At 67, Israel home to 8.3 million people
Central Bureau of Statistics: 176,000 births, 32,000 new immigrants account for 2% population increase in 2014
Tamar Pileggi is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.
On the eve of its 67th Independence Day, Israel’s population stands at 8.34 million people, according to figures released by the Central Bureau of Statistics.
Israel’s population has grown by approximately 162,000 since last year, a 2-percent increase. According to the annual census, there were 176,000 births and 44,000 deaths since last Independence Day. The influx of some 32,000 Jewish immigrants to Israel in the last year accounted for the reminder of the population increase.
The 6.25 million Jewish residents of Israel represent 74.9 percent of the population, while the 1.73 million Arabs make up 20.7% of the current population. Residents without any official religious affiliation and members of other religions (including non-Arab Christians) make up 4.4% of the population.
In 2014, 75% of the Jewish residents were born in Israel, as compared with 35% in 1948.
When the State of Israel was established in 1948, the population numbered 806,000, and Tel Aviv-Jaffa was the only city with more than 100,000 inhabitants. There are now 14 such cities, six of which are home to more than 200,000 people: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Haifa, Rishon Lezion, Ashdod and Petah Tikva.
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