Israel’s population now totals 4,477,000 inhabitants, including 3,659,000 Jews, an increase of 1.6 percent in 1988 compared with 1.7 percent in 1987, according to figures recently released by the Central Bureau of Statistics. The Jewish population is 82 percent of the country.
About 45 percent of the population live in 11 cities that have populations greater than 100,000, with the most significant increases occurring in Jerusalem, Rishon le-Zion, Netanya and Holon.
Jerusalem’s Jewish population increased by approximately 2.2 percent, or about 8,000 people. It’s non-Jewish population increased by 2.3 percent, or some 3,000 people. About 1,400 residents left Jerusalem, and its population was estimated at 493,000, including 354,000 Jews, the same 71.7 percent of the population as in 1987.
The populations of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Haifa, Beersheba, Givatayim, Dimona, Upper Nazareth and Acre decreased in 1988, as they did in 1987, since the number of those leaving was greater than the natural population growth.
Tel Aviv-Jaffa’s population decreased in 1988 by 1,700 residents, a drop of 0.5 percent, compared with 0.2 percent in 1987, and totaled fewer than 318,000 residents.
Haifa’s population declined by about 600 residents, or 0.3 percent, compared with 0.1 percent in 1987, and totaled less than 223,000 residents.
The population of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip increased in 1988 by 10.3 percent, as compared with a 12.8 percent rise in 1987 and a 15.8 percent rise in 1986, and now totals 66,000 residents as of the end of 1988.
The population of 25 “development settlements” was estimated to total 402,000 persons, including 384,000 Jews.
There was a drop of about 1,000 residents in the population of kibbutzim, with an estimated total of 126,000 at the end of 1988.
Davar reports that 10,151 immigrants arrived in Israel during the first seven months of 1989, constituting an increase of 41 percent over the same period last year. In July, 1,780 immigrants arrived, a 48 percent increase over July 1988.
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