As the year 2008 draws to a close, the Central Bureau of Statistics reports that Israel’s population has once again grown by 1.8%.
The number of people in Israel is up to 7,373,000 – 129,500 more than a year ago. 157,000 babies were born over the year and 16,500 will have made Aliyah [immigrated to Israel] by Dec. 31.
For the sixth year in a row, Israel’s population grew by 1.8%. Some 75.5% of the total population is Jewish, compared with 79.2% ten years ago. Just over 20% is Arab.
The number of new immigrants has dropped, but the Jewish Agency attributes this to a depletion of the potential Aliyah pool in Russia and Ethiopia. In addition, Aliyah from English-speaking countries increased in 2008.
Other notable year-end statistics: Unemployment in October remained steady at 6%... Consumer prices dropped in November by 0.6%, for an annual inflation rate of 4.5%... New apartment purchases dropped in the first ten months of the year by 5%...