Israel's Population Tops 10 Million, With High Life Satisfaction

Israel's population has reached 10,305,000, an increase of 124,000 over the past year, according to a report released by the Central Bureau of Statistics on September 9. The report, timed for Rosh Hashanah, indicates that 78.3% of residents are Jewish or of unspecified nationality, while 21.7% are Arab. Approximately 304,000 foreign nationals are also included in the calculations. This marks the first time the number of Israeli citizens has surpassed 10 million.

The population growth rate was 1.2% over the past year. During the Hebrew year 5786, there were about 182,000 births and 50,000 deaths. The net migration balance was negative, with an estimated outflow of 8,000 people. While 24,000 new immigrants and 4,000 individuals through family reunification arrived, around 21,000 Israelis returned from abroad, but 57,000 left.

Regarding religious identification among Jews, 39.6% identify as secular, 21.8% as traditional but not strictly religious, 14% as traditional-religious, 12.4% as religious, and 11.5% as ultra-Orthodox (Haredi).

Life expectancy for Israeli men is 81.4 years and for women is 85.9 years, both exceeding the OECD average. Israeli men rank 7th globally in life expectancy, while women rank 8th.

Overall life satisfaction remains high, with 92.2% of residents reporting satisfaction with their lives, including 92.6% of Jews and 90.6% of Arabs. Economic satisfaction stands at 70.2%, with 53.8% expecting their economic situation to improve in the coming years. Satisfaction with housing is high at 89.2%, and with their living area at 85%, though satisfaction with public transport is significantly lower at 39.3%.

Despite high satisfaction, economic difficulties persist for some. 5.7% felt poor in the past year, and 23.4% struggle to cover monthly expenses. 6.8% reported limiting food intake due to economic hardship, with higher rates among Arabs and Haredim. Significant percentages also reported foregoing medical or dental care due to cost.