Israelis produce more, eat better, and live longer than in previous years according to the government Year Book issued for the Jewish New Year.
Agricultural production increased by 211 percent during the State’s first ten years in which there was a population growth of some 68 percent. This enabled better eating and an increase in caloric supplies of locally-grown foods by 37 percent.
Self-sufficiency has been reached in vegetables, potatoes, fruit, milk and dairy products, eggs and poultry. Fish pond cultivation and off-shore catches already account for half of the country’s sea-food consumption and for the first time last year sugar was supplied from local refineries.
Last year’s industrial production totalled 1,500 million Israel pounds as compared to 460 million in 1949. From some 100 million kilowatt produced in 1949 last year’s electric consumption exceeded 400 million. These figures enabled a reduction in imports of from 180 Israel pounds per capita during the first year of the State to 80 in 1957.
Some 25 million litres of wine, beer and spirits were consumed last year, an increase of 21 percent over the previous twelve months. First place was taken by beer (14.3 million) followed by wine (7.2). cognac (one million), arak (928,000) and assorted liqueurs (757,000 litres). The population’s drinking provided the Treasury with over 12 million Israel pounds in excise revenue, an increase of 26 percent over last year.
According to statistics the average life span in Israel is the proverbial three score and ten, among the largest in the world. Life expectation among men is 69.1 and among women 71.3. Incidence of tuberculosis is 5.7 per 10,000 and tubercular deaths are 6.1 per 100,000,–both among the world’s lowest.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
