At the end of 2004, the population of Israel consisted of 6,869,500 people, constituting a rise of 1.8 percent, the same rate of increase as the year before.
Sixty-five percent of Jewish Israelis were native-born by the end of 2004, compared to 35% in 1948. 40% of the population are of European or American origin, while 16% are from Africa, including 100,000 Ethiopians. The most common countries of origin are the former Soviet Union, followed by Morocco and then Iraq. Non-citizen foreigners residing in the country have been estimated at 189,000 individuals, according to a 2003 estimate.
According to a press release by the Central bureau of Statistics, babies born in Israel constituted 89% of this growth, while immigration comprised the remaining 11%.
In the Jerusalem district the population grew by 2.4%, in the country’s central region by 2.3%, and in the Tel Aviv region by 1.7%. The population of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza increased by 5.2%.
The Jewish population grew by 1.4%, while the Muslims increased by 3.3%. That led to a 76.2% Jewish and 16.1% Muslim distribution of Israeli citizens. In contrast, five years ago, the Jewish sector constituted 77.8% of the country.
As in other western countries, the majority of Israelis (91% or 6.13 million people) live in urban communities housing at least 2,000 citizens. The rural populace constitutes 589,000 people, with a growth rate of 2.7%.
One-quarter of the Israeli population lives in either Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa and Rishon Lezion, the four most highly populated cities.
Israel’s population density stands at 300 people per sq. km in the entire country with 1,900 people/sq. km in the central region, while the south has a population density of 70 people/sq. km. The general population density is very high compared to many other countries, including Slovenia (98) and Switzerland (62), but lower than others, such as Belgium (338). In some of the major cities, the density is particularly high: Tel Aviv-Yafo has 7,170 people/sq. km; Jerusalem has 5,642; and Haifa has 4,211. Topping the list is Bnei Brak, with 19,500 people living on every square kilometer.
The Israeli population is considered to be young, with 28.4% of the citizens below the age of 14, compared to a 17% average in other western countries. 10% of Israelis are older than 65, while 15% belong to that age group in the rest of the western world.
The distribution of the sexes among the Jews "favors" women. There are 1000 women for every 967 men, with the imbalance increasing after the age of 34, to a ratio of 1000:669 among the elderly population over the age of 75.
Iran News
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