Israel's Population Nears 10.2 Million Ahead of New Year

As Israel prepares to mark Rosh Hashanah and enter the Hebrew year 5787, new data from the Central Bureau of Statistics reveals the nation's demographic landscape. By the end of 2025, Israel's population stood at approximately 10.203 million people. Of this total, about 9.916 million are defined as Israelis, with the foreign resident population estimated at 286,700. The annual growth rate for the Israeli population was 1.1%.

Within the Israeli population, Jews and others constitute 78.3% (7.767 million), while Arabs make up 21.7% (2.149 million). The data also breaks down religious self-identification among Jewish Israelis aged 20 and over: 39.6% identify as secular or non-religious, 21.8% as traditional but not so religious, 14% as traditional-religious, 12.4% as religious, and 11.5% as Haredi (ultra-Orthodox).

Israel continues to show high birth rates compared to other developed nations. In 2025, 183,678 babies were born, with a total fertility rate of 2.88 children per woman, more than double the OECD average of 1.41.

Immigration patterns show a decrease in new immigrants, with 20,900 arriving in 2025, down from 31,100 in 2024. Conversely, the number of foreign workers entering Israel increased to 121,900 in 2025 from 112,400 in 2024, while 74,600 foreign workers left the country during the year. Since the state's founding, approximately 3.51 million people have immigrated to Israel.

Emigration also saw a decline, with 69,500 Israelis leaving in 2025, compared to 82,800 in 2024. However, the number of Israelis returning also decreased, with 18,800 returning in 2025 versus 24,200 the previous year. Globally, an estimated 15.9 million Jews live worldwide, with about 46% residing in Israel.