Jerusalem Experiences Significant Population Growth

Israel’s capital city has experienced a remarkable population boom since its reunification in 1967.

As Israel prepares to mark the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem this week, the nation’s capital has marked a significant population growth.

According to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, Jerusalem’s population has grown from just 84,000 in 1948 to 883,000 in 2016. Around 10 percent of Israel’s population resides in Jerusalem.

Last year, 3,118 new immigrants made the capital their home, increasing Jerusalem’s population by 16,000 people.

In 2016,  23,600 babies were born Jerusalem, which constituted 13 percent of births across the country. The total fertility rate in the city stood at 3.87 children per woman in 2016, compared with the national average of 3.1.

The average household in Jerusalem, with 3.9 members, was also larger than the Israeli average of 3.3 household members.

Ninety-three percent of Jews and 89 percent of Arabs who live in Jerusalem say they are satisfied with their lives.

Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research data reveals the high-tech industry is thriving in the capital. In the past two years, the number of Jerusalem residents employed in the field rose by 28 percent. In 2015, 18,500 people worked in high-tech, compared with 14,400 in 2013. Workforce participation in 2016, however, stood at 52.4 percent, as opposed to the national average of 64.1 percent.

Israel regained control of the Old City, along with the rest of east Jerusalem, in the 1967 Six Day War.

By: JNS.org