Jerusalem was the largest city in Israel with over one million inhabitants as of the end of 2024. It was followed by Tel Aviv with almost half a million residents. Haifa was the third-largest city in the country, with just under 300,000 inhabitants.

Israel IL: Population in Largest City data was reported at 3,905,583.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 3,802,958.000 Person for 2016. Israel IL: Population in Largest City data is updated yearly, averaging 1,701,658.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,905,583.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 738,158.000 Person in 1960. Israel IL: Population in Largest City data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Israel – Table IL.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in largest city is the urban population living in the country's largest metropolitan area.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; ;

In 2022, the average number of people per household in the city of Bnei Brak in Israel was 4.37. This city topped the list of people per household among large cities in Israel (200,000 or more people). In comparison, the national average number of people per household was 3.19, which put Bnei Brak, a city with a predominantly Orthodox Jewish population. The city of Tel Aviv-Yafo ends the list with an average of 2.21 persons per household.

Israel IL: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data was reported at 48.549 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 48.235 % for 2016. Israel IL: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 43.148 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 48.583 % in 1996 and a record low of 39.459 % in 1980. Israel IL: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Israel – Table IL.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; Weighted average;

In 2022, the number of real estate transactions of new apartments in Jerusalem in Israel amounted to 2,195. The transactions in this city topped the list among the major cities in Israel. It was closely followed by the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo with 1,914 transactions of new apartments. The cities of Haifa and Bnei Brak round out the list with only 908 and 275 new apartment transactions, respectively.

Jerusalem was the city with the largest population of Ultra-Orthodox Jewish residents in Israel in 2022, reaching 290,090 people. The community accounted for almost 30 percent of the city's total population. The town with the second-highest number of Ultra-Orthodox Jews was Bnei Brak, with 202,960 residents. Beit Shemesh and Modi'in Illit also made up a sizable portion of the Ultra-Orthodox community in Israel.

Apartment prices in Tel Aviv are the highest among the major cities in Israel. In the first quarter of 2023, the average cost of dwellings in Tel Aviv amounted to over 4.2 million Israeli shekels (roughly 1.13 million U.S. dollars). That was a slight rise compared to the previous quarter. The average price of apartments in the city slightly fluctuated but overall increased during the observed period. Due to the high housing prices in the city, many who wish to live in the city can afford only rented housing. The The number of households  living in rented dwellings in Tel Aviv amounted to 110,000 in 2020, making it the most common type of residency that year.  

High demand for housing in Tel Aviv 

Tel Aviv is the financial and cultural capital of Israel. Important companies in the Israeli economy and most of the influential cultural institutions in Israel are located in the city. As a result, many are interested in living in the city permanently, so housing prices remain high and even rise. Tel Aviv is the most important city in the Israeli high-tech industry, one of the most essential industries in the Israeli economy. As a result, many of the industry workers live in the city. In 2022, StartupBlink ranked Tel Aviv first in its list of leading cities for startups in Israel, with a score of 54.89. 

Residence in Jerusalem and Haifa is more affordable 

Jerusalem, the largest city in Israel, offers more affordable housing than Tel Aviv. In the first quarter of 2023, the aaverage price of apartments in Jerusalem amounted to just over 2.5 million Israeli shekels (around 673,000 U.S. dollars). Although the price is lower than in Tel Aviv, many Israelis hesitate to reside there. Jerusalem has a traditional character; therefore, it has fewer leisure and nightlife options than Tel Aviv can offer. The standard price of dwellings in Haifa, the largest city in the northern part of Israel, is lower than both towns. In the same quarter, it reached almost 1.64 million Israeli shekels (approximately 440,000 U.S. dollars).

In 2023, Haifa was the city with the largest population of Christians in Israel, with 22,200 residents who identify with the faith. The town with the second-highest number of Christians was Nazareth, with 19,800 members of the religion. Christians living in Jerusalem and the Northern town of Nof HaGalil also made up a sizeable portion of the community.

In 2023, Jerusalem was the city with the largest population of Muslim residents in Israel, reaching 379,600 people. This represented about 38 percent of the city's total population. The town with the second-highest number of Muslims was Rahat, with 78,500 members of the religion. Rahat is a predominantly Bedouin city in southern Israel. Umm al-Fahm and Nazareth, both located in northern Israel, make up a sizeable portion of the Muslim community in Israel.

The share of urban population in Israel saw no significant changes in 2023 in comparison to the previous year 2022 and remained at around 92.85 percent. Still, the share reached its highest value in the observed period in 2023. A population may be defined as urban depending on the size (population or area) or population density of the village, town, or city. The urbanization rate then refers to the share of the total population who live in an urban setting. International comparisons may be inconsistent due to differing parameters for what constitutes an urban center.Find more key insights for the share of urban population in countries like Syria and United Arab Emirates.

The two countries with the greatest shares of the world's Jewish population are the United States and Israel. The United States had been a hub of Jewish immigration since the nineteenth century, as Jewish people sought to escape persecution in Europe by emigrating across the Atlantic. The Jewish population in the U.S. is largely congregated in major urban areas, such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, with the New York metropolitan area being the city with the second largest Jewish population worldwide, after Tel Aviv, Israel. Israel is the world's only officially Jewish state, having been founded in 1948 following the first Arab-Israeli War. While Jews had been emigrating to the holy lands since the nineteenth century, when they were controlled by the Ottoman Empire, immigration increased rapidly following the establishment of the state of Israel. Jewish communities in Eastern Europe who had survived the Holocaust saw Israel as a haven from persecution, while the state encouraged immigration from Jewish communities in other regions, notably the Middle East & North Africa. Smaller Jewish communities remain in Europe in countries such as France, the UK, and Germany, and in other countries which were hotspots for Jewish migration in the twentieth century, such as Canada and Argentina.

This statistic illustrates the average transaction price for the purchase of new residential properties in Israel as of 2016, broken down by city. It can be seen that the city with the largest transaction price was Tel-Aviv, with an average transaction price for new dwellings of almost 8.2 thousand euros per square meter at that time. Jerusalem ranked second during the same period, with an average transaction price of over 5.2 thousand euros per square meter in 2016.

Among all regions, women in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, recorded the highest total fertility rate in Israel, with 4.42 live births per woman on average. Other regions with high fertility rates were the Jerusalem district and the Southern district. In contrast, the Haifa recorded the lowest fertility rate, at only 2.27 births per woman.

In the first quarter of 2023, the average price of dwellings in Haifa in Israel amounted to almost 1.64 million Israeli shekels (roughly 440,000 U.S. dollars). That was a slight increase compared to the previous quarter. The average price of residences in this city gradually increased during the observed period. Haifa is the third largest city in Israel.

The 2022 Israeli parliamentary elections saw the Likud party, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, secure 32 seats in the 120-member Knesset. This victory marked a return to power for Netanyahu, who had previously served as prime minister for over a decade. Yesh Atid, led by Yair Lapid, was the second-largest party in Knesset, with 24 seats. The party was instrumental in forming the previous coalition government, which deprived Netanyahu of the premiership for about a year and a half. However, the election results and subsequent political developments have highlighted the complexity of Israeli politics and the capricious nature of the Prime Miniter’s support.

Will Benjamin Netanyahu overcome the post-war backlash? Despite his electoral success, Prime Minister Netanyahu has faced growing disapproval since taking office. By spring 2024, 58% of Israeli adults held an unfavorable opinion of the prime minister, with only 41% viewing him favorably. This decline in popularity has been particularly pronounced since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, indicating a difficult electoral challenge ahead.

Regional voting patterns hint at ideological clashes The 2022 election results revealed significant regional differences across Israel. Voters from Tel Aviv supported the centrist opposition party Yesh Atid, which won almost 33 percent of their votes. The party outperformed Netanyahu's Likud party, which garnered only 17 percent of Tel Aviv ballots. Conversely, in Jerusalem, the Likud received just over 19 percent of votes, while their allies in the ultra-orthodox parties secured over 40 percent of local support. The opposition Yesh Atid party won only 7.5 percent of the votes in the capital. The split between the Israel’s two largest cities mirrors divides across the nation, largely falling on lines of wealth, religion, and social background.

In 2022, 121,427 private vehicles accounted for the majority of motor vehicles in Haifa in northern Israel. This figure was followed by 10,214 trucks as well as 2,985 motorcycles registered in Israel's third-largest city. Haifa is an important industrial hub and holds one of the country's main seaway ports.

In September 2022, the number of employee jobs in the hotel industry in Haifa in Israel amounted to 975. This figure represented an increase compared to that of the previous month (953 in August 2022), and an overall increase in the number of jobs compared to the beginning of the observed period in this city. Haifa is the third largest city in Israel after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv-Yafo. The city also holds the busiest port in the country as well as the Bahai world center and gardens.

In 2021, 231,110 private vehicles accounted for the majority of motor vehicles in Jerusalem in Israel. This figure was followed by 22,749 trucks as well as 14,289 motorcycles registered in Israel's largest city.

In 2021, the largest group of Jerusalem residents registered with the social welfare department of the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services in Israel were those 0-14 years old with a share of 30.3 percent. The second largest group registered with the authorities was those 15-24 years old with a share of 20.1 percent. the group to have the smallest share of residents registered with the social welfare department in this city were those 64-74 years old with only 5.2 percent.

In 2022, 130,526 private vehicles accounted for the majority of motor vehicles in Rishon LeZiyyon in central Israel. This figure was followed by 11,934 trucks as well as 5,821 motorcycles registered in Israel's fourth largest city. Rishon LeZiyyon is a rapidly growing city in the central Israel, situated in close proximity to Tel Aviv-Yafo.