Demographics of Israel
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This article discusses the demographics of Israel.
Contents |
[edit] Population
(July 2005)
Total: 6,352,117
note: includes about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, about 20,000 in the Golan Heights, and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2006 est.)
[edit] Age structure
0-14 years: 26.3% (male 855,054/female 815,619)
15-64 years: 63.9% (male 2,044,135/female 2,016,647)
65 years and over: 9.8% (male 266,671/female 353,991) (2006 est.)
[edit] Population growth rate
overall: 1.18% (2006 est.)
During the 1990s, the Jewish population growth rate was about 3% per year, as a result of massive immigration to Israel, primarily from the republics of the former Soviet Union. There is also a high population growth rate among certain Jewish groups, especially adherents of Haredi Judaism.
Currently however, the growth rate of the Israeli Muslim population, at 3.3%, is more than double that of the Israeli Jewish population at 1.4%.
[edit] Crude birth rate
17.97 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
[edit] Crude death rate
6.18 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
[edit] Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
[edit] Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
[edit] Infant mortality rate
total: 6.89 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.61 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
[edit] Life expectancy at birth
total population: 79.46 years
male: 77.33 years
female: 81.7 years (2006 est.)
[edit] Total fertility rate
2.41 children born/woman (2006 est.)
[edit] Nationality
noun: Israeli(s)
adjective: Israeli
[edit] Ethnic groups
According to the 2005 Israeli census, Israel's population of 6,990,700 is broken down into the following ethnic groups: Jewish - 5,313,800, Arab - 1,377,100, the remainder were small groups. Ethnicity broken down by religion: Jewish - 5,313,800, Muslim - 1,140,600, Christian - 146,000, Druze - 115,200, Unclassified by choice - 272, 200. This data includes legal citizens of the State of Israel, not including any Jewish, Muslim, Christian, or other citizen living under the Israeli-occupied lands administrated by the Palestinian Authority. Jerusalem Post Report - October 2nd, 2006 or the settlers in the Israel-occupied Golan heights.
[edit] Jews
- See also: Jewish ethnic divisions
Among Jews, 68% were Sabras (Israeli-born), mostly second or third generation Israelis, and the rest are olim — 22% from Europe and the Americas, and 10% from Asia and Africa, including the Arab countries.[1]
Traditionally, Jews are grouped into:
- Ashkenazim - Jews whose ancestors came from Germany, France, and Eastern Europe. Most Ashkenazi Jews that settled in Israel were from Russia, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Italy (mainly Milan and Trieste), North America, South Africa and Australia.
- Sephardim - Jews whose ancestors lived in Spain and Portugal until 1492, then spread to Greece, Italy, England, the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe. Many Sephardi Jews that settled in Israel were also from Morocco, Turkey, North Africa and the Mediterranean area. In modern Israeli Hebrew usage, this category often includes Mizrahim (see next group).
- Bené Roma - Jews whose ancestors lived mainly in central Italy. Due to its history and geographical position, Rome hosted the most ancient Jewish community in Europe, dating back to the Roman Empire. Northern Italy hosted for centuries large Sephardic and Ashkenazic communities.
- Mizrahim - Jews whose ancestors lived in Arab or Muslim lands, but did not live in Spain or Portugal. Most Jewish immigrants to Israel from Iran, Iraq, Yemen, and Syria are considered Mizrahim.
Note: In Israel, Jews with origins in Western (Christian) countries are called Ashkenazi though many are not: the Georgian are Gruzinim or Qartveli Ebraeli; the Greek are Romaniotes; and many of the Bulgarian and Latin American are Sephardic. These groups claim distinct cultures and histories.
Those with origins in Muslim and Arab lands are commonly called Sephardi though many are not. The Jews of Iran and Iraq are Mizrahi and the Yemenite and Omani are Temani. None of these groups include the Beta Israel of Ethiopia who were brought to Israel during Operation Solomon and Operation Moses, as well as other groups.
For a complete list and thorough discussion of Jewish ethnic groups, see Jewish ethnic divisions.
However, this grouping is becoming used less due to cultural assimilation and intermarriage.
[edit] Arabs
Arabs in Israel include descendants of Palestinians who remained within Israel borders during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, as well as Druze and Bedouins. About 9% of Israeli Arabs are Christian.
[edit] Religions
Image:Israeli soldiers and Arabs .jpg
According to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, at the end of 2004, 76.2% of Israelis were Jews by religion. Muslims made up 16.1% of Israelis, 2.1% were Christian, 1.6% were Druze and the remaining 3.9% (including Russian immigrants and some Jews) were not classified by religion.[2]
Official figures do not exist as to the number of atheists or otherwise non-affiliated individuals, who may comprise up to a quarter of the population referred to as Jewish. According to one study, 6% of Israeli Jews define themselves as haredim (or Ultra-Orthodox); an additional 9% are "religious" (predominantly orthodox, also known in Israel as: Zionist-religious, national-religious and Kepot Srogot); 34% consider themselves "traditionalists" (not strictly adhering to Jewish Halakha); and 51% are "secular". Among the seculars, 53% say they believe in God(s). [citation needed]
However, an alternative study by 'The Economist' came up with very different statistics, maintaining that 83.5% of Israelis practice Judaism. More than 31.3% of those believe that Israel was God's gift to a chosen people.
[edit] Languages
Hebrew (official), Arabic (official), Russian, Yiddish, Romanian, English most commonly used foreign language. Today, courses on English Language are mandatory in the Israeli school system.
[edit] Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.4%
male: 97.3%
female: 93.6% (2003 est.)
Education between ages 5 and 16 is free and compulsory. The school system is organized into kindergartens, 6-year primary schools, and either 6-year secondary schools or 3-year junior secondary schools + 3-year senior secondary schools (depending on region), after which a comprehensive examination is offered for university admissions. There are seven university-level institutions in Israel.
[edit] References
- CIA World Factbook entry on Israel
- Israelbooks.com The Jewish People Policy Planning Institute (2005). Annual Assessment 2004-2005: Between Thriving and Decline. Gefen Publishing House.
[edit] See also
- Jew
- Jewish ethnic divisions
- Israeli Arab
- Religion in Israel
- Languages of Israel
- Population groups in Israeles:Demografía de Israel
fr:Démographie d'Israël he:דמוגרפיה של ישראל ru:Население Израиля
