Israel marks Independence Day with 10 million citizens and a strikingly young population

On the eve of Israel’s 77th Independence Day, the country’s population stands at 10.094 million and is strikingly young, according to figures released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) on Tuesday.

The population includes 7.73 million Jews and others (77.6%), 2.11 million Arabs (20.9%), and 248,000 foreigners (2.5%). Over the past year, the population grew by 135,000, an increase of 1.4%, with 174,000 births, 28,000 new immigrants, 50,000 deaths, and a net outflow of 56,000 Israelis living abroad, the CBS reported.

The population is also 12 times larger than when the state was founded in 1948 with just 806,000 residents.

The data also shows society as young. According to the CBS, 27% are under age 14, and more than a third are between the ages of 18-20. Only 13% of Israelis are 65 or older. The country’s birth rate of nearly three children per woman is one of the highest in the developed world, bolstering its population growth alongside continued immigration and high life expectancy.

Today, Israel is home to approximately 45% of the world’s Jewish population, up from just 3% in 1939 and 6% in 1948. Among Israeli Jews, 80% are “Sabras” or native-born — a reflection of the state’s transition from a nation of immigrants to one of established, locally rooted generations.

Since independence, more than 3.5 million immigrants have made Israel their home, with nearly half arriving since 1990. Another 154,000 immigrating citizens have also settled in the country since 1970.

Israel’s annual population growth rate, averaging 1.5% over the past decade, remains one of the highest in the Western world, far outpacing global, OECD, and EU averages. By its 100th Independence Day, the population is expected to reach 15.2 million, and 20 million by 2065.

Within the Jewish population, 43% identify as secular, 33.5% as traditional or traditional-religious, 12% as religious and 11.5% as Orthodox.