Overview
- The Central Bureau of Statistics released pre‑Rosh Hashanah figures Wednesday showing Israel’s population at roughly 10.305 million, up about 1.2 percent from the prior year.
- Natural increase drove the rise with roughly 182,000 births versus about 50,000 deaths over the year, producing a net natural gain of about 132,000 people.
- Israel’s total fertility rate remains unusually high for a wealthy democracy at about 2.88 children per woman, a level concentrated in Haredi and more religious communities and one reason the population is relatively young.
- International migration produced a net loss under the CBS methodology, with tens of thousands recorded as emigrants in recent years, though early‑2026 data show fewer departures and more returnees and the Aliyah ministry reports slightly different immigrant totals.
- The demographic picture — high births, high life expectancy and a negative migration balance — has clear policy implications for housing, education, health and labor planning and builds on long‑term population shifts dating back to Israel’s founding.