The Taub Center’s 2025 report, released Wednesday, points to a historic slowdown in Israel’s demographic growth.
According to the findings, Israel’s population growth rate dropped to 0.9% in 2025-the lowest level since the country’s founding. This marks a steep decline from the decade preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, when annual growth averaged roughly double that rate.
The report also highlights a growing trend of net emigration. In recent years, more Israelis have left the country than those immigrating or returning. In 2025 alone, Israel recorded a net population loss of approximately 37,000 people. The current wave is driven largely by the re-migration of former immigrants, alongside a rising number of departures among native-born Israelis.
Fertility rates are also declining across all population groups. While the total number of births has remained relatively stable over the past decade, fertility has fallen steadily. Among secular and traditional Jewish women, the fertility rate is projected to approach 1.7 children per woman by the end of the next decade. Religious Jewish women are expected to average about 2.3 children, while fertility in the haredi community is forecast to remain high at around 4.3. Similar patterns are emerging in the Arab population, where the number of births may begin to decline in the coming years.
Despite the weakening natural population increase, Israel continues to rank among the world’s leaders in life expectancy, currently averaging 83.7 years. However, the report warns that the annual number of deaths is expected to rise sharply-by about 77% by 2040-as the baby-boom generation enters age groups with significantly higher mortality rates.