Israel’s Muslim population reaches 1.85 million ahead of Eid al-Adha

In Israel’s elementary and secondary schools, 408,900 Muslim students were enrolled during the 2024-2025 academic year.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Israel’s Muslim population reached an estimated 1.849 million at the end of 2025, accounting for 18.6% of the country’s residents, according to data released Tuesday by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics ahead of the Eid al-Adha holiday.

The three-day Muslim holiday begins Wednesday evening.

The figures showed Israel’s Muslim population grew by approximately 34,000 people over the past year. However, the annual growth rate slowed to 1.8% in 2025, down from 2.2% the previous year.

Jerusalem remained home to the country’s largest Muslim population, with 395,200 Muslim residents. Muslims make up 37.2% of Jerusalem’s population and 21.4% of all Muslims living in Israel.

The data reflected a relatively young Muslim population. Children aged 14 and younger accounted for 30.9% of Muslims in Israel, while only 5.4% were aged 65 and older.

The report also pointed to continued declines in fertility rates among Muslims. In 2025, Muslim women gave birth to an average of 2.76 children, continuing a downward trend recorded since 2001.

By comparison, the fertility rate stood at 3.08 among Jewish women, 1.69 among Druze women, 1.62 among Christian women and 1.14 among women without a religious classification.

Large households remained more common among Muslims than among Jews. About one-quarter of Muslim-headed households included six or more members, compared to roughly 9% of Jewish households.

Life expectancy among Muslims in 2025 was 77.4 years for men and 83.1 years for women.

In education, 408,900 Muslim students were enrolled in Israel’s elementary and secondary schools during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Of those, 7,100 studied in Hebrew-language schools while the remainder attended Arab-sector schools.

Among Muslim students in Arab education taking matriculation exams in the 2023-2024 school year, 75.8% qualified for matriculation certificates.

Half met university entrance requirements, marking a moderate increase over the previous year.

The data highlighted a significant gender gap in higher education participation.

Among Muslim women who completed high school, 42.2% continued to undergraduate studies within eight years, more than double the 20% recorded among Muslim men.

During the 2024-2025 academic year, nearly 49,800 Muslim students studied in Israeli higher education institutions, representing 16.4% of all students nationwide. Muslims accounted for 13.6% of degree recipients.

Labor force participation among Muslims aged 15 and older stood at 50.5% in 2025. Participation was considerably higher among men, at 63.8%, compared to 37% among women.

The report also included welfare and public safety data. In 2024, approximately 311,600 Muslims were registered with the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security.

Another 204,200 Muslims were listed in the national registry of people with disabilities.

In transportation statistics, Muslims accounted for 915,890 licensed drivers, or 17% of all drivers in Israel. Women made up 41.9% of Muslim drivers.

Road accident data showed 2,784 Muslims suffered extended disabilities in traffic accidents during 2025, including 128 fatalities and 593 serious injuries.

The casualty rate exceeded Muslims’ overall share of Israel’s population.