), mostly second- or third-generation Israelis, and the rest are olim (Jewish immigrants to Israel)—20.5 percent from Europe and the Americas, and 9.2 percent from Asia and Africa, including the Arab countries.

According to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, in April 2023, of Israel's 9.7 million people, 73.5 percent, or 7.145 million, were Jews of any background.

There are no government statistics categorizing Israeli Jews as "Ashkenazi", "Mizrahi", etc, but studies and estimates have been conducted. In a 2019 study, in a sample meant to be representative of the Israeli Jewish population, about 44.9% percent of Israel's Jewish population were categorized as Mizrahi (defined as having grandparents born in North Africa or Asia), 31.8% were categorized as Ashkenazi (defined as having grandparents born in Europe, the Americas, Oceania and South Africa), 12.4% as "Soviet" (defined as having progenitors who came from the ex-USSR in 1989 or later), about 3% as Beta Israel (Ethiopia) and 7.9% as a mix of these, or other Jewish groups. Note that this methodology isn't exact: See, for example, Bulgarian or Greek Jews, who would be categorized as Ashkenazi according to this definition, although they are overwhelmingly Sephardic.

The paternal lineage of the Jewish population of Israel as of 2015 is as follows:

Recent paternal ancestral background of Israeli Jews

Countries of Origin	Population			Percentage
	Share	2015	2008	Share	2015	2008
Total		6,276,800	5,523,700	-	100%	100%
From Israel by paternal country of origin:		2,765,500	2,043,800		44.06%	37%
From Europe by own or paternal country of origin:		1,648,000	1,662,800		26.26%	30.1%
Russia and former USSR		891,700	923,600		14.21%	16.83%
Romania		199,400	213,100		3.18%	3.86%
Poland		185,400	198,500		2.95%	3.59%
France		87,500	63,200		1.39%	1.14%
Germany and Austria		70,800	49,700		1.13%	0.9%
Hungary, Czech Republic, and Slovakia		59,800	64,900		0.95%	1.17%
United Kingdom		46,000	39,800		0.73%	0.72%
Bulgaria and Greece		45,500	48,900		0.72%	0.89%
Other European		61,900	61,100		0.99%	1.11%
From Africa by own or paternal country of origin:		897,300	859,100		14.3%	15.53%
Morocco		484,500	486,600		7.72%	8.81%
Algeria and Tunisia		133,500	120,600		2.13%	2.18%
Ethiopia		133,200	106,900		2.12%	1.94%
Libya		66,800	67,400		1.06%	1.22%
Egypt		54,600	55,800		0.87%	1.01%
Other African		24,700	17,200		0.39%	0.31%
From Asia by own or paternal country of origin:		674,500	681,400		10.75%	12.33%
Iraq		225,800	233,500		3.6%	4.23%
Iran (Persia)		140,100	134,700		2.23%	2.44%
Yemen		134,100	138,300		2.14%	2.5%
Turkey		74,600	76,900		1.19%	1.39%
India and Pakistan		47,600	45,600		0.76%	0.83%
Syria and Lebanon		34,500	35,300		0.55%	0.64%
Other Asian		18,000	17,200		0.29%	0.31%
From the Americas and Oceania by own or paternal country of origin:		291,500	249,800		4.64%	4.52%
United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand		181,000	149,200		2.88%	2.7%
Argentina		62,600	59,400		1%	1.08%
Other Latin American		47,900	41,200		0.76%	0.75%

Arabs

Main article: Arab citizens of Israel

Arabs in Israel, by natural region, 2018

Arab citizens of Israel are those Arab residents of Mandatory Palestine that remained within Israel's borders following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and the establishment of the State of Israel. It is including those born within the state borders subsequent to this time, as well as those who had left during the establishment of the state (or their descendants), who have since re-entered by means accepted as lawful residence by the Israeli state (primarily family reunifications).

In 2019, the official number of Arab residents in Israel was 1,890,000 people, representing 21% of Israel's population. This figure includes 209,000 Arabs (14% of the Israeli Arab population) in East Jerusalem, also counted in the Palestinian statistics, although 98 percent of East Jerusalem Palestinians have either Israeli residency or Israeli citizenship.

Arab Muslims

Most Arab citizens of Israel are Muslim, particularly of the Sunni branch of Islam. A small minority are Ahmadiyya sect and there are also some Alawites (affiliated with Shia Islam) in the northernmost village of Ghajar with Israeli citizenship. As of 2019, Arab citizens of Israel composed 21 percent of the country's total population. About 82 percent of the Arab population in Israel are Sunni Muslims, a very small minority are Shia Muslims, another 9 percent are Druze, and around 9 percent are Christian (mostly Eastern Orthodox and Catholic denominations).

Bedouin

Main article: Israeli Bedouin

The Arab Muslim citizens of Israel include also the Bedouins, who are divided into two main groups: the Bedouin in the north of Israel, who live in villages and towns for the most part, and the Bedouin in the Negev, who include half-nomadic and inhabitants of towns and Unrecognized villages. According to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as of 1999, 110,000 Bedouins live in the Negev, 50,000 in the Galilee and 10,000 in the central region of Israel. The vast majority of Arab Bedouins of Israel practice Sunni Islam.

Ahmadiyya

The Ahmadiyya community was first established in the region in the 1920s, in what was then Mandatory Palestine. There is a large community in Kababir, a neighborhood on Mount Carmel in Haifa. It is unknown how many Israeli Ahmadis there are, although it is estimated there are about 2,200 Ahmadis in Kababir alone.

Arab Christians

As of December 2013, about 161,000 Israeli citizens practiced Christianity, together comprising about 2% of the total population. The largest group consists of Melkites (about 60% of Israel's Christians), followed by the Greek Orthodox (about 30%), with the remaining ca. 10% spread between the Roman Catholic (Latin), Maronite, Anglican, Lutheran, Armenian, Syriac, Ethiopian, Coptic and other denominations.

Druze

Main article: Druze in Israel

The Arab citizens of Israel include also the Druze, who numbered at an estimated 143,000 in April 2019. All of the Druze living in what was then British Mandate Palestine became Israeli citizens after the declaration of the State of Israel. Druze serve prominently in the Israel Defense Forces, and are represented in mainstream Israeli politics and business as well, unlike Muslim or Christian Arabs who are not required to and generally choose not to serve in the Israeli army. Though a few individuals identify themselves as "Palestinian Druze", the vast majority of Druze do not consider themselves to be 'Palestinian', and consider their Israeli identity stronger than their Arab identity. A 2017 Pew Research Center poll reported that the majority of the Israeli Druze identified as ethnically Arab.

Syriac Christians

Arameans

Main articles: Arameans in Israel and Maronites in Israel

In 2014, Israel decided to recognize the Aramaic community within its borders as a national minority, allowing some of the Christians in Israel to be registered as "Aramean" instead of "Arab". As of October 2014, some 600 Israelis requested to be registered as Arameans, with several thousand eligible for the status – mostly members of the Maronite community.

The Maronite Christian community in Israel of around 7,000 resides mostly in the Galilee, with a presence in Haifa, Nazareth and Jerusalem. It is largely composed of families that lived in Upper Galilee in villages such as Jish long before the establishment of Israel in 1948. In the year 2000, the community was joined by a group of Lebanese SLA militia members and their families, who fled Lebanon after 2000 withdrawal of IDF from South Lebanon.

Assyrians

Main article: Assyrians in Israel

There are around 1,000 Assyrians living in Israel, mostly in Jerusalem and Nazareth. Assyrians are an Aramaic speaking, Eastern Rite Christian minority who are descended from the ancient Mesopotamians. The old Syriac Orthodox monastery of Saint Mark lies in Jerusalem. Other than followers of the Syriac Orthodox Church, there are also followers of the Assyrian Church of the East and the Chaldean Catholic Church living in Israel.

Other citizens

Copts

Some 1,000 Israeli citizens belong to the Coptic community, originating in Egypt.

Samaritans

Main article: Samaritans

The Samaritans are an ethnoreligious group of the Levant. Ancestrally, they claim descent from a group of Israelite inhabitants who have connections to ancient Samaria from the beginning of the Babylonian Exile up to the beginning of the Common Era. 2007 population estimates show that 712 Samaritans live half in Holon, Israel and half at Mount Gerizim in the West Bank. The Holon community holds Israeli citizenship, while the Gerizim community resides at an Israeli-controlled enclave, holding dual Israeli-Palestinian citizenship.

Armenians

Main article: Armenians in Israel

About 4,000 Armenians reside in Israel mostly in Jerusalem (including in the Armenian Quarter), but also in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jaffa. Armenians have a Patriarchate in Jerusalem and churches in Jerusalem, Haifa and Jaffa. Although Armenians of Old Jerusalem have Israeli identity cards, they are officially holders of Jordanian passports.

Circassians

Main article: Circassians in Israel

Circassians in Kfar Kama

In Israel, there are also a few thousand Circassians, living mostly in Kfar Kama (2,000) and Reyhaniye (1,000). These two villages were a part of a greater group of Circassian villages around the Golan Heights. The Circassians in Israel enjoy, like Druzes, a status aparte. Male Circassians (at their leader's request) are mandated for military service, while females are not.

People from post-Soviet states

Russophone shop in Haifa

Ethnic Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians, immigrants from the former Soviet Union, who were eligible to emigrate due to having, or being married to somebody who has, at least one Jewish grandparent and thus qualified for Israeli citizenship under the revised Law of Return. A number of these immigrants also belong to various ethnic groups from the Former Soviet Union such as Armenians, Georgians, Azeris, Uzbeks, Moldovans, Tatars, among others. Some of them, having a Jewish father or grandfather, identify as Jews, but being non-Jewish by Orthodox Halakha (religious law), they are not recognized formally as Jews by the state. Most of them are in the mainstream of Israel culture and are called "expanded Jewish population". In addition, a certain number of former Soviet citizens, primarily women of Russian and Ukrainian ethnicity, emigrated to Israel, after marrying Muslim or Christian Arab citizens of Israel, who went to study in the former Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s. 1,557,698 people from the current Russia and Ukraine live in Israel.

Finns

Although most people of Finnish origin in Israel are Finnish Jews who immigrated to Israel, and their descendants, a small number of Finnish Christians moved to Israel in the 1940s before independence and gained citizenship following independence. For the most part, many of the original Finnish settlers intermarried with the other communities in the country, and therefore remain very small in number. A Moshav shitufi near Jerusalem named Yad HaShmona, meaning the "Memorial for the Eight", was established in 1971 by a group of Finnish Christian-Israelis, although today, most members are Israeli, and are predominantly Hebrew speakers, and the moshav has become a center of Messianic Jews.

Baháʼís

The population of followers of the Baháʼí Faith in Israel is almost entirely made up of volunteers serving at the Baháʼí World Centre. Bahá'u'lláh (1817–1892), the Faith's founder, was banished to Akka and died nearby where his shrine is located. During his lifetime he instructed his followers not to teach or convert those living in the area, and the Baháʼís descending from those original immigrants were later asked to leave and teach elsewhere. For nearly a century there has been a policy by Baháʼí leaders to not accept converts living in Israel. The 650 or so foreign national Baháʼís living in Israel are almost all on temporary duty serving at the shrines and administrative offices.

Vietnamese

The number of Vietnamese people in Israel and their descendants is estimated at 150 to 200. Most of them came to Israel in between 1976 and 1979, after prime minister Menachem Begin authorized their admission to Israel and granted them political asylum. The Vietnamese people living in Israel are Israeli citizens who also serve in the Israel Defense Forces. Today, the majority of the community lives in the Gush Dan area in the center of Tel Aviv, but also a few dozen Vietnamese-Israelis or Israelis of Vietnamese origin live in Haifa, Jerusalem, and Ofakim.

African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem

Main article: African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem

The African Hebrew Israelite Nation of Jerusalem is a religious sect of Black Americans, founded in 1960 by Ben Carter a metal worker in Chicago. The members of this sect believe they are descended from the tribes of Judah driven from the Holy Land by the Romans during the First Jewish War (70 AD), and who reportedly emigrated to West Africa before being taken as slaves to the United States. With a population of over 5,000, most members live in their own community in Dimona, Israel, with additional families in Arad, Mitzpe Ramon, and the Tiberias area. The group believes that the ancient Israelites are the ancestors of Black Americans and that the actual Jews are "impostors". Some scholarship does consider them to be of subsaharan African origin, rather than Levantine. Their ancestors were Black Americans who, after being expelled from Liberia, illegally immigrated to Israel in the late 1960s using tourist visas, requesting that Israel provide them legal citizenship status. Israel granted their requests. The African Hebrew Israelites, like the Haredim and most Israeli Arabs, are not required to serve in the military; however, some do.

Naturalized foreign workers

Some naturalized foreign workers and their children born in Israel, predominantly from the Philippines, Nepal, Nigeria, Senegal, Romania, China, Cyprus, Thailand, and South America (mainly Colombia).

Non-citizens

African migrants

Further information: Sudanese refugees in Israel and African immigration to Israel

Meeting between Sudanese refugees and Israeli students, 2007.

The number and status of African migrants in Israel is disputed and controversial, but it is estimated that at least 70,000 refugees mainly from Eritrea, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Ivory Coast reside and work in Israel. A count in late 2011 published in Ynet pointed out the number only in Tel Aviv is 40,000, which represents 10 percent of the city's population. The vast majority live in the southern parts of the city. There is a significant population in the southern Israeli cities of Eilat, Arad, and Beersheba.

Foreign workers

Further information: Filipinos in Israel, Chinese people in Israel, and Palestinian workers in Israel

There are around 300,000 foreign workers, residing in Israel under temporary work visas, including Palestinians. Most of those foreign workers engage in agriculture and construction. The main groups of those foreign workers include the Chinese, Thai, Filipinos, Nigerians, Romanians, and Latin Americans.

Other refugees

Approximately 100–200 refugees from Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraqi Kurdistan, and North Korea were absorbed in Israel as refugees. Most of them were also given Israeli resident status, and currently reside in Israel. As of 2006, some 200 ethnic Kurdish refugees from Turkey resided in Israel as illegal immigrants, fleeing the Kurdish–Turkish conflict.

Languages

Main article: Languages of Israel

Due to its immigrant nature, Israel is one of the most multicultural and multilingual societies in the world. Hebrew is the official language of the country, and Arabic is given special status, while English and Russian are the two most widely spoken non-official languages. A certain degree of English is spoken widely, and is the language of choice for many Israeli businesses. Hebrew and English language are mandatory subjects in the Israeli school system, and most schools offer either Arabic, French, Spanish, German, Italian, or Russian.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Israel

Religion in Israel

     Jewish,      Muslim,      Christian,      Druze,      Other.
Until 1995, figures for Christians also included Others.

According to a 2010 Israel Central Bureau of Statistics study of Israelis aged over 18:

Israeli Jews define themselves as:

  Haredim (or ultra-Orthodox) (8%)

  "religious" (non-Haredi Orthodox, also known as: dati leumi/national-religious or religious Zionist) (12%)

  "religious-traditionalists" (mostly adhering to Jewish Halakha) (13%)

  "non-religious traditionalists" (only partly respecting the Jewish Halakha) (25%)

  "secular" (43%)

While the ultra-Orthodox, or Haredim, represented only 5% of Israel's population in 1990, they are expected to represent more than one-fifth of Israel's Jewish population by 2028. By 2022, Haredim were 13.3% of the population and enumerated 1,280,000.

Religious makeup, 2019

Group	Population	%
Jews	6,697,000	74.2%
Muslims	1,605,700	17.8%
Christians	180,400	2.0%
Druze	143,000	1.6%
Other/unknown	394,900	4.4%

Education

Main article: Education in Israel

Education between ages 5 and 15 is compulsory. It is not free, but it is subsidized by the government, individual organizations (such as the Beit Yaakov System), or a combination. Parents are expected to participate in courses as well. The school system is organized into kindergartens, 6-year primary schools, and either 6-year secondary schools or 3-year junior secondary schools + 3-year senior secondary schools (depending on region), after which a comprehensive examination is offered for university admissions.

Literacy

Age 15 and over can read and write (2011 estimate):

• Total population: 97.8%
• Male: 98.7%
• Female: 96.8%

Policy

See also: Demographic threat § Israel

Israel is the thirtieth-most-densely-crowded country in the world. In an academic article, Jewish National Fund Board member Daniel Orenstein, argues that, as elsewhere, overpopulation is a stressor on the environment in Israel; he shows that environmentalists have conspicuously failed to consider the impact of population on the environment, and argues that overpopulation in Israel has not been appropriately addressed for ideological reasons.

Citizenship and Entry Law

Main article: Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law

The Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law (Temporary Order) 5763 was first passed on 31 July 2003, and has since been extended until 31 July 2008. The law places age restrictions for the automatic granting of Israeli citizenship and residency permits to spouses of Israeli citizens, such that spouses who are inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza Strip are ineligible. On 8 May 2005, the Israeli ministerial committee for issues of legislation once again amended the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law, to restrict citizenship and residence in Israel only to Palestinian men over the age of 35, and Palestinian women over the age of 25. Those in favor of the law say the law not only limits the possibility of the entrance of terrorists into Israel, but, as Ze'ev Boim asserts, allows Israel "to maintain the state's democratic nature, but also its Jewish nature" (i. e., its Jewish demographic majority). Critics, including the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, say the law disproportionately affects Arab citizens of Israel, since Arabs in Israel are far more likely to have spouses from the West Bank and Gaza Strip than other Israeli citizens.

In the constitutional challenges to the Citizenship and Entry to Israel Law, the state, represented by the Attorney General, insisted that security was the only objective behind the law. The state also added that even if the law was intended to achieve demographic objectives, it is still in conformity with Israel's Jewish and democratic definition, and thus constitutional. In a 2012 ruling by the Supreme Court on the issue, some of the judges on the panel discussed demography, and were inclined to accept that demography is a legitimate consideration in devising family reunification policies that violate the right to family life.

Vital statistics

Birth and death rates in Israel

Year	Population	Live births	Deaths	Natural increase	Crude birth rate	Crude death rate	Rate of natural increase	Crude migration rate	TFR
1950	1,370,000	43,431	8,700	34,731	34.1	6.8	27.3
1951	1,578,000	50,542	9,866	40,676	34.3	6.7	27.6	104.2
1952	1,630,000	52,556	11,666	40,890	32.8	7.3	25.5	6.4
1953	1,669,000	52,552	10,916	41,636	31.9	6.6	25.3	-1.9
1954	1,718,000	48,951	11,328	37,623	28.9	6.7	22.2	6.3
1955	1,789,000	50,686	10,532	40,154	28.9	6.0	22.9	16.8	4.03
1956	1,872,000	52,287	12,025	40,262	28.6	6.6	22.0	22.3
1957	1,976,000	53,940	12,487	41,453	28.0	6.5	21.5	31.1
1958	2,032,000	52,649	11,615	41,034	26.3	5.8	20.5	7.8
1959	2,089,000	54,604	12,056	42,548	26.5	5.9	20.6	6.7
1960	2,150,000	56,002	12,053	43,949	26.4	5.7	20.7	7.7
1961	2,234,000	54,869	12,663	42,206	25.0	5.8	19.2	18.4
1962	2,332,000	56,356	13,701	42,655	24.7	6.0	18.7	23.3
1963	2,430,000	59,491	14,425	45,066	25.0	6.1	18.9	21.3
1964	2,526,000	63,544	15,491	48,053	25.6	6.3	19.3	18.7
1965	2,598,000	66,146	16,261	49,885	25.8	6.3	19.5	8.2	3.99
1966	2,657,000	67,148	16,582	50,566	25.6	6.3	19.3	2.9
1967	2,776,000	64,980	17,463	47,517	23.9	6.4	17.5	25.4
1968	2,841,000	69,911	18,689	51,222	24.9	6.7	18.2	4.7
1969	2,930,000	73,666	19,767	53,899	25.5	6.9	18.6	11.8
1970	3,022,000	80,843	21,234	59,609	27.2	7.1	20.1	10.3
1971	3,121,000	85,899	21,415	64,484	28.0	7.0	21.0	10.7
1972	3,225,000	85,544	22,719	62,825	27.0	7.2	19.8	12.4
1973	3,338,000	88,545	23,054	65,491	27.0	7.0	20.0	13.9
1974	3,422,000	93,166	24,135	69,031	27.6	7.1	20.5	4.0
1975	3,493,000	95,628	24,600	71,028	27.7	7.1	20.6	-0.3	3.68
1976	3,575,000	98,763	24,012	74,751	27.9	6.8	21.1	1.8
1977	3,653,000	95,315	24,951	70,364	26.4	6.9	19.5	1.9
1978	3,738,000	92,602	25,153	67,449	25.1	6.8	18.3	4.4	3.28
1979	3,836,000	93,710	25,700	68,010	24.7	6.8	17.9	7.6	3.21
1980	3,922,000	94,321	26,364	67,957	24.3	6.8	17.5	4.4	3.14
1981	3,978,000	93,308	26,085	67,223	23.6	6.6	17.0	-2.9	3.06
1982	4,064,000	96,695	27,780	68,915	24.0	6.9	17.1	4.1	3.12
1983	4,119,000	98,724	27,731	70,993	24.0	6.7	17.3	-3.9	3.14
1984	4,200,000	98,478	27,805	70,673	23.3	6.6	16.7	2.6	3.13
1985	4,266,000	99,376	28,093	71,283	23.1	6.5	16.6	-1.1	3.12
1986	4,331,000	99,341	29,415	69,926	22.7	6.7	16.0	-1.0	3.09
1987	4,407,000	99,022	29,244	69,778	22.2	6.6	15.6	1.6	3.05
1988	4,477,000	100,454	29,176	71,278	22.2	6.4	15.8	-0.2	3.06
1989	4,560,000	100,757	28,580	72,177	22.1	6.3	15.8	2.4	3.03
1990	4,822,000	103,349	28,734	74,615	22.0	6.1	15.9	38.4	3.02
1991	5,059,000	105,725	31,266	74,459	21.4	6.3	15.1	31.7	2.91
1992	5,196,000	110,062	33,327	76,735	21.5	6.5	15.0	11.4	2.93
1993	5,328,000	112,330	33,000	79,330	21.3	6.3	15.0	9.8	2.92
1994	5,472,000	114,543	33,535	81,008	21.2	6.2	15.0	11.3	2.90
1995	5,612,000	116,886	35,348	81,538	21.1	6.4	14.7	10.2	2.88
1996	5,758,000	121,333	34,664	86,669	21.3	6.1	15.2	10.2	2.94
1997	5,900,000	124,478	36,124	88,354	21.4	6.2	15.2	8.9	2.93
1998	6,041,000	130,080	36,955	93,125	21.8	6.2	15.6	7.7	2.98
1999	6,209,000	131,936	37,291	94,645	21.6	6.1	15.5	11.6	2.94
2000	6,369,000	136,390	37,688	98,702	21.7	6.0	15.7	9.4	2.95
2001	6,509,000	136,636	37,186	99,450	21.2	5.8	15.4	6.1	2.89
2002	6,631,000	139,535	38,415	101,120	21.2	5.8	15.4	3.0	2.89
2003	6,748,000	144,936	38,499	106,437	21.7	5.8	15.9	1.4	2.95
2004	6,870,000	145,207	37,938	107,269	21.3	5.6	15.7	2.1	2.90
2005	6,991,000	143,913	39,038	104,875	20.8	5.6	15.2	2.1	2.84
2006	7,117,000	148,170	38,765	109,405	21.0	5.5	15.5	2.2	2.88
2007	7,244,000	151,679	40,081	111,598	21.1	5.5	15.6	1.9	2.90
2008	7,419,000	156,923	39,484	117,439	21.5	5.4	16.1	7.5	2.96
2009	7,552,000	161,042	38,812	122,230	21.5	5.2	16.3	1.3	2.96
2010	7,695,000	166,255	39,613	126,642	21.8	5.2	16.6	2.0	3.03
2011	7,837,000	166,296	40,889	125,407	21.4	5.3	16.1	2.0	3.00
2012	7,984,000	170,940	42,100	128,840	21.6	5.3	16.3	2.1	3.05
2013	8,134,000	171,444	41,683	129,761	21.3	5.2	16.1	2.3	3.03
2014	8,297,000	176,427	42,457	133,970	21.5	5.2	16.3	3.3	3.08
2015	8,463,000	178,723	44,507	134,216	21.3	5.3	16.0	3.6	3.09
2016	8,629,000	181,405	44,244	137,161	21.2	5.2	16.0	3.2	3.11
2017	8,798,000	183,648	44,923	138,725	21.1	5.2	15.9	3.3	3.11
2018	8,883,000	184,370	44,850	139,520	20.8	5.0	15.7	-6.1	3.09
2019	9,054,000	182,016	46,328	135,688	20.1	5.1	15.0	3.9	3.01
2020	9,215,000	177,307	49,006	128,301	19.2	5.3	13.9	3.6	2.90
2021	9,400,000	185,040	50,984	134,056	19.7	5.4	14.3	5.4	3.00
2022	9,661,400	181,193	52,054	129,139	19.0	5.4	13.6	13.5	2.89
2023		178,724	49,910	128,814	18.3	5.1	13.2

Current vital statistics

Period	Live births	Deaths	Natural increase
January - May 2023	72,613	21,671	+50,942
January - May 2024	72,644	22,730	+49,914
Difference	+31 (+0.04%)	+1,059 (+4.89%)	-1,028

Migration

Immigration

In 2013 Israel had an estimated net migration rate of 1.81 migrant(s) per 1,000 population.

Immigrants by last country of residence in recent years (according to CBS and the Jewish Agency):

Country	2019	2020	2021
Russia	15,821	6,644	7,500
Ukraine	6,190	2,937	3,000
France	2,227	2,407	3,500
United States	2,481	2,296	4,000
Ethiopia			1,636
Argentina	411	551	900
Brazil	589	512	550
United Kingdom	498	459	650
South Africa	343	269	550
Canada	217	236	400
Mexico	127		290
Belarus	924	625
Georgia		229
Venezuela		174
Uzbekistan		147
Kazakhstan		139
Moldova		130
Others		1,921
Total	33,247	21,820	27,050

Immigration from the USSR

Further information: 1970s Soviet Union aliyah and 1990s post-Soviet aliyah

During the 1970s about 163,000 people of Jewish descent immigrated to Israel from the USSR.

Later Ariel Sharon, in his capacity as Minister of Housing & Construction and member of the Ministerial Committee for Immigration & Absorption, launched an unprecedented large-scale construction effort to accommodate the new Russian population in Israel so as to facilitate their smooth integration and encourage further Jewish immigration as an ongoing means of increasing the Jewish population of Israel. Between 1989 and 2006, about 979,000 Jews emigrated from the former Soviet Union to Israel.

Emigration

For many years definitive data on Israeli emigration was unavailable. In The Israeli Diaspora sociologist Stephen J. Gold maintains that calculation of Jewish emigration has been a contentious issue, explaining, "Since Zionism, the philosophy that underlies the existence of the Jewish state, calls for return home of the world's Jews, the opposite movement—Israelis leaving the Jewish state to reside elsewhere—clearly presents an ideological and demographic problem."

In the past several decades, emigration (yerida) has seen a considerable increase. From 1990 to 2005, 230,000 Israelis left the country; a large proportion of these departures included people who initially immigrated to Israel and then reversed their course (48% of all post-1990 departures and even 60% of 2003 and 2004 departures were former immigrants to Israel). 8% of Jewish immigrants in the post-1990 period left Israel, while 15% of non-Jewish immigrants did. In 2005 alone, 21,500 Israelis left the country and had not yet returned at the end of 2006; among them 73% were Jews, 5% Arabs, and 22% "Others" (mostly non-Jewish immigrants, with Jewish ancestry, from USSR). At the same time, 10,500 Israelis came back to Israel after over one year abroad; 84% were Jews, 9% Others, and 7% Arabs.

According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, as of 2005, 650,000 Israelis had left the country for over one year and not returned. Of them, 530,000 are still alive today. This number does not include the children born overseas. It should also be noted that Israeli law grants citizenship only to the first generation of children born to Israeli emigrants.

Health

HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate

• 0.2% (2009 est.)

Obesity – adult prevalence rate

• 26% of women and 40% of men are overweight. In both genders, obesity rate is 15% (as of 2011).

Graph of Total Fertility Rate vs. GDP (PPP) per capita of each country, including Israel.

Future projections

In June 2013, the Central Bureau of Statistics released a demographic report, projecting that Israel's population would grow to 11.4 million by 2035, with the Jewish population numbering 8.3 million, or 73% of the population, and the Arab population at 2.6 million, or 23%. This includes some 2.3 million Muslims (20% of the population), 185,000 Druze, and 152,000 Christians. The report predicts that the Israeli population growth rate will decline to 1.4% annually, with growth in the Muslim population remaining higher than the Jewish population until 2035, at which point the Jewish population will begin growing the fastest.

In 2017, the Central Bureau of Statistics projected that Israel's population would rise to about 18 million by 2059, including 14.4 million Jews and 3.6 million Arabs. Of the Jewish population, about 5.25 million would be Haredi. Overall, the forecast projected that 49% of the population would be either Haredi Jews (29%) or Arabs (20%). It also projected a population of 20 million in 2065. Jews and other non-Arabs are expected to compose 81% of the population in 2065, and Arabs 19%. About 32% of the population is expected to be Haredi.

Other forecasts project that Israel could have a population as high as 23 million, or even 36 million, by 2050.

See also

• Aliyah
• Crime in Israel
• Culture of Israel
• Demographic history of Palestine (region)
• Demographics of the Middle East
• Demographics of the State of Palestine
• Health care in Israel
• Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
• Jewish population by country
• Standard of living in Israel
• Women in Israel

Further reading

• DellaPergola, Sergio (2001). Demography in Israel/Palestine: Trends, Prospects, Policy Implications (PDF). The Avraham Harman Institute of Contemporary Jewry. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
• Goldscheider, Calvin (2002). Israel's Changing Society: Population, Ethnicity & Development. Westview Press. ISBN 978-0-8133-3917-7.
• Tal, Alon (February 2017). "The Land Is Full: Addressing Overpopulation in Israel". Foreign Affairs. Book review by John Waterbury.
• Videos of academic lectures posted on the official YouTube VOD (video on demand) channel of Tel Aviv University:
  • Rabinowitz, Dan (18 November 2012). "The Sacred Cow of Israel: The Environmental Implications of Zionism's Population Policy". Archived from the original on 11 December 2021 – via YouTube. (28 min)
  • Dayan, Tamar (18 November 2012). "Population Increase and the Impact on Biodiversity in Israel". Archived from the original on 11 December 2021 – via YouTube. (16 min)
  • Ehrlich, Paul; Rabinowitz, Dan; Dayan, Tamar (18 November 2012). "Questions & Answers Panel". Archived from the original on 11 December 2021 – via YouTube. (31 min)

External links

• Official website of the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
• Population of Israel by the Tourism Ministry
• Israel. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
• Issues in Israeli Society Archived 21 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine at the Jewish Agency for Israel
• Israel: Society and Culture at Curlie