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Photo: Reuters
Israel's population numbers 8,743,000 on eve of Rosh Hashanah
181,405 babies were born in Israel in 2016, while 25,977 new immigrants made aliyah; 74.6% of the population are Jews, while 20.9% are Arabs; most Israelis live in cities, while 67.6% own their homes.
On the eve of the new Jewish year, Israel's population numbers about 8,743,000 people, according to data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) on Monday ahead of Rosh Hashanah.
Since Rosh Hashanah last year, Israel's population has increased by some 156,000 people.
According to the CBS, the Jewish population numbers 6,523,000 and makes up 74.6 percent of the population. The Arab population numbers about 1,824,000 people and makes up 20.9% of the population. Non-Arab Christians, members of other religious and those registered as having no religion number 396,000 and make up 4.5%.
Photo: Reuters
Examining Israelis' preferred places of residence, the CBS found that 74.2% of Israelis live in cities, 14.9% in local councils, 10.1% in regional councils, and 0.8% live in areas without an official municipal status.
But while Israel's territory is relatively small, most of it is uninhabited. Only 5.6% of its area is built up, with 20% of the land used for agriculture, 2.4% comprised of water, and 7.3% made up of forests, groves and national parks. The remaining land is made up of open areas, rocky terrain, excavated areas and vegetation-covered land.
The data further show there are some 2,470,200 households in Israel, with an average of 3.1 people per household.
In 2016, 181,405 babies were born in Israel. The CBS found that the overall fertility rate, 3.11, is the highest among OECD countries.
Israel's population also increased thanks to the immigration of 25,977 people in 2016, 57% of them from the former Soviet Union.
The CBS also examined the quality of life in Israel. The average income per household stands at NIS 18,671 ($5,300) a month before taxes and NIS 15,427 ($4,380) after taxes.
Most Israelis own their homes, with 67.6% living in an apartment they own and 39.9% paying mortgage.
Some 2.2 million students learn in Israel's education system: 517,000 in pre-school education, about a million in elementary school and some 713,000 in high school.
In general, 88% of Israelis said they were very satisfied or satisfied with their lives. Some 1.1 million (21%) feel stressed always or often. Some 340,000 (6%) feel lonely often. Thirty-four percent said they have a hard time covering their monthly expenses.
