Israel welcomed more than 255,000 Olim {new immigrants) from 150 different countries in the past decade, according to data published by the Jewish Agency for Israel on Sunday.
The countries which contributed the highest number of Olim in the past 10 years were Russia (66,800), Ukraine (45,670), France (38,000) and the US (32,000).
The number of Olim from France peaked this decade, with the new Olim coming in the past 10 years constituting nearly one-third of the total Olim from France since the establishment of Israel. In 2015, a record number of Olim came from France with the arrival of 7,892 French Jews.
The Aliyah from the US remained strong throughout the decade, with over 3,000 Olim per year.
Brazil saw a significant uptick in Olim, with an average of approximately 200 Olim per year at the beginning of the decade, compared to an average of approximately 600 in recent years.
There has also been a renewed increase in the number of Olim from former USSR countries, especially from Russia and Ukraine.
Approximately 60% of immigrants in this decade are younger than 45.
The total annual number of Olim gradually grew throughout the decade, with only 19,297 Olim in 2010, compared to some 34,000 in 2019.
Chairman of the Jewish Agency Isaac Herzog met on Wednesday with Olim who came to Israel in the last decade and said that they have “come here from all corners of the earth to fulfill the Zionist dream and strengthen the State of Israel.”
Upon meeting the children of the Olim who wore shirts that read “Made in Israel,” Herzog said that “it is always heartwarming to meet the next generation.”
“In the past decade, the Jewish Agency has assisted more than 250,000 Olim who chose Israel with a deep sense of belonging and a desire to build a future in this country for them and their children,” he said.
Since the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, 3.3 million people have made Aliyah, making up 42 percent of the total population.