In a reversal from 1991, Israel’s non-Jewish population grew faster than the Jewish population last year, according to figures released this week by the Central Bureau of Statistics.
The reversal was attributed to a 56 percent decline in Jewish immigration to Israel last year.
Israel’s non-Jewish population traditionally grows faster than the Jewish population, largely because of the higher Arab birthrate. In 1991, this trend was offset by the large wave of Jewish immigration.
But when only 77,032 immigrants arrived in Israel last year, compared to 176,100 in 1991, the traditional pattern resumed. The Jewish population increased by only 2.5 percent last year, compared to a 3.7 percent rise in the gentile population.
By contrast, the Jewish population grew by 5 percent in 1991, compared to a 4.5 percent growth rate for the non-Jewish population.
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