Israel’s population is estimated to be 9.915 million people, according to a report published by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) on Wednesday.
The report offers a comprehensive overview of demographic, health, education, crime, welfare, and business trends, reflecting significant shifts in the country over the past year.
Population Growth Slows, Jewish Majority Holds Steady
The Jewish population remains the overwhelming majority in Israel, accounting for approximately 77% of the total population, or 7.632 million people.
Arabs, who make up 20.8% of the population, number around 2.067 million. The population growth rate stood at 1.6% this year, a noticeable decline from 2.2% in 2022, indicating a slowing but steady increase.
Notably, the data also highlights trends in religious affiliation within Israeli society. Secular individuals comprise the largest portion of the population, representing 43.5%.
Following them are non-religious traditionalists (18.9%), religious traditionalists (13%), religious (12.5%), and ultra-Orthodox Jews (11.3%).
Despite these robust numbers, there has been a significant drop in aliyah (Jewish immigration to Israel).
About 46,000 people made aliyah in 2023, a sharp decrease from the 74,400 immigrants recorded in 2022. The country also experienced a net migration loss as 55,000 Israelis emigrated abroad, while only 27,800 returned to Israel.
Healthcare: A Growing Sector with Rising Costs
Healthcare remains a vital aspect of Israeli society, with government expenditures in this sector reaching NIS 136.3 billion in the past year, equivalent to 7.2% of the country’s GDP. This marks a slight increase from the NIS 131 billion spent in 2022.
Life expectancy in Israel remains relatively high, with men living an average of 81 years and women living to 85.5. However, the report highlights significant health challenges.
Cancer remains the leading cause of death, accounting for over 22% of fatalities. Additionally, 18.2% of Israeli adults aged 20 and above smoke daily, while 22.2% smoke either daily or occasionally, posing a continued public health concern.
Another area of concern is the country’s rising obesity rates. Almost half of adults over 20 years old are classified as overweight, obese, or severely obese, a trend that mirrors global concerns about obesity and its associated health risks.
Education: Expanding Enrollment, Growing Budgets
The education sector continues to grow in Israel, with a projected expansion in the coming years. In the 2023/24 academic year, 1.96 million students were enrolled in schools across the country.
The teaching workforce stood at 210,300, a number that will likely increase as the number of students in the education system is expected to reach 2.769 million by the 2028/29 school year.
The government has committed significant financial resources to education, with the budget reaching NIS 148.9 billion this year, compared to NIS 138.9 billion in 2022.
Higher education also remains a priority, with nearly 300,000 students currently enrolled in universities and colleges. Faculty members in these institutions earn an average salary of 36,000 shekels.
Crime and Public Safety: A Mixed Picture
Crime rates in Israel have seen mixed developments, with some areas of improvement contrasted by others showing worrying trends.
The number of criminal investigations opened in 2023 remained largely unchanged from 2022, standing at 303,000 cases. However, the number of crime victims rose dramatically, with 1.075 million people affected, compared to 887,600 in the previous year.
Property crimes accounted for 42.7% of the cases, while offenses related to public order made up 40.9%. The most concerning figures pertain to online crimes, which affected nearly 600,000 people, and crimes involving threats of violence, with over 300,000 victims.
Sexual offenses also remain a major issue, with more than 200,000 people reporting sexual harassment and 24,000 falling victim to more severe sexual offenses.
Government spending to combat crime has risen significantly, with expenditures reaching NIS 27.7 billion, representing 3.7% of total government spending.
Welfare: A Growing Demand for Support
Welfare services in Israel are seeing increased demand, with 1.18 million residents registered for various forms of assistance.
In addition, over one million Israelis are now recognized as people with disabilities, further underscoring the growing need for social support systems.
The report also highlights a positive outlook on the part of many Israelis regarding their personal financial situations.
A remarkable 91.1% of those surveyed reported satisfaction with their financial status and expressed optimism that their situations would continue to improve. Similarly, nearly 90% of Israelis reported being satisfied with their residential areas.
However, transportation infrastructure received lower marks, with only 40% of respondents expressing satisfaction with the current state of public transit systems.
Business and Tourism: A Year of Ups and Downs
Israel’s business environment continues to evolve, with 696,975 active businesses operating across the country. Of these, 55% are sole proprietorships that do not employ salaried workers.
The past year saw the establishment of approximately 62,200 new businesses, while around 51,000 businesses were forced to close their doors.
Tourism has experienced a resurgence following the pandemic, with 3.2 million tourists entering Israel in 2023, up from 2.9 million in 2022.
However, domestic tourism has suffered a decline, with 6.6 million trips that included accommodations recorded this year, a drop from 9.4 million in 2022.
A significant portion of these domestic stays were linked to evacuations from conflict zones in the country’s South and North. In total, 4.7 million overnight stays were by evacuees, a reminder of the persistent security challenges facing the region.
Transportation: A Sector in Transition
Israel’s transportation infrastructure has witnessed notable changes, particularly in public transit usage.
In the railway sector, passenger numbers rose to 62.5 million in 2023, up from 54.7 million the previous year, while revenues in the bus sector reached NIS 1.9 billion.
Despite the progress in public transportation, private car ownership continues to dominate. The country now boasts over four million motor vehicles, more than 80% of which are privately owned.
Traffic accidents remain a significant concern. Although the total number of accidents fell from 10,404 in 2022 to 8,832 in 2023, the rate of casualties and serious injuries has increased, signaling a troubling trend in road safety.
Conclusion
The CBS report paints a multifaceted picture of Israel as it nears a population milestone of 10 million. While the country continues to experience steady population growth and rising standards in healthcare and education, it also faces challenges in crime rates, public health, and road safety.
Economic optimism remains high among Israelis, yet the data also underscores the need for sustained investment in infrastructure and social services to accommodate the evolving needs of a growing population.