Israel's Population Tops 10 Million, New Statistics Reveal

Israel's population has surpassed 10 million people for the first time, reaching approximately 10,305,000 on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, according to data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics. The Jewish population, including those identified as 'others' (non-Arab Christians, other religions, and those with no religious classification), accounts for 78.3% of the total, numbering around 7,828,000. The Arab population comprises 21.7%, or about 2,173,000 residents. An additional 304,000 foreign nationals are also included in the count.

Over the past Hebrew year, תשפ"ו, Israel's population grew by 1.2%, adding about 124,000 individuals. This growth resulted from 182,000 births and 50,000 deaths. The net international migration balance was negative, with approximately 8,000 fewer people due to emigration. While 24,000 new immigrants and 4,000 family reunification cases arrived, 21,000 Israelis returned from abroad, and 57,000 Israelis emigrated.

Regarding self-identification, 39.6% of Jews identify as secular, 21.8% as traditional or not so religious, 14% as religious-traditional, 12.4% as religious, and 11.5% as Haredi (ultra-Orthodox). Most Israelis, 75.2%, live within municipal areas, with smaller percentages residing in local and regional councils.

Life expectancy in Israel stands at 81.4 years for men and 85.9 years for women, exceeding the OECD average. Israeli men rank 7th globally in life expectancy, while women rank 8th. The data also indicates high levels of life satisfaction, with 92.2% of residents reporting satisfaction with their lives. However, economic satisfaction is lower, with 70.2% content with their financial situation, though 53.8% anticipate improvement.

Despite overall satisfaction, 5.7% felt poor in the past year, and 23.4% struggled to cover all monthly household expenses. Significant percentages reported foregoing necessities due to financial hardship, including 6.8% skipping food, 4.8% skipping hot meals regularly, 10.1% delaying medical treatment, 6.7% skipping prescription medications, and 24% foregoing dental care.

Furthermore, the survey revealed that 26.3% experience stress regularly, 20.7% feel lonely, and 23% reported experiencing discrimination in the past year.