Israel’s population surpasses 10 million as Nation marks 77th Independence Day

On the eve of Israel’s 77th Independence Day, the country has reached a historic demographic milestone. According to new data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Israel’s population now exceeds 10.1 million, a twelvefold increase since the nation’s founding in 1948 when it was home to just over 800,000 residents.

Over the past year alone, Israel’s population grew by approximately 135,000 people, a 1.4% increase, bringing the total to 10,094,000. This figure includes 7.732 million citizens classified as Jewish or “other,” a category that combines non-Arab Christians, people married to Jewish spouses, or individuals with a Jewish grandparent. Meanwhile, the Arab population stands at about 2.114 million (20.9% of the total), and roughly 248,000 are foreign residents such as international students, foreign workers, and undocumented immigrants.

Since Israel's establishment, nearly 3.5 million immigrants have arrived, with nearly half (47.6%) arriving since 1990, following mass emigration from the former Soviet Union. Notably, about 45% of the world’s Jewish population now resides in Israel, a stark contrast to 1939 when only around 449,000 Jews lived in the land of Israel.

The CBS report highlights a relatively young population: nearly 27% of Israelis are under the age of 18, while only 13% are aged 65 or older. Over the past year, Israel recorded 174,000 births, 28,000 new immigrants, and 50,000 deaths. Approximately 56,000 Israeli citizens currently reside abroad.

Professor Sergio Della Pergola, a leading expert on Jewish demography, noted that surpassing 10 million elevates Israel beyond the classification of a “small country,” placing its population size ahead of nations like Austria, Switzerland, and Hungary. He also emphasized Israel’s consistently high fertility rate of around three children per woman, an anomaly among developed nations, where fertility rates often fall below two.

As the country prepares to celebrate its independence, these figures underscore both Israel’s demographic resilience and its enduring role as a homeland for the Jewish people.