Israel's Independence Day 2025: 91% of Israelis satisfied with life despite the challenges

Israel’s population surpassed 10 million a few months ago, according to a statement released on Tuesday by the Central Bureau of Statistics. By the country’s 100th Independence Day, the population is projected to reach 15.2 million. Over the past decade, Israel’s population has grown at an average annual rate of 1.5% – one of the highest rates in the Western world. In comparison, the global growth rate stands at 0.9%, the OECD average is 0.5%, and the European Union sees just 0.2%.

This growth is driven by a combination of a high total fertility rate, with women giving birth to an average of nearly three children, ongoing immigration to Israel, and a relatively high life expectancy.

Israel’s population is composed of 77% Jews and others, 21% Arabs, and 2.5% foreigners. Among Jews in Israel, 11.5% identify as ultra-Orthodox (Haredi), 12% as religious, 33.5% as traditional or traditional-religious, and 43% as secular. Notably, 80% of Jews in Israel are sabras – meaning they were born in the country.

Despite being 77 years old, Israel is a very young nation demographically. Over one-third of the population is under the age of 18, indicating a strong potential for future growth. Since its founding in 1948, when the population stood at just 800,000, Israel has grown twelvefold. Projections suggest the population will reach 20 million by the year 2065.

Today, more than 7 million Jews live in Israel – about 45% of the global Jewish population, which totals 15.8 million. This marks a dramatic shift from the pre-Holocaust era: in 1939, there were 16.6 million Jews worldwide, but only 449,000 (3%) lived in the land of Israel. On the eve of statehood in 1948, that number had grown to 650,000, just 6% of world Jewry.

Despite various challenges, Israelis continue to exhibit high levels of optimism and satisfaction. According to 2024 data from the Social Survey, 91% of Israelis aged 20 and over report being satisfied or very satisfied with their lives. Sixty-seven percent are satisfied or very satisfied with their economic situation. In the labor market, 92% of employed individuals are content with their jobs, and 83% rate their health as good or very good.

Social ties in Israel remain particularly strong. Ninety-four percent of Israelis feel they have someone they can rely on in times of crisis or distress. An impressive 96% are satisfied with their relationships with family members. Ninety-two percent are in touch with friends, either in person or by phone, and 78% say they do not feel lonely or only feel lonely rarely.

Most Israelis are happy with their local living environment. Eighty-six percent report satisfaction with the area where they live. However, some aspects still require improvement: only 58% are satisfied with cleanliness in their area, and 62% are satisfied with access to green spaces and parks.