Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics published new figures ahead of Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel Independence Day, April 23) showing that the country’s population stands at 8,345,000, about 10.4 times greater than the population of 806,000 when the Jewish state was founded in 1948.
Jewish residents number 6.25 million, comprising 74.9 percent of the population. The Arab population, which stands at 1.73 million, represents 20.7 percent of the general public. Non-Arab Christians, members of other religions, and those who are not part of any religious group comprise 364,000 people (4.4 percent).
Israel’s population grew by 162,000, or 2 percent, since last year’s Independence Day. A record 176,000 babies were born during that period, 44,000 residents died, and around 32,000 people made aliyah. — jns.org