Israeli Population Nears 10 Million on Eve of Rosh Hashanah

September 14, 2023

by: Yaron Druckman ~ Ynetnews

Thursday, 14 September 2023 | In just over a year, Israel’s population is expected to reach 10 million residents. On the eve of Rosh HaShanah [Jewish New Year], Israel’s population is estimated at 9,795,000 people. And according to the report from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) published on Tuesday, the population is projected to reach 10 million residents by the end of 2024.

In 2048, when Israel will celebrate its 100th year of independence, the population is expected to reach 15 million residents, and in 2065, according to the same source, 20 million people will be living in Israel.

The report, published annually ahead of Rosh HaShanah, reveals that 7,181,000 of Israel’s residents are Jewish, accounting for 73% of the population. Approximately 2,065,000 residents are Arabs (21%), and about 549,000 are classified as other (6%). This includes non-Arab Christians, members of other religions and people with no religious affiliation, according to the Interior Ministry.

Additionally, the report shows that Israel’s population grew by approximately 194,000 individuals, with a population growth rate of 2%. During the last Jewish year, which is concluding this week, about 172,000 babies were born and 48,000 Israelis died. Furthermore, around 70,000 individuals were added to the population via aliyah or immigration to Israel, with approximately 66,000 being new immigrants.

To mark the Jewish New Year, the CBS also published data on the public’s attitudes and sentiments. Some 73% of Israelis believe that religion has a strong influence on life in the country. Among different sectors in the country, 77% of Jews believe that religion has a strong influence, compared to 52% of Arabs. The data also reveals that 56% of Israelis think that the influence of religion has strengthened in various aspects of life in Israel in recent years.

The data also shows that Israelis are relatively satisfied with their lives, especially among those ages 20 and above. According to the data, 90.2% of Israelis are satisfied with their lives, and 63% are content with their economic situation.

Additionally, 88% of Israelis are satisfied with their living arrangements, 84.2% are satisfied with their residential areas in general and 59.5% are content with the cleanliness of their residential areas. However, only 35% are satisfied with public transportation in their areas, a figure that suggests a need for improvement, according to Transportation Minister Miri Regev and other officials.

Data also showed that 19% of Israelis always or frequently feel stressed, 20.9% often feel lonely and 21% experienced discrimination in the past year. One-third of Israelis are not satisfied with the balance between the time they dedicate to work and other aspects of their lives. The statistics show a similar trend among both men and women.

Posted on September 14, 2023

Source: (Excerpt from an article originally published by Ynetnews on September 14, 2023. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: Michio Nagata/bridgesforpeace.com