(Communicated by the Central Bureau of Statistics Spokesman)
Jerusalem, 31 December 1997
The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) estimates Israel's population at
the end of 1997 at 5.9 million, including 4.7 million Jews (80%) and
approximately 1.2 million Arabs and others (20%). The rate of population
increase for 1997 was 2.5% (144,900), similar to the rate for 1996.
Israel's rate of population increase is higher than the global average of
approximately 1.4%, much higher than that of developed countries
(approximately 0.3%), and higher than that of developing countries
(approximately 1.7%). The average rate of population increase for the Arab
countries bordering Israel (i.e. Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon) is
approximately 2.1%.
Israel's Jewish population grew by 91,000 in 1997. Approximately 60% of
this figure was through natural increase. The rate of increase for
Israel's Jewish population in 1997 was almost 2.0%, similar to the rate
for 1996.
During Israel's 50th year of independence, its population -- which was
approximately 873,000 in 1948 -- will reach 6 million. Israel has a larger
population than such European countries as Denmark, Finland, Norway,
Ireland, Croatia, Moldova and Lithuania. According to UN estimates, the
four Arab countries bordering Israel have a combined population of 87
million.
The countries of the former Soviet Union are still the largest source of
immigration to Israel, even though the number of immigrants from them has
declined. Approximately 66,500 people immigrated to Israel in 1997 (87% of
them from the countries of the former Soviet Union), a decline of
approximately 6% from 1996's total figure of 70,600 immigrants (76,400
immigrated to Israel in 1995).
Since the establishment of the state, more than 2.6 million people have
immigrated to Israel: approximately 59% from Europe, 18% from Africa, 15%
from Asia, and 8% from the Western Hemisphere and Oceania. The largest
number of immigrants have arrived from the former Soviet Union, Poland and
Morocco. Since 1948, there have been more than 900,000 immigrants to
Israel from the former Soviet Union, approximately 340,000 from Poland,
and 270,000 from Morocco.