On Eve of 2016 Israel Boasts Population of 8.5 Million

(JNi.media) According to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, on December 31, 2015, Israel’s population is estimated at 8,462,000.

An estimated 6,335,000 are Jews (74.9% of the population). 1,757,000 are Arabs (20.7%). And 370,000 are classified as “other” (4.4%).

During 2015, the population of Israel grew by 2%.

During the year an estimated 176,700 babies were born, 74% Jewish, 23% Arab and 4.4% “other.”

An estimated 28,000 Olim arrived in Israel (this number clashes with preliminary figures provided by the UJA putting this figure at 33,000). The main countries the newcomers came from are France (25%), Ukraine (24%), Russia (23%), and the United States (9%).

These population estimates do not include the population of foreign workers living in Israel, which was estimated at about 192,000 at the end of 2014.