Last update - 00:00 10/09/2007
2006 report: Israel's population 7.2 million, growing slowly
By Moti Bassok, Haaretz Correspondent
According to data gathered in 2006, Israel's population on the eve of Rosh Hashana 5767 stands at 7.2 million and exhibited a relatively low growth rate of 1.8 percent, a Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) report revealed Monday.
The population comprised at least 5.4 million Jews and at least 1.4 million Arabs.
The report showed that population growth rate had remained steady, but had remained low, possibly due to a continuing downward trend in Aliyah since the 1990s. Figures showed 1.5 percent population growth in the Jewish sector and 2.6 percent in the Arab sector.
The report revealed that Israel's population is younger than that of Western countries, with 28 percent of Israelis aged under 14 compared to 17 percent, and 10 percent aged 65 and over compared to 15 percent in Western countries.
The proportion of people over 75 rose from 3.8 percent in the early 1990s to 5.6 percent in 2006, with most of the increase occurring in the Jewish sector.
The CBS report revealed that half of the Jewish population (27.5 percent of the total population) is concentrated in central Israel with 20.9 percent in the Tel Aviv area. However, the Arab population was concentrated in provincial areas with 45 percent in the north and 11 percent in the south.
Israel's population density was one of the highest in the world, with 310 residents per square kilometer compared to 220 residents per square kilometer in 1990, and 1974 residents per square kilometer around Tel Aviv have the highest population density. By contrast, the average population density in the south stands at 72 residents per square kilometer.
Slovenia, which is similar in size to Israel, has only 99 residents per square kilometer whereas Belgium and the Netherlands have 341 and 392 respectively.
According to the CBS, 74 percent of the settlers who were evacuated in the 2005 Disengagement from Gaza have registered a new address, mostly in the southern Ashkelon area.
There are on average 977 men for every 1000 women, with a majority of men until the age of 35. Over the age of 75, there are 673 men for every 1000 women.
Israelis also marry at a later age: in 2005, 75.4 percent of Jewish men and 58.6 percent of Jewish women in the 20-29 age group were single, as opposed to 69.2 percent and 48.9 percent respectively in 2000.
In 2006 saw a 3 percent increase of childbirth, with 148,170 births. Life expectancy in 2006 stood at 78.5 years among men and 82.2 among women.
66 percent of the Jewish population (3.7 million) were born in Israel. 2.2 million of Israeli-born citizens are of European-American descent, 869,000 are of African descent and 691,000 are of Asian descent.
The 2006 annual report includes, for the first time, figures on school achievements. In Year 5, the average mark of Jewish schoolchildren was 3-17 points higher than the average mark of Arab schoolchildren. The gap was even wider in Year 8.