Page last modified 19 August 2023
Israel (see also Palestinian territories)
Community
Area 22,072 square kilometres (21,643 land area), including the Golan Heights (1,150 square kilometres) and East Jerusalem (70 square kilometres). Israel without these territories, also excluding the Palestinian Territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, area 20,770 square kilometres, land area 20,330 square kilometres.
Population,
Population figures before 1948 are for the British Territory of Palestine.� From May 1948, population figures are for territories de facto governed by the State of Israel.� The first census of Palestine was taken in 1922.� Between 1922 and 1945 there was a considerable increase in the Jewish population; 80% of this increase was due to immigration.� The increase in the Arab Muslim population was due to a relatively high birth rate.
370,000 (1900)
752,048 (1922)
1,033,314 (1931)
1,834,935 (1945)
782.000 (Nov. 1948)
1,290,000 (1950)
1,614,000 (Oct. 1952)
2,110,000 (1960) +63.6%
2,974,000 (1970) +40.9%
3,878,000 (1980) +30.4%
4,660,000 (1990) +20.2%
6,289,000 (2000) +35.0%
7,624,000 (2010) +21.2%
9,217,000 (2020) +20.9%
Religion / Ethnicity, %
The denomination �Jewish� can signify either ethnicity or religion; in Israel the two categories are almost identical, in contrast with secularised countries where many Jews are non-practising. Jewish immigration to Palestine was slow through the 1920s when the country was under British mandate, because of limited economic opportunities there. In 1927 there was actually net Jewish emigration from Palestine. Figures pre-1948 refer to the current (2017) area of Israel/Palestine.
|
|
Christian |
Druze |
Jewish |
Muslim Sunni |
|
1880 |
|
|
0.0 |
|
|
1890 |
|
|
5.0 |
|
|
1923 |
|
|
8.0 |
|
|
1931 |
8.8 |
|
17.7 |
73.1 |
|
1939 |
|
|
33.0 |
|
|
1945 |
7.6 |
|
|
60.0 |
|
1948 |
|
|
32.7 / 91.21 |
|
|
1952 |
2.5 |
|
89.0 |
7.4 |
|
1975 |
|
|
85.0 |
8.9 |
|
1990 |
|
|
85.02 |
13.0 |
|
2006 |
2.6 |
1.6 |
|
|
|
2010 |
|
|
76.3 |
17.0 |
|
2012 |
|
|
75.13,4 |
|
|
2014 |
2.0 |
1.6 |
74.9 |
17.6 |
131.2% in the entire British Mandate of Palestine. Within Israel itself, 91.2% (1948).
2Of these Jews, total 4,000,000 (1993), 120,000 were West Bank and Gaza settlers, and 400,000 originated from the Soviet Union, arrived since 1989.
3Of these Jews, 73.6% were born in Israel, 17.9% in America or Europe, 5.2% in Africa and 3.2% in Asia.
4The 24.9% non-Jewish
population was made up by 20.7% Arab and 4.2% other non-Jewish.
Birth and death rates Below replacement rate = 2.1
A = Arab, I = Israeli
|
|
Fertility Rate |
Birth Rate |
Infant Mortality |
Death Rate |
% Aged Under 15 A + I |
% Aged Over 65 A + I |
% Urban A + I |
|
1931 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
36.3 |
|
1952I |
|
33.0 (+26.0) |
41.0 |
7.0 |
31.7 |
3.9 |
65.9 |
|
1959A |
|
47.3 (+40.4) |
43.1 |
6.9 |
|
|
|
|
1959I |
|
|
27.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
1962I |
3.9 |
26.0 (+20.0) |
|
6.0 |
36.3 |
5.0 |
78.8 |
|
1967A |
|
49.6 (+43.7) |
48.9 |
5.9 |
|
|
|
|
1967I |
3.8 |
|
25.9 |
6.7 |
34.3 |
5.9 |
82.3 |
|
1970I |
3.8 |
|
18.0 |
|
33.1 |
6.5 |
81.3 |
|
1972I |
3.8 |
27.0 (+19.8) |
|
7.2 |
32.5 |
6.9 |
84.2 |
|
1980I |
3.2 |
24.0 (+17.3) |
15.3 |
6.7 |
33.0 |
8.7 |
88.6 |
|
1984A |
|
34.5 (+30.5) |
22.0 |
4.0 |
|
|
|
|
1990I |
2.8 |
22.0 (+15.2) |
9.7 |
6.8 |
31.3 |
8.9 |
90.4 |
|
1994A |
|
37.9 (+34.9) |
|
3.0 |
|
|
|
|
1997A |
|
|
24.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
1999A |
5.9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2000I |
3.0 |
22.0 (+16.0) |
5.4 |
6.0 |
28.1 |
10.0 |
91.2 |
|
2004A |
|
39.6 (+34.8) |
|
4.8 |
|
|
|
|
2009A |
5.6 |
36.9 |
24.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
2010I |
3.0 |
22.0 (+16.8) |
3.7 |
5.2 |
27.3 |
10.4 |
91.8 |
|
2015I |
3.1 |
21.3 (+16.0) |
3.1 |
5.3 |
27.9 |
11.2 |
92.1 |
|
2016I |
|
|
3.1 |
|
27.9 |
11.5 |
92.2 |
|
2017I |
3.1 |
21.1 (+16.0) |
3.0 |
5.1 |
|
|
|
|
2018I |
|
|
3.0 |
|
27.9 |
12.0 |
92.4 |
Life
expectancy,�
(Arab + Israeli)
65.4 (1950); 64.0 (M), 66.0 (F)
72.0 (1961); 70.5 (M), 73.6 (F)
71.2 (1970); 70.0 (M), 72.0 (F)
73.9 (1980); 72.1 (M), 75.7 (F)
76.6 (1990); 74.9 (M), 78.4 (F)
79.0 (2000); 77.1 (M), 80.9 (F)
81.6 (2010); 79.7 (M), 83.6 (F)
83.0 (2020); 81.4 (M), 84.6 (F)
Population of principal cities, 1,000s MA = Metropolitan Area
|
|
Ashdod1 |
Beersheba |
Haifa |
MA |
JERUSALEM2 |
Tel Aviv / Jaffa3 |
MA |
|
1130 |
|
|
|
|
30 |
|
|
|
1550 |
|
|
|
|
15 |
|
|
|
1806 |
|
|
|
|
9 |
|
|
|
1850 |
0.3 |
|
2 |
|
25 |
5 |
|
|
1883 |
|
|
|
|
|
15 |
|
|
1890 |
|
|
7 |
|
42* |
|
|
|
1896 |
|
|
|
|
|
40 |
|
|
1900 |
|
0.4 |
8 |
|
49 |
|
|
|
1913 |
|
|
|
|
|
55** |
|
|
1931 |
|
|
50 |
|
91 |
98 |
|
|
1944 |
|
|
|
|
157 |
166 |
|
|
1950 |
|
|
140 |
|
270 |
300 |
|
|
1961 |
4.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1967 |
|
67 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1970 |
39 |
74 |
212 |
|
275 |
382 |
|
|
1980 |
60 |
94 |
229 |
|
398 |
353 |
|
|
1990 |
84 |
135 |
235 |
|
500 |
|
1,132 |
|
2000 |
174 |
167 |
260 |
|
640 |
360 |
|
|
2006 |
204 |
185 |
267 |
|
|
383 |
|
|
2010 |
|
|
|
1,027 |
781 |
|
3,219 |
|
2016 |
222 |
522 MA |
280 |
1,050 |
1,254 MA |
439 |
3,785 |
|
|
Ashdod1 |
Beersheba |
Haifa |
MA |
JERUSALEM2 |
Tel Aviv / Jaffa3 |
MA |
*Christian, 25.0%, Jewish, 60.0%,
Muslim 15.0%
**1,500, Jaffa only; Jaffa (1926), 38,000.
1A new deep-water port opened at Ashdod in 1965.� This superseded the port of Tel Aviv.
2Jerusalem was proclaimed the capital by the Israeli Knesset, 1950; in the 1967 War the eastern portion of the city came under Israeli control.� East Jerusalem continues to be claimed by the Palestinians (see Palestinian Territories) as the capital of their State. The United Nations, and most individual States, continue to recognise only Tel Aviv as the Israeli capital; however in 2018 President Donald Trump of the USA recognised Jerusalem as Israel�s capital, and moved the US Embassy there from Tel Aviv.� Pre-1967 Jerusalem has a municipal area of 37.5 square kilometres; post 1967, this increased to 107 square kilometres.
3Jewish settlers had established a community at Tel Aviv / Jaffa as early as 1881, and further Jewish housing development was carried out in 1909.� Jaffa was captured by Israeli forces in 1948 and its Arab population fled.� It was united with Tel Aviv in 1950.� Tel Aviv was founded as a modern city in 1909 on what were sand dunes.� Ashdod, 30 kilometres to the south, is the main port.
Wealth; Gross Domestic Product (nominal values) All Israel
|
|
GDP, US$ million |
Total GDP, % of USA |
GDP per capita, US$ |
GDP per capita % of USA |
|
1956 |
1,160 |
0.32 |
|
|
|
1960 |
2,600 |
0.48 |
1,230 |
40.90 |
|
1965 |
3,660 |
0.49 |
1,430 |
37.36 |
|
1970 |
5,770 |
0.55 |
2,100 |
40.02 |
|
1975 |
13,240 |
0.81 |
3,800 |
48.59 |
|
1980 |
20,760 |
0.74 |
5,364 |
42.58 |
|
1985 |
24,130 |
0.57 |
5,704 |
31.22 |
|
1990 |
52,490 |
0.90 |
11,264 |
47.02 |
|
1995 |
87,770 |
1.19 |
18,000 |
59.86 |
|
2000 |
110,330 |
1.11 |
21,000 |
57.61 |
|
2005 |
123,400 |
0.94 |
20,600 |
46.49 |
|
2010 |
217,000 |
1.45 |
30,600 |
63.26 |
|
2015 |
299,400 |
1.66 |
35,750 |
63.60 |
|
2016 |
318,750 |
1.72 |
37,300 |
64.91 |
GDP by primary sector
|
|
Agriculture % GDP |
Agriculture % employed |
Industry % GDP |
Industry % employed |
Services % GDP |
Services % employed |
|
1960 |
|
14.0 |
|
35.0 |
|
51.0 |
|
1970 |
|
12.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
1980 |
|
7.0 |
|
36.0 |
|
57.0 |
|
1990 |
7.0 |
4.0 |
35.0 |
29.0 |
58.0 |
67.0 |
|
2000 |
2.0 |
3.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
2010 |
2.4 |
2.0 |
32.0 |
16.0 |
65.0 |
82.0 |
|
2016 |
2.3 |
1.1 |
26.4 |
17.3 |
69.6 |
81.6 |
Communications
Language �Official; Arabic and Hebrew
|
|
Arabic |
Hebrew |
|
1990 |
15.0 |
85.0 |
Literacy
84.0% (1960)
88.0% (1975)
91.8% (1988); 95.0% (M), 88.7% (F)
95.1% (2000); 97.1% (M), 93.1% (F)
97.8% (2010); 98.7% (M), 96.8% (F)
Physical communications � roads and railways, First railway opened 1892, Jaffa to Jerusalem (in what is now the territory of Israel)
|
|
Roads (km) |
Motor vehicles |
Cars |
Commercial Vehicles |
Railways (km) |
|
1945 |
2,660 |
|
10,050 |
10,640 |
567 |
|
1952 |
3,540 |
|
10,753 |
15,206 |
535 |
|
1960 |
|
|
20,026 |
22,242 |
631 |
|
1961 |
|
|
31,918 |
25,696 |
|
|
1962 |
3,817 |
|
|
|
|
|
1964 |
|
97,900 |
|
|
|
|
1969 |
4,037 |
|
112,000 |
|
762 |
|
1977 |
11,669 |
|
312,777 |
101,400 |
|
|
1979 |
12,160 |
524,950 |
397,351 |
80,772 |
552 |
|
1984 |
|
760,213 |
|
|
|
|
1986 |
|
894,800 |
753,400 |
|
|
|
1989 |
13,100 |
1,050,000 |
800,000 |
150,000 |
580 |
|
1999 |
16,000 |
1,800,000 |
1,400,000 |
290,000 |
650 |
|
2002 |
|
|
1,522,112 |
335,734 |
|
|
2007 |
|
2,049,000 |
1,805,400 |
362,200 |
|
|
2010 |
18,290 |
2,303,000 |
|
|
975 |
|
2011 |
18,566 |
2,484,000 |
|
|
|
|
2013 |
|
2,766,000 |
|
|
|
|
2014 |
|
|
2,450,000 |
|
1,250 |
|
2017 |
|
|
2,800,000 |
|
|
Urban metro systems, kilometres
Haifa, opened 1959
1.8 (2000) one of the world�s smallest systems. However in 2021 the Tel Aviv Light Rail system is expected to open, 23.0 km currently under construction from 2009 (Red Line). A further 71.0 km (Green, Purple Lines) has been approved, and an additional 28.0 km (Brown Line) is in the early stages of planning (2018).
Electronic communications, TV broadcasting began 1966 (colour from 1980)
|
|
Telephones (landlines) |
Mobile Telephones |
Radios 1,000s |
Televisions |
PCs |
Internet Users |
|
1938 |
16,266 |
|
36 |
|
|
|
|
1947 |
25,996 |
|
103 |
|
|
|
|
1950 |
|
|
153 |
|
|
|
|
1951 |
28,956 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1960 |
100,000 |
|
450 |
|
|
|
|
1961 |
|
|
505 |
|
|
|
|
1962 |
134,183 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1969 |
|
|
600 |
72,000 |
|
|
|
1975 |
597,000 |
|
|
450,000 |
|
|
|
1976 |
|
|
655 |
475,000 |
|
|
|
1980 |
859,500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1985 |
|
|
1,120 |
936,000 |
|
|
|
1988 |
|
|
|
|
200,000 |
|
|
1990 |
1,626,500 |
15,240 |
2,180 |
1,245,000 |
300,000 |
|
|
1995 |
|
445,456 |
2,700 |
1,600,000 |
750,000 |
|
|
1998 |
|
|
|
|
|
500,000 |
|
2000 |
2,974,000 |
4,400,000 |
3,210 |
2,000,000 |
1,590,000 |
1,100,000 |
|
2004 |
|
|
|
|
5,037,000 |
3,200,000 |
|
2005 |
|
7,757,000 |
|
2,290,000 |
|
|
|
2010 |
3,276,000 |
9,875,000 |
|
|
|
4,525,000 |
|
2016 |
3,340,223 |
10,570,000 |
|
|
|
6,522,000 |
Tourism: Visitors to Israel,
33,122 (1950)
569,622 (1974)
800,000 (1978) (1)
1,138,000 (1979)
1,450,000 (1985)
1,063,000 (1990)
2,215,000 (1995)
2,417,000 (2000)
1,902,787 (2005)
2,803,000 (2010)
2,799,000 (2015)
(1) Of these, 60% were Jewish, 30% Christian