Israel’s population passed the 2,500,000 mark this summer, according to official statistics released here today. The figures showed an August 1 population of 2,567,000 of which 2,273,000 are Jews with the remainder mostly Arabs.
The figures also showed a decrease in the ratio of marriages from 7:3 per thousand last year to 6:9 per thousand this year; and a notable increase in the divorce ratio from 1 per 1,000 couples last year to 1:2 per 1,000 couples this year.
Other vital statistics show that heart disease is the number one killer among Israelis, followed by cancer. Polio, however, has ceased to be a threat to the Israeli population with not a single death from that disease reported during the first seven months of this year.
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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.