More babies give a boost to Israeli Jewish demographics

Current demographic trend in Israel is towards larger families, in comparison to birth rate among Jews in the Diaspora.

By ZUZANA BARAK
cute baby 311 (photo credit: courtesy)
cute baby 311
(photo credit: courtesy)
The Jewish demographics in Israel are improving, Prof. Sergio DellaPergola, an international expert on Jewish demography from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said Tuesday.
According to DellaPergola, the current demographic trend in Israel is towards larger families, in comparison to the birth rate among Jews in the Diaspora, which has been declining due to rapid ageing and intermarriage.
On the eve of the Jewish New Year 5771, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) released a demographic report that showed, among other things, that the Jewish birth rate in Israel averages just under three children (2.9) per family, which is the highest in many years.
“A high standard of living and an overall feeling of well-being contribute to this baby boom we are witnessing nowadays among Israeli Jews,” DellaPergola told The Jerusalem Post.
Another factor that helps to tip the demographic scales in the Jews’ favor is immigration to Israel.
“Even though the number of new olim is relatively low, compared to earlier years in the 62-year history of the state, it is still higher than in the previous year and we believe it has something to do with the problematic economic situation worldwide as well as the increased threat of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel feelings,” DellaPergola asserted.
The CBS reported a gain in the percentage of Jewry residing in Israel, and the country’s 5,770,900 Jews (out of a total population of 7,645,500) amount to 43% of the total world Jewish population. According to DellaPergola, the country with the secondlargest Jewish population is the United States, with 5.3 million Jews.
Other Jewish population figures on DellaPergola’s list: France with 485,000; Canada with 375,000; Britain with 292,000; Russia with 205,000; Argentina with 182,000; Germany with 119,000; Australia with 108,000; and Brazil with 96,000 Jews.