As Israel commemorates its 78th Independence Day, new demographic data reveals the nation’s population has reached 10.244 million people, the Central Bureau of Statistics announced Sunday.
Since its founding in 1948 with roughly 806,000 residents, the country has witnessed remarkable growth, expanding by more than 12.5 times its original size. Immigration has played a major role in this expansion, with over 3.5 million newcomers settling in Israel throughout its history. Nearly half of these immigrants—approximately 1.68 million people representing 47.8%—have arrived since 1990.
The statistics show that Israel now houses roughly 45% of the global Jewish population, with about 81% of the country’s Jewish residents being born within its borders.
This past year brought significant demographic shifts, including approximately 177,000 newborns and around 21,000 new immigrants. During the same period, about 48,000 deaths were recorded, while an estimated 45,000 Israelis remained living overseas.
The annual population increase totaled roughly 146,000 people, marking a 1.4% growth rate. This expansion encompasses about 110,000 new Israeli citizens plus 36,000 foreign residents.
Breaking down the current population by demographics: Jewish residents and others categorized as non-Jewish, non-Arab citizens comprise 7.790 million people, representing 76% of the total. Arab citizens number 2.157 million, making up 21.1% of the population, while 296,000 residents classified as foreigners account for 2.9%.
Compared to many Western nations, Israel maintains a relatively youthful population structure. Residents between ages 0 and 14 represent approximately 27% of the population, while those 65 and older make up 13% of all residents.
