While the population growth rate in Jerusalem is the same as that of the Israeli population, the various populations within the city are growing at different rates.
By YAIR ASSAF-SHAPIRATourists look at the Dome of the Rock, located in Jerusalem's Old City on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, June 21, 2018. (photo credit: AMMAR AWAD / REUTERS)
Recently, we celebrated Jerusalem Day. Jerusalem is by far the largest city in Israel in terms of its population, which at the end of 2019 numbered 936,000. For many years (from as early as 1967), Jerusalem has been home to about 10% of Israeli residents. This percentage has been remaining constant, means that the growth percentage of Jerusalem’s population is the same as that of the State of Israel as a whole. This growth percentage stood at 2% in 2018.While the population growth rate in Jerusalem is the same as that of the Israeli population, the various populations within the city are growing at different rates. The growth rate of the Arab population (which stood at 2.0% in 2019) is higher than that of the Jewish population (1.7%). However, over the past decade, the growth rate of Jews has been on the rise. It was only 1% in 2009, while the growth rate of the Arab population is on the decline; in 2009 it stood at 2.9%. If these trends continue, around 2023, the growth rates of both populations in the city may equal. If this happens, we will see the current balance between Jews and Arabs in the city’s population, which currently stands at 62% Jews and 38% Arabs, stabilize.The main sources of population growth in Jerusalem were natural growth (births minus deaths), which in 2019 added 21,400 persons, a negative migration balance, subtracting 8,400 persons, and an international migration balance (mostly aliyah), which added about 3,500 persons to the city’s population. Among the Arab population, almost all of the increase is due to natural growth.It is interesting to note that the growth rate of the Jewish population in Jerusalem has been lower than that of the Jewish population in Israel for the past decade (except for one year), despite the large ultra-Orthodox population in the city, which is characterized by a high rate of natural increase.
