Israel Population 2013

Israel Population 2013

The current population of the State of Israel is estimated to be about 8 million people, which is a 3% increase from the population in 2011. This population is over double the population of all the Palestinian territories, which is estimated to be about 3.93 million people. Based on the total land area of the state and the total population, the population density is about 930 people per square mile.

Demographics of Israel

The largest ethnic group of the State of Israel is Israeli Jews, which makes up over 75% of the entire population of the state. The next largest ethnic group is the Arab citizens of Israel, which make up a little over 20% of the population. Some other of the larger ethnic groups includes the Russian Jews, Bedouins, and the Romanian Jews. The two official languages of Israel are Hebrew and Arabic. However, there are over 35 individual languages spoken there.

Climate in Israel

Israel has a Mediterranean climate characterized by long, hot, dry summers and short, cool, rainy winters, as modified locally by altitude and latitude. The climate is determined by Israel’s location between the subtropical aridity characteristic of Egypt and the subtropical humidity of the eastern Mediterranean area. January is the coldest month, with temperatures from 5°C to 10°C, and August is the hottest month at 18°C to 38°C.

Languages in Israel

The Israeli population is a linguistically and culturally diverse community. The 15th edition of Ethnologue lists 33 languages and dialects spoken in local communities. The main language used for communication among Israeli citizens is Modern Hebrew, a language that emerged in the late 19th century, based on different dialects of ancient Hebrew and somewhat influenced by many languages. Hebrew and Arabic are the official languages of Israel.

Religion in Israel

The State of Israel has wide support for the freedom of religion throughout the population and does recognize freedom of religion. Religions can apply to be officially recognized religions by the government, but do not need to. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Druze, and Baha’I are all religions recognized by the State of Israel. However, not all denominations of Christianity are recognized, but the majority of the major ones are. About 76% of the population is Jewish, while only about 2% of the population is Christian. Also, about 17% of the population is Muslim. About 2% is classified as Druze and the rest of the population consists of other minor religions or they do not associate with a religion.

Sports in Israel

Soccer is considered to be the national sport of the State of Israel. The population of Israel plays in both the national/international competition, but also in countless numbers of professional leagues throughout the country. Another sport that is quite popular is basketball. This sport has gained popularity through the influence of the Americas. Lastly, there are many sports that are indigenous to the people of the area and certain ethnic groups, such as Maccabi, Beitar, and Hapoel.

Israel Population Growth

Historical Population of Israel

Over the last century, the population of the State of Israel has continually increased from year to year.  The largest increase in population occurred between 1990 and 1991.

Projection Population of Israel

The population of Israel over the next 37 years is projected to continue to increase as the historical trends have shown.  The birth rate is projected to remain in between 19 and 15 births per 1000 people.  In contrast, the death rates are projected to be between 5 and 7 deaths per 1000 people.  Along with a positive migration rate, these are the reasons as to the projected increases in population.