Israel at 53: A Statistical Glimpse*

(2001)

Geography

Geographical Regions

Arid Zones 45%
Plains and Valleys 25%
Mountains 16%
Rift Valley 9%
Coastal Strip 5%

 

Selected elevations:

Mt. Hermon, Golan 9,220 ft. 2,810 m.
Mt. Meron, Upper Galilee 3,964 ft. 1,208 m.
Mt. Ramon, Negev 3,396 ft. 1,035 m.
Mt. of Olives, Jerusalem 2,739 ft. 835 m.
Mt. Tabor, Lower Galilee 1,930 ft. 588 m.
Mt. Carmel, Haifa 1,792 ft. 546 m.
Dead Sea - lowest point on earth - 1,300 ft. - 400 m.


People

  1980 1990 1999
Population 3,921,700 4,821,700 6,209,100
Civilian labor force 1,318,100 1,649,900 2,345,100
Jews in Israel, as a percentage of world Jewry 25 30 37
Life expectancy
  • Females
  • Males

    • 75.7
    72.1
    78.4
    75.7
    80.3
    76.1
    Infant mortality
    (per 1000 live births)    		 15.6 9.9 5.8
    School population 1,200,700 1,451,300 1,875,600
    Percentage of the population with 13 years or more of formal schooling 20.8 28.2 40.4


    Population by Religion

    Jews 78.5%
    Muslims 15.0%
    Christians 2.1%
    Druze 1.6%
    Not classified by religion 2.7%

    		  Population Distribution

    Urban localities 91.4%
    Rural localities 8.6%
      Of which:
       Moshavim
       Kibbutzim
    3.3%
    1.9%


    Immigrants by Continent
    1948-1999

    Europe 1,670,607
    Africa 473,605
    Asia 403,123
    America & Oceania 211,221
    Unknown 31,545

    		  Immigrants by Year of Immigration

    1948-51
    		688,000
    1952-59
    		272,000
    1960-69
    		374,000
    1970-79
    		346,000
    1980-89
    		154,000
    1990-99
    		956,300


    Economy

    State Budget, 2000: NIS 227.4 billion

    Gross Domestic Product
    (at 1995 prices - NIS 106)    		 1980 1990 1999
      - Total
      - Per capita    		 138,975
    36,005    		 197,644
    42,411    		 302,206
    49,359
    Net exports of goods (millions of dollars) 5,291.9 11,603.1 23,554.7
    thereof:
      Industrial products (excl. diamonds)
      Agricultural products
    3,340.4
    555.7
    7,696.8
    657.2
    16,424.8
    782.3
    Net imports of goods (millions of dollars) 7,845.7 15,107.1 30,629.7
    Tourists arriving 1,065,800 1,131,700 2,312,300
    Air passengers (annual) 2,847,000 3,720,000 8,734,000
    Freight shipped by air (annual in tons) 105,800 194,160 297,080
    Production of electricity (in millions of kilwatt/hours) 12,400 20,900 39,180
    Private cars 410,000 803,000 1,317,000
    Telephone subscribers 860,000 1,626,000 2,880,000


    Education

    University Students by Field of Study
    (Total 109,130 students in 7 universities)

    Agriculture 1.2%
    Law 4.0%
    Medicine 7.9%
    Engineering 12.6%
    Science and mathematics 15.3%
    Humanities 28.8%
    Social Sciences 30.3%


    * Figures based on the Statistical Abstract of Israel, No. 51, 2000

    Source: Israeli Foreign Ministry