According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, on December 31, 2017, there are an estimated 8.793 million residents, not counting foreign workers and illegal migrants. Last year there were 170,000 legal foreign residents living in the Jewish State.
Of the above, 6.556 million are Jews; 1.837 million (20.9%) are Arabs; and 400,000 (4.5%) are “others.”
In 2017, Israel’s population has grown by 1.9%, 82% of which were the result of a natural increase (number of births minus number of deaths), and the rest, 18%, from the international immigration balance (number of incoming minus number of outgoing).
The year 2017 saw about 180,000 newborn babies – 73.8% Jews, 23.3% Arabs, and 2.9% “others.”
A whopping 27,000 Olim settled in the Jewish State in 2017. Most of them, about 20,200, came from Europe. The main sources of Aliyah have been Russia (27.1%), Ukraine (25.5%), France (13%), and the US (9.8%). 1,400 Olim (5.1%) arrived from Asia, about 1,200 (4.3%) from Africa.
The Israeli population was reduced in 2017 by 44,000 who passed away, and about 8,000 Israelis who remained abroad for more than one year.