
Israeli population sees steady growth (Illustration)
Photo: Reuters
The number of Israeli citizens has reached 7,695,000 this December, the Central Bureau of Statistics reported Wednesday.
According to the latest data, 5,802,000 (75.4%) of Israeli citizens are Jewish, 1,573,000 (20.4%) are Arab, and 320,000 are defined as 'other' – non-Arab Christians and those with an unspecified religion.
The population has increased by 1.9% - 143,000 people – over the past year, consistent with the growth that has occurred over the past decade. Approximately 165,000 babies were born, while 40,000 people passed away.
The Jewish Agency boasted that 19,000 Jews made aliyah this year, but according to the Central Bureau of Statistics only 16,000 can be called olim. In addition, 6,000 people classified as citizen immigrants – individuals who were born to Israelis abroad – moved to Israel. Moreover, 4,000 others moved to the Jewish State as part of the family reunification program.
Meanwhile, 11,000 citizens were subtracted from the population count – those Israelis who have been living abroad for over a year.
The Central Bureau of Statistics data does not deal with foreigner nationals residing in Israel.
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