As Israel celebrates 70th birthday, population grows to 8.842 million

Israel’s population has increased more than tenfold from 806,000 at the country’s establishment in 1948 to approximately 8.842 million today, according to data published this week by the Central Bureau of Statistics ahead of Israel’s 70th Independence Day.

That number is expected to reach 15.2 million by Israel’s centennial celebrations in 2048.

This year alone, the population grew by approximately 163,000 – an increase of 1.9% – representing 177,000 births, 41,000 deaths and 28,000 new immigrants. Since the establishment of the state, Israel has absorbed approximately 3.2 million immigrants.

Jewish citizens constitute 74.5% of the population, Arab citizens represent 20.9% and other religious groups, including non-Arab Christians and other minorities, make up 4.6%.

The average life expectancy for Israeli men is 80.7 years and 84.2 years for Israeli women, an increase of some four years for both sexes since 2000. Israeli men get married on average at 27.6 years of age and women at 25.2 years.

Population growth has slowed across the decades. During Israel’s first decade, the population grew by 8%, while the 1980s saw growth of less than 2%. The decade of the 1990s saw a rare increase to more than 3% due to mass immigration to Israel following the breakup of the Soviet Union.

The last decade has seen Israel’s population grow annually by approximately 2%, a number that is expected to gradually decrease in the coming years. By 2048, the population is predicted to grow by 1.7% each decade and by 2065, by 1.6%.

Today, approximately 44% of Israelis live in the country’s 15 largest cities, each home to more than 100,000 residents. In 1948, only Tel Aviv housed more than 100,000 people – approximately 240,000 or 28% of the population.

Jerusalem is now Israel’s largest city, boasting a population of 882,700. Only 70 Israelis reside in Israel’s smallest community, Neveh Zohar.

During the last 12 months, Israelis traveled abroad some 7.5 million times, more than double the 3.5 million trips made in 2000. In the opposite direction, Israel welcomed more than 3.8 million visitors through its various entry points during the year – an all-time record.