Total population of Israel nears 10 million; nearly half of World Jewry resides in Jewish state
There are 9.7 million people currently live in Jewish state, according to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, which released fresh data ahead of the nation's 75th anniversary.
Israel's population has increased by 12 times since the modern state was established in May 1948.
Some 7.15 million Jews live in Israel, constituting 73.5% of the total population. Approximately 46%, or almost half of World Jewry, currently live in the Jewish state. By contrast, only 5% of the world’s Jews resided in Israel when the state was founded in 1948. Jewish demographers expect that within the next decade, the majority of Jewish people will live in Israel for the first time in the post-biblical era.
Some 2 million citizens belong to the Arab minority, which constitutes approximately one fifth of Israel’s population. The remaining 5% of the population are other minorities and immigrants from the former Soviet republics who are not formally defined as Jewish.
Israel stands out among the advanced economies with a young and rapidly growing population. A whopping 28% of the Israeli population are children aged 14 or below. During the past year, the Israeli population grew by 216.000 people. This represents a growth rate of 2.3%, by far the highest in the developed world. While most of the growth rate was natural, Israel also welcomed 79.000 new immigrants in the past year. The majority arrived from war-torn Ukraine and Russia.
The Jewish state has welcomed 3.3 million immigrants since its rebirth in 1948. Out of these, some 1.5 million arrived since 1990, mostly from the former Soviet republics. Israel’s population is expected to reach 15 million in 2048 when the country marks its centennial anniversary.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
