According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), there is a decline in the birthrate among Arab women, reporting an average of 3.7 children in 2005 – still higher than Jewish women during the same year, 2.7.

The gap between Jews and Arabs has narrowed according to the CBS report, which adds in the 1960s, the average Muslim woman gave birth to 9 children.

Nevertheless, there has been a stabilizing factor over the past two decades regarding the Arab birthrate, attributed to growing religious awareness among Muslims and a strengthening of the Islamic Movement which is encouraging women to have larger families as was the custom in the past.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)