Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics has released many interesting facts and figures pertaining to 2008.

There are 7.4 million people living in Israel, with two-thirds classified as Jews, 16% Muslims and 2% Christians. The average Jewish family has two children, and lives in a three or four bedroom home and has two cellular telephones.

Jewish women average 2.1 children, Muslim women 3, Druse woman 2.7 and Christians 2.2. Those listed as “other religions” average 1.4 children.

There are 90,800 Israelis 85 or over and 1 in 10 Israelis has passed the 65-year-old marker. One-third of them are living alone, 13% are still working, and 8% in an institution.

71% of Israelis were born in Israel and 29% abroad. The breakdown is 37.4% (Israel), 12.5% (Asia), 15.8% (Africa), 29.8% (Europe), and 4.4% (America and Oceania). 40% of those not born in Israel arrived from 1990-2002.

8.5% of Israelis have achieved a master’s degree or higher, while 14.4% settled for a bachelor’s. 12% have some post high school schooling and 23.1% stopped after earning a high school matriculation diploma.

33% of Israelis live in a two-bedroom dwelling, 28% three bedroom, 13% four bedroom, the same number as those living in a one bedroom.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)