Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., September 26, 2008 Elul 26, 5768 | | Israel Time: 03:04 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Israel's population in New Year: 7.3 million, 76% Jewish By Moti Bassok On the eve of Rosh Hashanah 5769, Israel's population stands at 7,337,000 people, including 5,542,000 Jewish Israelis (75.5 percent) and 1,477,000 Israeli Arabs (20.1 percent). The figures, published Wednesday in the Central Bureau of Statistics annual report, also include another 318,000 Israelis listed under the category of "others," in which some 200,000 foreign workers were counted. The report states that the population grew by 1.8 percent over the past year. Advertisement The report also says that Israel's population is relatively young compared to Western nations. In 2007, 28.4 percent of Israelis were below the age of 14, as opposed to an average of only 17 percent in the West. Likewise, 9.8 percent of Israel's population was aged 65 and over, as opposed to 15 percent of Western nations' populations. 'Jews live longer than Arabs' The report also reveals a substantial gap in the life expectancy of Israeli Jews, as compared with Israeli Arabs. Jewish women live an average of 82.5 years and Jewish men live 78.8 years. In the Arab sector, that number falls by four years for men, and 3.8 years for women. The findings show that for every 1,000 women in Israel, there are 978 men. Under the age of 36, there are more men than women, but that trend is reversed when comparing the sexes from age 37 onwards. For every 1,000 women at age 75, there are 672 men of the same age. The statistics also indicate a higher percentage of single men and women among the Jewish population, particularly in the younger demographic. The numbers reflect a growing trend to marry at a later age. In 2006, 76 percent of Jewish males in the 20 to 29-year-old demographic were not married, compared to 73 percent in 2000, while 60 percent of women in that age group were single in 2006, compared to 54 percent in 2000. Among Jews, the largest group is those who originate from a European-American extraction - 2.2 million, which represented 38.5 percent of the total Jewish population in the country as of the end of 2007. Fifteen percent of Jews, numbering 871,000, are of African origins, while 11.9 percent are from Asian countries. A total of 34.6 percent of Jews are native-born Israelis whose parents were also born in the country. Half of the Jewish population in the country resides in the center region, with 20.7 percent living in the Tel Aviv district. Less than 10 percent of the Jewish population lives in the northern district. On the other hand, 45 percent of the Arab population in the country lives in the north, with another 11 percent residing in the south. As such, 53 percent of all residents in the north are Arabs. During 2007, Tel Aviv's population grew by 500 residents, whereas 6,400 people left Jerusalem, 2,200 left Haifa and 400 left Ashdod. Some 7,300 people became members of the rural population, most of them joining kibbutzim. The rise in the average age of Israel's citizens is most prominent around Tel Aviv, where the average age is now 33.7 years. Population density in Israel is also high, at an average of 315 people per square kilometer. Tel Aviv is the most densely populated region overall, with 7,100 people per square kilometer, in comparison to 273 people per square kilometer in the north and 73 people per square kilometer in the south. In the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak, close to Tel Aviv, there are 20,680 people per square kilometer, while Bat Yam boasts 15,743 per square kilometer. Moreover it appears that the region with the highest number of members per Jewish family is the West Bank, with 4.46 persons per Israeli family. The Jerusalem region is second, with an average of 4.26. The area with the lowest number of persons per family is the Tel Aviv region, with 3.22. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Fate of the Palestinians Lebanese President tells Bush the future of Palestinian refugees is in their homeland. Bill Clinton on Obama Ex U.S. President delays campaign for presidential hopeful due to Jewish holidays.

Read & React Peres: U.S. has no choice but to save world from Ahmadinejad Responses: 147 Leftist professor on bombing of his home: This is the start of democracy's decay Responses: 123 Aluf Benn: Olmert is from Mars, Abbas is from Venus Responses: 56 Ari Shavit: Netanyahu behaving like a petty man rather than a statesman Responses: 26 Bill Clinton: I'll only stump for Obama after Jewish holidays Responses: 17 More Headlines 01:44 Report: U.S. said no to Israeli strike on Iran 02:41 Dichter: Jewish terrorists tried to murder Prof. Ze'ev Sternhell 19:07 Israel ambassador to UN: General Assembly chief is an Israel hater 01:08 40,000 Israelis attend historic Paul McCartney concert in Tel Aviv 22:37 Abbas, in Washington, thanks Bush for supporting peace 21:29 Israeli authors to Olmert: Save Gilad Shalit now 02:04 Survey: American Jews favor Obama over McCain 00:38 Gaza baby born in Israel to mother left brain dead by stroke 16:20 Authorities arrest six Arabs who stole, sold IDF soldiers' guns 13:04 Peres: U.S. has no choice but to save world from Ahmadinejad 16:34 Hamas rejects list of 450 Palestinians to be swapped for Shalit 22:31 UN to hold open debate on West Bank settlement expansion 01:52 Bill Clinton: I'll only stump for Obama after Jewish holidays 21:08 Saudi researchers map first ever Arab genome Previous Editions Select Day 25 sep 24 sep 23 sep 22 sep 21 sep 19 sep 18 sep 17 sep 16 sep 15 sep 14 sep 12 sep

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