According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, in 5819 Israel’s chareidi population will number between 2.8 million and 5.84 million residents, which would represent a growth of 264 to 686% from today’s reality. The report states the population will almost double by 2059 to 15.6 million people. This means the chareidim will make up almost half of the national population.
Today, chareidim number 750,000 people and this number is expected to pass the 1 million mark in seven years, reaching 1.1 million. The non-chareidi public is also expected to grow from 5.27 million in 2009 to 5.84 million in 2019.
In 2009 there were 1.54 million Arabs in Israel, and in 2019 that number will be 1.85 to 1.96 million. In 2050 that number is expected to be between 2.8 million to 4.54 million.
The report states this means less space per person for in 2009, there were 326 people per square kilometer and in 2059, that number is expected to be between 501 to 880 per square kilometer. There will also be a significant increase in the number of residents over 65, today representing about 7% of the total population and expected to reach 14-21% in 2059.
The life expectancy for men today is 80.8 years and it is expected to reach 88.7 years in 5819.
The daily HaMevaser adds that all said, we are simply dealing with numbers and statistics and ultimately, the decision rests in HaKadosh Baruch Hu’s hands.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
Scarey that they are more concerned about shomray Torah u’mitzvos demographics than the yishmaelim yemach sh’mom.
The reality is that neither the headline nor the lede appropriately use “reality.”
What is really scary is that there hasn’t risen a hariedi politician with a broad vision to run the whole country. They might claim that their narrow sectorialized platforms is what ultimately counts, but what the country needs is a transitional but inclusive leadership.
There’s a hiddush there?
Yes, there’s a problem in that we’ll sooner or later have to run the country by ourselves (okay, the hilonim will move to America or Europe, but we’ll still have the religious zionists to help, and probably a fair number of Arabs who will end up being less hostile in a post-zionist Hareidi Eretz Yisrael – one that doesn’t see wiping out traditional religious values as a national goal).
Or the hilonim might decide to look for a final solution to their hareidi problem by trying to force hareidim to assimilate into zionist culture, or leave (draft yeshiva students and women, ban non-government kashruth, compulsory attendance at government schools, etc.)
#3, what’s needed isn’t to run a country but to serve Hashem by putting shmiras ha-mitzvos first. Do that and He will run the country. Read the second perek of krias shma.
K”ah, kain yirbu
As an aside, I never really understood why there are claims that Israel is overcrowded. Take a drive from Yerushalayim to Eilat and all you will see for around 6-7 hours is a vast barren empty landscape. I don’t understand why this area is not being devloped.
As another aside, when Mashiach comes, IY”H, (may he come soon!), every Jew in the world will go back to E”Y, and you know the land will stretch to accomodate everyone, so they should stop hyperventilating! And #1, they are really scared of the Chareidim. Good, they SHOULD be scared!