The number of immigrants to Israel in 2006 slipped to its lowest level in 18 years, according to figures released Thursday by the Jewish Agency.

Some 21,000 immigrants moved to Israel in 2006, the Jewish Agency, which oversees immigration, reported. The figure is down from 22,657 in 2005 and is the smallest number since 1988, when 13,034 people moved to Israel.

Immigration from the former Soviet Union fell 23 percent to 9,378, continuing the downward trend of recent years, reflecting a vastly shrunken pool of Jews living in former eastern bloc. More than 1 million people have moved to Israel from the former Soviet Union since it began collapsing in 1989.

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Israel's total population is about 7 million. Under its "Law of Return," Israel grants automatic citizenship to any Jew.

Immigration from North America went against the overall trend, rising 7 percent to 3,200. It was the second consecutive year of growth and reflected increased efforts to attract immigrants from the West.

About three years ago, the Jewish Agency concluded that the reservoir of immigrants from the former Soviet Union had dried up, and the potential for immigration lay in the West, said Michael Jankelowitz, a Jewish Agency spokesman.

"Today, Jews are coming to Israel out of free choice. They're not coming because they're running away from anything," he said. "People are looking for a place where they can live their lives fully as Jews, in a majority culture."

Nearly 3 million immigrants have moved to Israel since its establishment in 1948, including about 118,000 from North America, according to Jewish Agency statistics.

Yet the overall level of immigration from the United States and other wealthy countries remains low. The U.S. has by far the largest concentration of Jews outside of Israel, numbering about 6 million.

Earlier this week, Nefesh B'Nefesh, a grass roots group that helps North Americans move to Israel, reported its 10,000th immigrant since it launched its U.S.-based operations in 2001.