Netanya Surpasses Rishon Lezion as Fourth Largest Israeli City by Population

According to data from the Population and Immigration Authority, Netanya has overtaken Rishon Lezion in population size, becoming the fourth largest city in Israel. Netanya's population stands at 289,121 residents, slightly higher than Rishon Lezion's 289,116. The top three cities remain Jerusalem with 1.12 million residents, Tel Aviv-Yafo with 601,000, and Haifa with 344,000. The figures include Israelis registered in these cities even if they currently reside abroad, which inflates the numbers compared to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) estimates that count actual residents. Using CBS methodology, Rishon Lezion still leads Netanya in population.

Demographically, Netanya has a higher proportion of children and youth under 18 (25.0%) compared to Rishon Lezion (22.8%), as well as a larger elderly population aged 65 and above (22.0% versus 21.1%). Conversely, Rishon Lezion has more residents in the prime working ages of 19 to 45 (96,584 versus 90,845 in Netanya) and also leads in the 46 to 64 age group. This age distribution difference affects municipal planning priorities, with Netanya needing more resources for education and elder care, while Rishon Lezion focuses more on employment, transportation, and housing.

The data also highlights Israel's population concentration, with 35.2% living in just ten cities, while most of the country's 1,292 localities have fewer than 2,000 residents. Nationally, 31.0% of the population is under 19 years old, and 14.9% are 65 or older. Extreme age distribution disparities exist among large cities, such as Modiin Illit with 59.2% youth and only 1.4% elderly, compared to Bat Yam with 27.9% elderly residents.

The Population and Immigration Authority's registry counts nearly 11 million people, about 700,000 more than the CBS estimate of 10.3 million, due to including Israelis living abroad but still registered domestically. This difference reflects definitional variations rather than errors. Municipalities must consider these demographic nuances for effective long-term planning.