Israel’s population tops 10.2 million ahead of Independence Day

About 27% of residents are under the age of 14, while only 13% are 65 or older – a demographic structure that reflects both high birth rates and continued immigration.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Israel’s population has surpassed 10.2 million ahead of its 78th Independence Day, underscoring steady growth and a notably young demographic profile, according to official data released Sunday.

Figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics put the population at 10.244 million, an increase of about 146,000 people, or 1.4%, over the past year.

The growth was driven largely by natural increase, with approximately 177,000 births recorded alongside about 48,000 deaths. Immigration also contributed, with around 21,000 new arrivals during the same period.

Jews and other non-Arab groups make up roughly 76% of the population, totaling 7.79 million people.

Arabs account for about 21%, or 2.16 million residents, while an additional 2.9%—around 296,000 people—are classified as foreign workers.

Israel’s population remains relatively young compared to many developed countries.

About 27% of residents are under the age of 14, while only 13% are 65 or older – a demographic structure that reflects both high birth rates and continued immigration.

Since its establishment in 1948, when the population stood at just 806,000, Israel’s population has grown more than twelvefold.

Immigration has played a central role in that expansion, with over 3.5 million people arriving in the country over the decades.

Nearly half of those immigrants have come since 1990, alongside tens of thousands of returning citizens who had previously lived abroad.

Globally, the Jewish population is estimated at about 15.8 million, with Israel now home to roughly 45% of that total. The majority of Jews in Israel—about 81%—are native-born.