News Brief

The Central Bureau of Statistics said Thursday that there had been a slowing of the growth of Israel's Muslim population in the past year. According to the CBS, the Muslim population grew 2.8% during 2008, down from 3.8% in 2000. With that, the report said, the Muslim growth rate is still higher than that of other religious groups in Israel. The Jewish population grew 1.6% in 2008, while the Christian population grew 1.3%. At the end of 2008, there were 1.24 million Muslims in Israel, 34,000 more than a year earlier.

Out of the total Muslim population, 20.6%, or 256,000, live in Jerusalem. In second place is Nazareth, where there are 46,000 Muslims, 69.4% of the total population of the traditionally Christian city. 41.2% of Muslims in Israel – 510,000 – are age 14 or under, while only 3% - 37,000 – are age 65 or older.