According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), there are 8,462,000 people living in Israel at the end of 2015. This represents an increase of 68,000 people from the statistics released on erev Rosh Hashanah.

The CBS reports that 75% of all the residents are Jewish (6,335,000), 21% Arab (1,757,000) and 4% others (Christians who are not Arab and all others). According to the CBS forecast, there will be 9.1 million residents in 2020 and 9.8 million in 2025. That number will increase to 11.4 million in 2035.

According to this latest report, 176,700 births were recorded during 2015, of which 74% are registered as Jewish, 23% Arab and 3% other. 44,000 Israelis died during 2015.

The report also shows that 28,000 people made aliyah in 2015, a quarter of them coming from France, 24% from the Ukraine, 23% from Russia and 9% the United States.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)