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.
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.
