As Israel prepares to celebrate its 77th Independence Day, new figures released show the country’s population has surpassed 10 million for the first time, marking a major demographic milestone in the nation’s history.
The State of Israel was established at the moment of the end of the British Mandate, om May 15, 1948. However, the Jewish State celebrates its holidays according to the Hebrew calendar, a lunar calendar, and so its Independence Day falls on a different date on the solar calendar each year.
According to the latest data, Israel’s total population now stands at 10.094 million, comprising:
7.732 million Jews and Others (77.6%)
2.114 million Arabs (20.9%)
248,000 Foreigners (2.5%)
Since last year’s Independence Day, Israel’s population has grown by 135,000, reflecting a 1.4% annual growth rate. Notably, the number of foreign residents increased by approximately 32,000 during this period.
Key population statistics for the past year include:
174,000 births
28,000 new immigrants
50,000 deaths
A net loss of 56,000 Israelis residing abroad
When the State of Israel was established in 1948, the population was just 806,000. Today, Israel’s population is more than 12 times larger, demonstrating decades of rapid growth driven by natural increase and immigration.
This latest demographic update reflects the continued vitality of Israel’s diverse society and sets the stage for long-term planning in areas such as infrastructure, housing, healthcare, and education.
Since the State’s establishment, over 3.5 million immigrants have arrived in Israel. Of these, about 1.66 million (47.6%) have arrived since 1990. Since 1970, about 154,000 immigrating citizens have also settled in the country.
At the end of 2023, about 45% of the world’s total Jewish population lived in Israel. About 80% of the Jews in Israel are Sabras (born in Israel).
The population of Israel is a young population: About 27% are children aged 0-14 and about 13% are aged 65 or over.
