As of 2024, the population of Israel reached about 9.8 million permanent residents in total. About 7.7 million were registered as Jews or other non-Arab populations. Furthermore, some 2.1 million Arabs lived in the country.

The world's Jewish population has had a complex and tumultuous history over the past millennia, regularly dealing with persecution, pogroms, and even genocide. The legacy of expulsion and persecution of Jews, including bans on land ownership, meant that Jewish communities disproportionately lived in urban areas, working as artisans or traders, and often lived in their own settlements separate to the rest of the urban population. This separation contributed to the impression that events such as pandemics, famines, or economic shocks did not affect Jews as much as other populations, and such factors came to form the basis of the mistrust and stereotypes of wealth (characterized as greed) that have made up anti-Semitic rhetoric for centuries. Development since the Middle Ages The concentration of Jewish populations across the world has shifted across different centuries. In the Middle Ages, the largest Jewish populations were found in Palestine and the wider Levant region, with other sizeable populations in present-day France, Italy, and Spain. Later, however, the Jewish disapora became increasingly concentrated in Eastern Europe after waves of pogroms in the west saw Jewish communities move eastward. Poland in particular was often considered a refuge for Jews from the late-Middle Ages until the 18th century, when it was then partitioned between Austria, Prussia, and Russia, and persecution increased. Push factors such as major pogroms in the Russian Empire in the 19th century and growing oppression in the west during the interwar period then saw many Jews migrate to the United States in search of opportunity.

Chart and table of Israel population from 1950 to 2025. United Nations projections are also included through the year 2100.

Jews were the dominant religious group in the Israel-Palestine region at the beginning of the first millennia CE, and are the dominant religious group there today, however, there was a period of almost 2,000 years where most of the world's Jews were displaced from their spiritual homeland. Antiquity to the 20th century Jewish hegemony in the region began changing after a series of revolts against Roman rule led to mass expulsions and emigration. Roman control saw severe persecution of Jewish and Christian populations, but this changed when the Byzantine Empire adopted Christianity as its official religion in the 4th century. Christianity then dominated until the 7th century, when the Rashidun Caliphate (the first to succeed Muhammad) took control of the Levant. Control of region split between Christians and Muslims intermittently between the 11th and 13th centuries during the Crusades, although the population remained overwhelmingly Muslim. Zionism until today Through the Paris Peace Conference, the British took control of Palestine in 1920. The Jewish population began growing through the Zionist Movement after the 1880s, which sought to establish a Jewish state in Palestine. Rising anti-Semitism in Europe accelerated this in the interwar period, and in the aftermath of the Holocaust, many European Jews chose to leave the continent. The United Nations tried facilitating the foundation of separate Jewish and Arab states, yet neither side was willing to concede territory, leading to a civil war and a joint invasion from seven Arab states. Yet the Jews maintained control of their territory and took large parts of the proposed Arab territory, forming the Jewish-majority state of Israel in 1948, and acheiving a ceasefire the following year. Over 750,000 Palestinians were displaced as a result of this conflict, while most Jews from the Arab eventually fled to Israel. Since this time, Israel has become one of the richest and advanced countries in the world, however, Palestine has been under Israeli military occupation since the 1960s and there are large disparities in living standards between the two regions.

In 2024, the number of Jewish immigrants that entered Israel, and naturalized under the Law of Return, reached just over 29,000 people. This figure was down from the previous year, with about 42,700 new migrants. Jewish immigration into Israel increased significantly in 2022 due to the influx of Russian and Ukrainian citizens escaping war following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This event is reminiscent of a major wave of Jewish immigration between the early 1990s and early 2000s following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

During the Holocaust, approximately six million Jews were killed. In France, the Jewish population had decreased by 140,000 individuals between 1939 and 1945. It then increased between the end of World War II and the 1970s, reaching 530,000 individuals in 1970. However, according to the source, the number of Jews in France has declined by more than 15 percent between that period and 2020, and is now estimated to be 442,000.

In 2024, more than 24,500 people migrated from Europe to Israel. It was the continent with the highest number of individuals immigrating to Israel, followed by America and Oceania with over 4,300 people. In contrast, 363 immigrants in Israel arrived from the African continent. As of 2023, the Russian Federation was the country of origin for the majority of immigrants to Israel.

Israel's total fertility rate has remained relatively stable over the past decade, with a slight decrease to 2.85 births per woman in 2023. This high fertility rate, coupled with an increasing life expectancy, contributes to Israel's unique demographic situation among developed nations. The country's population growth is expected to continue, driven by these factors and a birth rate that outpaces the death rate. Diverse population and immigration impact Israel's demographic landscape is shaped by its diverse population and history of immigration. As of the end of 2024, the number of permanent residents in the country reached some 9.8 million. Of them, some 80 percent were Jews and 20 percent Arabs. In the decade following the fall of the Soviet Union, about one million Jewish immigrants arrived in the country. This wave of immigration has contributed to the country's cultural diversity and economic high-tech boom. Economic growth and declining unemployment As Israel's population continues to expand, its economy is also projected to grow. Gross domestic product (GDP) is forecast to increase by over a quarter between 2024 and 2029. Simultaneously, the unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest level in recent years, hitting 3.39 percent in 2023. This combination of population growth, economic expansion, and low unemployment suggests a robust economic outlook.

Since the terrorist organization Hamas launched its attacks on Israeli soil on October 7, 2023, around 1,200 Israelis died, and 5,431 were injured. Through retaliation attacks by the Israeli armed forces against Hamas in Gaza, 47,540 Palestinians were killed, and 111,618 were injured. As of January 2025, the number of Palestinian deaths in the West Bank was 1,004, due to the on going conflict. Information on the data situation Data on the number of fatalities and injuries are based on the UNOCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) reporting by both parties to the conflict. The respective data sources were named for the purpose of transparency. It must be stated that in the case of wars and other conflicts, objective data collection is almost impossible, and reports are based on estimates. At the same time, it needs to be noted that some parties to the conflict may use numbers and data selectively for their own agenda. Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7th, 2023 Before October 2023, there had been four wars between Israel and Hamas. The current conflict is already the deadliest, and the death toll is certain to rise. The new escalation of violence in the Middle East started after the militant Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel in the early hours of October 7, 2023. An estimated 2,200 rockets were fired by Hamas from Gaza toward Israeli targets, hitting civilian buildings and military facilities. Hamas fighters entered the Israeli territory, killing around 1,200 of Israeli citizens. In the weeks that followed, the Israeli military conducted an aerial bombardment and launched a ground offensive in Gaza. Humanitarian pauses allowed aid to get into Gaza, but fighting has continued since a weeklong cease-fire ended on December 1, 2023. Operation Iron Swords and the humanitarian situation of Gaza Initially, Israel reacted to the Hamas attacks with further isolation of the Gaza Strip, cutting off the supply of electricity, fuel, and drinking water. As of November 6, 2023, water supply to parts of the Gaza Strip has been resumed. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) summoned the Palestinians to evacuate the northern part of the Gaza Strip towards the south of Gaza in the direction of the Egyptian border. This affects around 1.93 million people out of the 2.06 million inhabitants of Gaza. According to the UN, over one million people are internally displaced inside the Gaza Strip. Some trucks with relief supplies could infrequently enter the territory via the Rafah border from Egypt. This Israeli military operation is one of the longest-lasting in Gaza, and over 6,000 bombs were already dropped by the IDF.

As of January 14, 2025, the UN estimated that around 1.9 million refugees are currently sheltered in school buildings operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Around 90 percent of Gaza's total population has been displaced due to the ongoing conflict. This was caused by attacks of radical Islamic Hamas' attacks on Israeli territory and the consequent counterstrikes of the Israeli military. Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023 The radical Islamic Palestinian terror organization Hamas attacked Israel in the early hours of October 7, 2023, on Sabbath - the Jewish day of rest. This strategic attack from Gaza was directed towards Israeli civilians and armed forces. An estimated 2,200 rockets were fired by Hamas from Gaza toward Israeli targets, hitting civilian buildings and military facilities. Hamas fighters entered the Israeli territory, killing around 1,200 of Israeli citizens. In the weeks that followed, the Israeli military conducted an aerial bombardment and launched a ground offensive in Gaza. Humanitarian pauses allowed aid to get into Gaza, but fighting has continued since a weeklong cease-fire ended on December 1, 2023. The attacks resulted in a massive escalation of the Middle Eastern conflict, which pushed a political solution further away. The number of civilian casualties in Gaza and Israel is rising each day the conflict continues. Humanitarian situation in Gaza Following Hamas' attacks on Israel, the Israeli military responded with airstrikes against positions of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and cut the region's supply. The Israeli military warned parts of Gaza about their air strikes and urged the population to leave their houses and seek refuge in the centers. Israel isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world and stopped the supply of electricity, food, and fuel. On October 13, 2023, Israel prompted the Palestinian population of Gaza to vacate the region of northern Gaza. Around one million of the 2.06 million Gazans dwelled in northern Gaza in high density. About half of the Gazan population is underaged. Since the terrorist organization Hamas launched its attacks on Israeli soil on October 7, 2023, around 1,200 Israelis have died, and 5,431 have been injured. Through retaliation attacks by the Israeli armed forces against Hamas in Gaza, over 47 thousand Palestinians have died, and around 99 thousand have been injured. There were 1,004 confirmed Palestinians killed in the Westbank through the ongoing conflict. Hamas's attack on Israel was the deadliest so far.

Im Jahr 2023 gab es weltweit rund 16,8 Millionen Juden. Davon lebten die meisten Juden in Israel und in den USA. Die jüdische Bevölkerung wird immer größer Weltweit gibt es immer mehr Juden. Seit Ende des Zweiten Weltkrieges ist die Anzahl der Juden von elf Millionen auf 16,8 Millionen im Jahr 2023 angestiegen. Vor allem in den USA und in Israel ist die jüdische Bevölkerung am wachsen. In Israel wird generell seit Jahren ein positives Bevölkerungswachstum verzeichnet. Das liegt hauptsächlich an der hohen Fertilitätsrate. In Deutschland sind die Mitgliederzahlen in den jüdischen Gemeinden hingegen am sinken. Holocaust und Antisemitismus Die Nationalsozialisten begingen während ihrer Herrschaftszeit von 1933 bis 1945 einen Völkermord an mehreren Millionen Menschen, darunter sechs Millionen Juden. Die durch staatlichen Antisemitismus vorangetriebene NS-Ideologie sah die Vernichtungen von allem "unwerten Leben" vor, ihr erklärtes Ziel war die vollkommene Auslöschung des jüdischen Volkes und anderer Minderheiten. Auch heute noch sind antisemitische Einstellungen und Vorurteile in Deutschland in Teilen der Gesellschaft vertreten. Angesichts des Terrorangriffs der Hamas auf Israel Anfang Oktober 2023 häufen sich antisemitische Vorfälle auch in Deutschland.