Israel's Population Reaches 10.3 Million Ahead of Jewish New Year

Israel's population has reached 10,305,000 people, according to data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday, ahead of the Jewish New Year. The figures indicate that 7,828,000 residents are Jewish. An additional group, comprising 78.3% of the population, are identified as "others" whose religion is not registered, but are predominantly non-Arab Christian immigrants. The Arab population stands at 2,173,000, making up 21.7% of the total. This figure includes over 400,000 Palestinians from East Jerusalem and more than 20,000 Syrians from the occupied Golan Heights. Additionally, there are 304,000 foreign nationals residing in Israel.

Over the past year, Israel's population grew by approximately 124,000, a 1.2% increase. During this period, there were about 182,000 births and 50,000 deaths. Net migration resulted in a decrease of about 8,000 people, as 57,000 emigrated and 21,000 returned. Immigration under the Law of Return, which permits Jewish immigration, accounted for 24,000 new residents, with an additional 4,000 arriving through family reunification.

The Central Bureau of Statistics also reported that as of the beginning of the current year, there are 15,900,000 Jews worldwide, with approximately 46% residing in Israel.