As Israel Turns 75, Nearly Half World Jewry Lives in Jewish State
When the modern state of Israel was reborn 75 years ago, only 5 percent of the world’s Jewish population lived in the new nation. On Wednesday, as the country celebrated its 75th birthday, nearly half of the world’s Jewry now call Israel home, according to the latest data from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics.
Israel’s population is rapidly approaching 10 million people—9.7 million Jews, Arabs, and other minorities call the Holy Land home. Today’s population is 12 times the size it was in May 1948 when Israel was established.
About three-quarters of Israel’s population—73.5% or 7.15 million—is Jewish. That number accounts for about 46% of the world’s Jewish community. Moreover, experts predict that within the next ten years, the majority of Jewish people will live in Israel—something that hasn’t happened since before Israel and Judah were exiled.
Israel is also home to many Arabs. About one-fifth—or 2 million—of Israel’s citizens are Arab (which basically means Muslim, Christian Arab, Druze, or Armenian). Around 5 percent of the population is comprised of immigrants from the former Soviet Union and other minority groups (some of which may be Jewish but are not formally defined that way).
Much of Israel’s growth of 216,000 people last year was natural, but the influx of 79,000 new immigrants fleeing the war in Ukraine did swell the count. Unlike other advanced, Western, and European nations, more than one-quarter of Israelis are young—28% of Israel’s population is 14 or younger.
Israel is expected to continue growing, perhaps reaching 15 million citizens by the time she reaches her century mark in 2048.
God promised in dozens of place in the Hebrew Bible that He would bring the Jewish people back to their own land, after He scattered them.
“Hear the word of the LORD, you nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands: ‘He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’” (Jer. 31:10)
“’For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. (Ezek. 36:24)