Ahead of Rosh Hashana, Israel’s population surges past 10.3 million

Israel’s overall fertility rate remains close to three children per woman, making it a clear outlier among wealthy democracies.

By Gabriel Ostrovsky, The Algemeiner

Israel’s population has climbed to more than 10.3 million people ahead of Rosh Hashana, according to new figures released by the Central Bureau of Statistics, further solidifying the country’s continued demographic growth despite years of war, political turmoil, and elevated emigration.

The annual pre-Rosh Hashana population report found that Israel’s population grew by roughly 124,000 people over the past year, an increase of about 1.2 percent.

The growth was driven overwhelmingly by births.

Some 182,000 babies were born in Israel over the past year, compared with roughly 50,000 deaths, producing a natural population increase of approximately 132,000 people.

That strong natural growth more than offset a negative migration balance, as more Israelis continued to leave the country than return and immigration remained comparatively subdued.

The new figures underscore Israel’s unusual demographic position among developed countries, many of which are confronting aging populations, declining birth rates, and in some cases outright natural population decline.

Israel, by contrast, continues to add well over 100,000 people annually through births alone.

The latest figures put the country’s total population at approximately 10.305 million.

The vast majority are Israeli residents, including roughly 7.8 million Jews and others and more than 2.1 million Arabs, alongside several hundred thousand foreign residents.

Israel’s strong birth numbers are not merely a one-year phenomenon.

Separate CBS figures show that 183,678 babies were born in 2025, up from 181,614 in 2024.

The most recent rolling 12-month figures, covering July 2025 through June 2026, are higher still, at more than 185,000 births.

Jewish births have also continued to rise. More than 137,000 babies were born to Jewish mothers in the latest 12-month period, compared with roughly 134,500 in 2024.

Those numbers are especially notable at a time when birth rates across Europe, East Asia, and much of North America remain well below replacement level.

Israel’s overall fertility rate remains close to three children per woman, making it a clear outlier among wealthy democracies.

The report does highlight a challenge on the migration front.

Israel has experienced unusually high emigration since 2023, while immigration has weakened from the surge that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Still, there are signs that the situation may be stabilizing.

CBS data show fewer Israeli emigrants in early 2026 than during the same period in 2025, while the number of returning Israelis has increased.

The broader picture, however, is one of continued demographic momentum.