Hananya Naftali
Israel’s Current Population and Future Projections
The Short Answer
Israel's population is about 10.3 million, according to figures the Central Bureau of Statistics released ahead of Rosh Hashanah in September 2026. About 7.8 million are Jews and members of other non Arab communities, or 78 percent, and nearly 2.2 million are Arab citizens, or 22 percent. The population grew by about 1.2 percent over the past year.
How Fast Israel Is Growing
About 182,000 babies were born in Israel over the past year. Israel's fertility rate is more than double the average of the developed countries in the OECD, which makes it one of the fastest growing populations in the Western world.
When Israel was founded in 1948 it had about 806,000 residents. More than 3.5 million immigrants have arrived since then, from over a hundred countries.
Future Projections
The Central Bureau of Statistics projects that Israel's population will reach about 15.2 million by the country's hundredth birthday in 2048 and pass 20 million by 2065.
Key Facts
Israel's population is about 10.3 million as of September 2026.
About 78 percent are Jews and others, and about 22 percent are Arabs.
Israel had about 806,000 residents in 1948.
The population is projected to pass 20 million by 2065.