Israel Welcomes 180,000 First Graders as New School Year Begins

Approximately 180,000 six-year-old children are starting first grade across Israel as the new school year commenced on Tuesday, September 1st. This cohort represents about 1.8% of the country's total population. Data from Points Company indicates that Jerusalem has the highest absolute number of new first-graders, with around 23,500 children, making up 2.2% of the city's residents.

Following Jerusalem, Bnei Brak ranks second with approximately 7,200 first-graders (2.9% of its population), and Beit Shemesh is third with about 6,700 (3.4%). Tel Aviv-Yafo follows with 6,200 new students (1.2%), then Petah Tikva with 4,500, Ashdod and Haifa with 3,900 each, and Netanya with 3,700.

Modi'in Illit stands out with 3,600 first-graders, constituting a significant 3.7% of its total population. Beitar Illit also shows a high proportion, with 2,500 new students making up 3.3% of its residents. Other cities with large numbers of new first-graders include Rishon LeZion, Be'er Sheva, Ashkelon, Rehovot, and Holon.

When examining the proportion of first-graders relative to the total population, smaller communities show the highest percentages. Shizaf in the Ramat Negev Regional Council leads with 160 children, representing 7.3% of its residents. Following are Pelech in the Misgav Regional Council with 220 children (6.2%) and Kfar Raham in Ramat Negev with 840 children (5.9%). Several other communities also have first-grader populations exceeding 5% of their total residents.

Yafit Ben Haim, CEO of Points Company, highlighted that these demographic figures illustrate the diversity of Israeli society. She noted that while Jerusalem has the largest number of new students, some younger communities have a much higher proportion of first-graders. Ben Haim emphasized the importance of analyzing this data for urban planning, enabling authorities to anticipate future needs for educational, leisure, commercial, housing, and family services.