Israel’s population on the 40th anniversary of its independence stood at 4.43 million, of whom 3.63 million are Jews, according to figures released by the Central Bureau of Statistics Wednesday, the eve of Independence Day.
In the four decades since the Jewish state was founded, its overall population has grown more than five and a half times, and its Jewish population slightly more. This was due primarily to immigration.
There were only 650,000 Jews in Israel (806,000 total) when it won independence in 1948. Since 1948, some 1.8 million immigrants have arrived in the country.
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