CBS: New Israeli family structure changing
Central Bureau of Statistics findings show number of non-traditional families in Israel growing: In 2011 there were 2.5 times more unmarried Jewish couples, compared to 2000
The number of families in Israel in 2011 was around 1,830,000, of which 81% were Jewish, said the Central Bureau of Statistics, which published its findings on Wednesday, in time for Family Day. The statistics show a harsh reality, in which 28% of the families in Israel are in need of assistance from social services.
Around 95% of the couples in Israel were married, but there was steady growth in the number of unmarried couples, cohabitating. Aside from this 95%, some 73,000 unmarried couples were listed as living together.
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The number of unmarried, non-Jewish couples living together rose 2.5% from 2000; from 27,000 to 69,000 in 2011. The percent of unmarried Jewish couples cohabitating rose from 2.5% in 2000, to 5% in 2011. Sixty-nine percent of couples living together had no children.
In 2011, the average number of members in the Israeli family was 3.7 members – 3.5 in Jewish families, and 4.8 in Arab families. This difference was due to higher fertility rates within the Arab population, and to aging within the Jewish population. Nearly a third of Arab families consisted of six people, as opposed to only 10% of Jewish families.
A higher average per family was found in the West Bank (4.7 members per family), in the Jerusalem district (4.2), and in the North (4.1), and the lowest levels were found in Tel Aviv (3.2). Within Tel Aviv, 42.3% of couples did not have children under the age of 18, as opposed to 20.8% in Jerusalem and 24.9% in Petah Tikva.
In 2011, there were 106,800 single-parent families with children under the age of 18, for a total of around 187,000 minors. Ninety-two percent of single-parent families were headed by a woman.
The number of single mothers with children under the age of 18 grew from 8,400 in 2000, to 13,500 in 2011 – an increase of almost 60%.
The portion of single-parent families with children under the age of 18 grew from 10% in 2000, to 13% in 2011. In 2011, 5,050 single Jewish women gave birth, compared to 2,600 in 2000. In this time span, the percentage of births amongst single, Jewish women rose from 2.8%, to 4.2%.
These numbers point at a harsh reality: In 2011, there were some 520,000 families who received assistance from social services. From among the families listed with social services, some 15% were single-parent families.
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