Population On Eve Of New Year Hits 8.9 million

Israel’s population stands at 8.9 million on the eve of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah 5779, and is expected to reach 10 million residents by the end of 2024, and 15 million residents by the end of 2048.

Israel’s Jewish population numbers approximately 6.625 million residents (74.4% of the total population); the Arab population numbers approximately 1.864 million (20.9%), and the population of others – non-Arab Christians and people of no religious denominations –  numbers approximately 418,000 (4.7%).

The population grew by approximately 162,000 or 1.9% over the past year with 175,000 births and 43,000 deaths.

The total fertility rate was 3.11, the highest rate of OECD member countries. Life expectancy

for women was 84.6 years and men 80.7 years.

Israel continued to see a positive migration balance with around 25,000 new immigrants coming to the country and some 4,000 more returning residents than people leaving the country.

Some 62% of immigrants came from the former Soviet Union, mainly from Russia and the Ukraine; 12% from France and 10% from the United States.