On Eve of New Year, Israel’s Population Reaches 8.4 Million

Israel’s population has grown steadily and statistics indicate that this trend will continue, a report ahead of the Jewish New Year demonstrates.

Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) released its annual pre-Rosh Hashana report on Israel’s population, which shows a steady growth over the past year and now stands at 8.412 million residents.

Since last year’s Jewish New Year, the population has increased by some 158,000 civilians, marking a 1.9-percent growth, which is similar to previous years.

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The total population is comprised of 6.3 million Jews (74.9 percent), 1.746 million Arabs – including Muslims and Christians (20.7 percent), and 366,000 residents of other minorities and religions (4.4 percent).

According to CBS projections, Israel’s population will pass the 10 million mark at some time between 2025 and 2030.

Approximately 168,000 Israeli couples welcomed a new child into the world this year. Roughly 42,000 Israelis passed away.

The Jewish State experienced a surge of olim (immigrants) to the Holy Land. About 28,000 landed in Israel over the course of the year, indicating a 35-percent increase since the previous year.

The bulk of new Israelis came from Ukraine (26 percent), which has been experiencing a civil war and instability in recent years. The next-largest group came from France (25 percent), where many Jews are fleeing due to rampant anti-Semitism and the advent of Islamic terror in the country. Roughly another quarter came from Russia, and nine percent hail from the US.

By: Max Gelber, United with Israel