Thursday, March 21, 2024

2024 Jewish demographic momentum in Israel

by Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger

In 2023, the number of Israel's Jewish births was 135,639 - 69% higher than 1995 (80,400), compared to 42,815 Arab births - 17% higher than 1995 (36,500).

In 2023, Jewish births were 76% of total births, compared to 69% in 1995. The surge of Jewish births has taken place due to the unprecedented rise of births (since 1995) in the secular sector, notwithstanding a rising level of education, income and wedding age and expanded urbanization. Since 1995, Israel's ultra-orthodox sector has experienced a mild decrease of fertility, while the modern orthodox rate of fertility has been stable.



In 1969: Israel's Arab fertility rate (number of births per woman) was six births higher than the Jewish fertility rate. In 2022: Jewish fertility rate – 3.03; Israeli Arabs – 2.75.

Muslim fertility rate has been Westernized: Jordan – 2.9 births per woman, Iran – 1.9, Saudi Arabia – 1.89, Morocco – 2.27, Iraq – 3.17, Egypt – 2.76, Yemen – 2.91, United Arab Emirates – 1.62, etc.

Israel’s growing Jewish fertility rate reflects optimism, patriotism, attachment to roots, communal solidarity, frontier-mentality and less abortions. Arab demographic Westernization is attributed to sweeping urbanization, enhanced status of women (education, employment, rising wedding age, shorter reproductive period) and expanding use of contraceptives.



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