| Total population (As of 2011) |
7,798,600 |
| Life expectancy at birth (As of 2008) |
Men – 79.1 Women – 83.0 |
| Density | 321 persons / km2. 91% urban population |
|
Distribution of the Jewish |
68.8% were born in Israel |
| Annual growth | 1.85% (2011) |
| Religions | |
| Jews | 76% |
| Muslims | 16% |
| Others (mostly those not classified as affiliated with religion) |
4% |
| Syriac Christians | 2% |
| Druze | 2% |
| Education | |
| Universities | 8 |
| University students | 250,456 |
| Literacy | 95.5% Men – 97.5% |
| Health: | |
| Hospitals | 44 |
| Doctors | 25,000 |
| Infant Mortality | 4.3 to 1000 births |
| Jews | 3.1 |
| Arabs | 7.7 |
The State of Israel has a population of approximately 7,798,600 inhabitants as of September 2011.[1] 75.3% of them are Jewish (about 5,865,300 individuals), 20.5% are Arabs (About 1,597,300 individuals), while the remaining 4.3% (about 318,200 individuals) are defined as "others" (family members of Jewish immigrants who are not registered at the Interior Ministry as Jews, non-Arab Christians, non-Arab Muslims and residents who do not have a religious classification).
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The territory of Israel can be defined in a number of ways as a result of a complex and unresolved political situation (see table below). For example, whilst the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics defines the area of Israel to include the annexed East Jerusalem and Golan Heights and to exclude the militarily controlled regions of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, it defines the population of Israel to also include Israeli settlers living in the West Bank. The situation is further complicated by the Israeli West Bank barrier, which has separated certain parts of the West Bank such that they have become contiguous with sovereign Israel.
| Population (thousands) | Area (km2) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Status Description | Israeli Citizens (Including Jews and Arabs) | Cumulative Total | Non-Israeli Palestinians | Cumulative Total | Area | Cumulative Total |
| Israel (Green Line) | Area sovereign to Israel since 1948 | 6,674[2] | 6,674[2] | 0 | 0 | 20,582[2] | 20,582[2] |
| East Jerusalem | Subject to Israeli law. Occupied in 1967, formally annexed in 1980 (see Jerusalem Law) | 455[3] | 7,129[2] | 225 (double counted)[4] | 225[2] | 336[5] | 20,918[2] |
| Golan Heights | Subject to Israeli law. Occupied in 1967, formally annexed in 1981 (see Golan Heights Law) | 42[6] | 7,172[6] | n.a. | n.a. (Syrians) | 1,154[7] | 22,072[7] |
| Seam Zone (West Bank) | Area between the Green Line and the Israeli West Bank barrier. Occupied in 1967 | 188[8] | 7,359[2] | 35[8] | 260[2] | 200[5] | 22,272[2] |
| Other Israeli Settlements and IDF Military Areas (West Bank Area C) | Other Israeli settlements (not in East Jerusalem or the Seam Zone) and areas in the West Bank directly controlled by the IDF . Occupied in 1967 | 57[2] | 7,473[6] | 115[9] | 375[2] | 2,961[10] | 25,233[2] |
| Palestinian civil control (West Bank Areas A+B) | Palestinian National Authority civil controlled area. Subject to "joint" military control with the IDF. Occupied in 1967 | 0 | 7,473[2] | 2,311[11] | 2,686[2] | 2,143[9] | 27,376[2] |
| Gaza Strip | Palestinian governed area. Israel controls airspace, maritime border and 80% of land border. Occupied in 1967, unilaterally disengaged in 2005, declared a foreign entity in 2007. | 0 | 7,473[2] | 1,552[12] | 4,238[2] | 360[12] | 27,736[2] |
The most prominent ethnic and religious groups, who live in Israel at present and who are Israeli citizens or nationals, are as follows:
According to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, in 2008, of Israel's 7.3 million people, 75.6% were Jews of any background.[1] Among them, 70.3% were Sabras (Israeli-born), mostly second- or third-generation Israelis, and the rest are olim (Jewish immigrants to Israel) – 20.5% from Europe and the Americas, and 9.2% from Asia and Africa, including the Arab countries.[13]
The ethnic division of The Jewish population of Israel (including non Halackic Russians) as of 2008 is as follows.
| TOTAL | 5,818,000 | 100% |
| Mizrahi Jews and Sephardic Jews | 2,921,000 | 50.2% |
| Morocco | 800,000 | 15.2% |
| Iraq | 404,000 | 7.7% |
| Yemen | 295,000 | 4.9% |
| Iran | 236,000 | 4.0% |
| Algeria/Tunisia | 224,000 | 3.8% |
| Other Asia | 150,000 | 2.5% |
| Turkey | 147,000 | 2.5% |
| Libya | 136,000 | 2.3% |
| Egypt | 112,000 | 1.9% |
| Bulgaria/Greece | 97,000 | 1.9% |
| Other Asia | 200,000 | 1.7% |
| India/Pakistan | 76,000 | 1.3% |
| Latin America | 25,000 | 0.04% |
| Other Africa (Not South Africa) | 3,000 | 0.05% |
| Beta Israel (Ethiopia) | 130,000 | 2.2% |
| Ashkenazi Jews | 2,767,000 | 47.5% |
| Russia | 1,018,000 | 20.9% |
| Poland | 400,000 | 8.3% |
| Romania | 351,000 | 7.6% |
| Other Europe | 168,000 | 3.7% |
| North America (Including 4,000 African American Black Hebrews) | 165,000 | 2.8% |
| Germany/Austria | 160,000 | 2.7% |
| Latin America | 82,000 | 1.4% |
| Hungary | 63,000 | 1.3% |
| Czechoslovakia | 60,000 | 1.2% |
| South Africa | 20,000 | 0.4% |
The errors occurring due to these calculations were:
Arab citizens of Israel are those Arabs who remained within Israel's borders following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and the establishment of the state of Israel, including those born within the state borders subsequent to this time, as well as those who had left during the exodus (or their descendants) who have since re-entered by means accepted as lawful residence by the Israeli state (primarily family reunifications).
In 2006, the official number of Arab residents in Israel was 1,413,500 people, about 20% of Israel’s population. This figure include 209,000 Arabs (14% of the Israeli-Arab population) in east Jerusalem, also counted in the Palestinian statistics, although 98% of East Jerusalem Palestinians have either Israeli residency or Israeli citizenship.[14]
Most Arab citizens of Israel are Muslim, particularly of the Sunni branch of Islam, and there is a significant Arab Christian minority from various denominations, as well as Arab Druze, among other religious communities.
As of 2008, Arab citizens of Israel comprise just over 20% of the country's total population. About 82.6% of the Arab population in Israel is Sunni Muslim (with a very small minority of Shia), another 9% is Druze, and around 9% is Christian (mostly Eastern Orthodox and Catholic denominations).
The Arab 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 Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel, currently, 110,000 Bedouins live in the Negev, 50,000 in the Galilee and 10,000 in the central region of Israel.[15]
The Arab citizens of Israel include also the Druze who were numbered at an estimated 117,500 at the end of 2006.[16] All of the Druze living in what was then British Mandate Palestine became Israeli citizens after the declaration of the State of Israel. Though some individuals identify themselves as "Palestinian Druze",[17] most Druze do not consider themselves to be Palestinian, and consider their Israeli identity stronger than their Arab identity; indeed, Druze serve prominently in the Israel Defense Forces, and are represented in mainstream Israeli politics and business as well, unlike Muslim Arabs who are not required to and choose not to serve in the Israeli army.
The Maronite Christian community in Israel of several thousands resides mostly in Galilee. It is largely composed of former pro-Israeli Lebanese militia members and their families, who fled Lebanon after 2000 withdrawal of IDF from South Lebanon, though some originate from local Galilee communities, like one in Jish.
The African Hebrew Israelite Nation of Jerusalem is a small spiritual group whose members believe they are descended from the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. 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. At least some of them consider themselves to be Jewish, but mainstream Judaism does not consider them to be Jewish. Their ancestors were African Americans who after several years in Liberia migrated to Israel in the late 1960s.
The number and status of African refugees in Israel is disputed and controversial but it is estimated that at least 16,000 refugees mainly from Eritrea, Sudan, Ethiopia and the Ivory Coast reside and work 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.[18]
There are around 1,000 ethnic 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.
In Israel, there are also a few thousand Circassians, living mostly in Kfar Kama (2,000) and Reyhaniye (1,000).[19] 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.
Some Eastern European Roma are known to have arrived in Israel in the late 1940s and early 1950s, being from Bulgaria or having intermarried with Jews in the post-WWII displaced persons camps or, in some cases, having pretended to be Jews when Zionist representatives arrived in those camps. The exact numbers of these Romanies living in Israel are unknown, since such individuals tended to assimilate into the Israeli Jewish environment. According to several recent accounts in the Israeli press, some families preserve traditional Romani lullabies and a small number of Romani expressions and curse words, and pass them on to generations born in Israel who, for the most part, are Jews and speak Hebrew. The Romani community in Israel has grown since the 1990s, as some Roma immigrated there from the former Soviet Union. A community related to the Romanies and living in Israel and the Palestinian territories and in neighboring countries are known as Dom people.
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 number of Vietnamese people in Israel is estimated as 200. Most of them came to Israel in between 1976–1979, 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 Israel.
Smaller prominent ethnic and religious groups, who currently live in the Israel and whom are Israeli citizens or nationals, include:
| Religion | Population | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish | 5,569,200 | 75.5% |
| Muslim | 1,240,000 | 16.8% |
| Christian | 153,100 | 2.1% |
| Druze | 121,900 | 1.7% |
| Unclassified by choice | 289,800 | 3.9% |
| Year | Jews | Muslims | Muslim Percentage |
| 1950 | 1,203.0 | 116.1 | 8.80% |
| 1972 | 2,752.7 | 360.6 | 11.58% |
| 1995 | 4,522.3 | 811.2 | 15.21% |
| 2000 | 4,955.4 | 970.0 | 16.73% |
According to a 2010 Israel Central Bureau of Statistics study[21] on Israelis aged over 18, 8% of Israeli Jews define themselves as haredim (or Ultra-Orthodox); an additional 12% are "religious" (non-haredi orthodox, also known as: dati leumi/national-religious or religious zionist); 13% consider themselves "religious-traditionalists" (mostly adhering to Jewish Halakha); 25% are "non-religious traditionalists" (only partly respecting the Jewish Halakha), and 43% are "secular". Among the seculars, 53% say they believe in God. Due to the higher natality rate of religious and traditionalists over seculars, the share of religious and traditionalists among the overall population is even higher.
(2010)
Population in Israel increased from 1990 to 2008 with 2.6 million and 56 % growth in population.[23]
| Population in Israel [23] | |
|---|---|
| Year | Million |
| 1971 | 3.09 |
| 1980 | 3.90 |
| 1990 | 4.68 |
| 2000 | 6.29 |
| 2004 | 6.91 |
| 2008 | 7.31 |
| 2011 | 7.80 |
| Source: OECD/World Bank, Israeli CBS 2011 | |
(2006)
(2010) Total:
Jews:
Arab:
The Jewish median age in Jerusalem district and Judea and Samaria (West Bank) are 24.9 and 19.7 respectively and both account for 16% of the Jewish population but 24% of 0-4 year olds
Note the lowest median age in Israel and one of the lowest in the world is found in two of West Bank biggest Jewish cities: Modiin Ilit (11), Beitar Ilit (11)[24] followed by Bedouin towns in the Negev (14.9)[25]
(2010)
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 high population growth rate among certain Jewish groups, especially adherents of Haredi Judaism.
The growth rate of the Arab population in Israel is 2.6%, while the growth rate of the Jewish population in Israel is 1.7%. The growth rate of both the Jewish and Arab population has slowed from 3.8% in 1999 to 2.6% in 2008 for Arab and 2.7% to 1.7% for the Jewish population. The fastest growing segment of population are Arab Muslims with the latest growth rate of 2.8% for 2008.[20]
20.8 births/1,000 population (2005)
| Year | Total births[27] | Jewish mothers | Muslim mothers | Druze mothers | Christian mothers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 121,333 | 83,710 | 30,802 | 2,682 | 2,678 |
| 2000 | 136,390 | 91,936 | 35,740 | 2,708 | 2,789 |
| 2005 | 143,913 | 100,657 | 34,217 | 2,533 | 2,487 |
| 2006 | 148,170 | 104,513 | 34,337 | 2,601 | 2,500 |
| 2007 | 151,679 | 107,986 | 34,572 | 2,510 | 2,521 |
| 2008 | 156,923 | 112,803 | 34,860 | 2,534 | 2,511 |
| 2009 | 161,042 | 116,599 | 35,253 | 2,517 | 2,514 |
| 2010 | 166,255 | 120,673 | 36,221 | 2,535 | 2,511 |
According to research culled by Haaretz, between the mid-1980s and 2000, the birthrate in the Muslim sector was stable at 4.6–4.7 children per woman; After 2001 a gradual decline became evident, reaching 3.75 children per woman in 2010. By point of comparison, in 2010 there was a slowly rising birthrate of 2.97 children among the Jewish population.[26]
6.18 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
There were a total of 38,666 deaths in 2006. (39,026 in 2005 & 37,688 in 2000). Of this 33,568 were Jews (34,031 in 2005 & 33,421 in 2000). 3,078 were Muslims (2,968 in 2005 & 2,683 in 2000). 360 were Druze (363 in 2005 & 305 in 2000). 712 were Christian (686 in 2005 & 666 in 2000).
3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
There were a total of 19,269 immigrants in 2006: 7,472 from the Former Soviet Union, 3,595 from Ethiopia, 2,411 from France, 2,159 from the United States, 594 from the United Kingdom, 304 from India, 293 from Argentina, 232 from Brazil, 228 from Canada, 142 from Colombia, 134 from Venezuela, 114 from South Africa, 112 from Germany, 91 from Belgium, 91 from Central America, 85 from Switzerland, 73 from Uruguay, 72 from Mexico, 66 from Oceania, 63 from Hungary, 61 from Chile, 50 from Romania and 50 from the Netherlands.
For many years definitive data on Israeli emigration was unavailable.[28] 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."[29]
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.[30]
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.
In Israel, the total fertility rate (TFR) is 3.03 children born per woman.
TFR was 2.97 for Jews (2.90 in 2009, 2.88 in 2008, 2.69 in 2005, 2.67 in 2000), 3.75 for Muslims (3.73 in 2009, 3.84 in 2008, 4.03 in 2005, 4.57 in 2000), 2.48 for Druze (2.49 in 2009, 2.49 in 2008, 2.59 in 2005, 2.87 in 2000), 2.14 for Christians (2.15 in 2009, 2.11 in 2008, 2.15 in 2005, 2.35 in 2000) and 1.56 for Others (1.57 in 2008, 1.49 in 2005, 1.55 in 2000).
TFR is very high among Haredi Jews. For Ashkenazi Haredim, the TFR rose to 8.51 in 1996 from 6.91 in 1980. The figure for 2008 is estimated to be even higher. TFR for Sephardi/Mizrachi Haredim rose from 4.57 in 1980 to 6.57 in 1996.[31]
Jewish TFR 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.[32] 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. During 2000, the Arab TFR in Jerusalem (4.43) was higher than that of the Jews residing there (3.79). But as of 2009, Jewish TFR in Jerusalem was measured higher than the Arab TFR (2010: 4.26 vs 3.85, 2009: 4.16 vs 3.87). TFR for Arab residents in the West Bank was measured at 3.05 in 2010[33] , while that for the Jewish residents was reported at 5.10 children per woman.[34]
Due to its immigrant nature, Israel is one of the most multicultural and multilingual societies in the world. Hebrew and Arabic are the official languages in the country, while English and Russian are the two most widely spoken non official languages. Georgian, Yiddish, Romanian, Ukrainian, Amharic, Armenian, Bulgarian, Ladino, French, Persian, Hungarian, Spanish, German, Vietnamese, Thai, Tagalog and Polish are the most commonly used foreign languages. A certain degree of English is spoken widely, and is the language of choice for many Israeli businesses. Courses of Hebrew and English language are mandatory in the Israeli school system, and most schools offer either Arabic, Spanish, German or French.
The definition of literacy: Age 15 and over can read and write.
Education between ages 5 and 15 is compulsory. It is not free, but it subsidized by the government, individual organizations (such as the Beit Yaakov System) or a combination. Parents are expected to participate in costs 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. See Education in israel and the List of universities and colleges in Israel for more information.
As Israel's continued existence as a "Jewish State" relies upon maintenance of a Jewish demographic majority, Israeli demographers, politicians and bureaucrats have treated Jewish population growth promotion as a central question in their research and policymaking. Non-Jewish population growth and immigration is regarded as a threat to the Jewish demographic majority and to Israel's security, as detailed in the Koenig Memorandum.
According to Jewish National Fund Board member Daniel Orenstein, Israel is the second most-densely crowded country in the developed world. In an academic article, 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.[35][36]
During the 1970s about 163,000 people 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.[37]
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).[38] Critics, including the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination,[39] 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.[40]
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