Ahead of Jerusalem Day: Capital Experiences Unprecedented Growth

A new survey shows that Jerusalem has the largest Jewish population in Israel and the largest Arab population in the country.

By Aryeh Savir, TPS

President Reuven Rivlin received on Monday the 2020 Statistical Yearbook of the Jerusalem Institute for Public Policy (JIPP), which sheds light on the city’s makeup and growth.

The report was presented to Rivlin by JIPP chairman Dan Halperin and Director-General Lior Schillat.

The yearbook, which includes findings from the end of 2018 until the end of 2019, was presented ahead of Jerusalem Day, when Israel celebrates the unification of its capital during the 1967 Six-Day War, marked this year on Friday.

The survey shows that Jerusalem has the largest Jewish population in Israel with 569,900 Jewish and other residents, and has the largest Arab population in Israel with 349,600 Arab residents.

The capital was the largest city in general, with 919,400 residents, twice as many as Tel Aviv and three times as many as Haifa.

For a second consecutive year, the city saw 6,000 of its residents leave, the lowest level in a decade. Of those leaving, 46% have left for communities in the Jerusalem metropolitan area. Housing in Jerusalem is scarce and comparatively expensive.

Conversely, the number of those moving to Jerusalem in the past year was 12,800 people, the highest ever number recorded by the Yearbook.

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon stated that the turnaround in the negative migration “is joyous and encouraging news.”

He noted the newcomers to Jerusalem include “young families and high-tech people.”

“In the coming years, we will continue to develop housing, the economy, employment and education, and advance Jerusalem for the residents of the capital and the entire State of Israel. It is a matter of time before Jerusalem becomes the most attractive city in Israel,” he added.

Interestingly, the wage gap between men in women in Jerusalem is the smallest in the country with a 20% difference, as opposed to 33% nationally, 32% in Tel Aviv-Yafo and 35% in Haifa.

Some 1.26 million tourists stayed in Jerusalem during the past year, spending a total of 4.17 million nights in the city. Israel’s tourism, in general, experienced a booming year in 2019.