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.

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.

The Holocaust was the systematic extermination of Europe's Jewish population in the Second World War, during which time, up to six million Jews were murdered as part of Nazi Germany's "Final Solution to the Jewish Question". In the context of the Second World War, the term "Holocaust" is traditionally used to reference the genocide of Europe's Jews, although this coincided with the Nazi regime's genocide and ethnic cleansing of an additional eleven million people deemed "undesirable" due to their ethnicity, beliefs, disability or sexuality (among others). During the Holocaust, Poland's Jewish population suffered the largest number of fatalities, with approximately three million deaths. Additionally, at least one million Jews were murdered in the Soviet Union, while Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Yugoslavia also lost the majority of their respective pre-war Jewish populations. The Holocaust in Poland In the interwar period, Europe's Jewish population was concentrated in the east, with roughly one third living in Poland; this can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when thousands of Jews flocked to Eastern Europe to escape persecution. At the outbreak of the Second World War, it is estimated that there were 3.4 million Jews living in Poland, which was approximately ten percent of the total population. Following the German invasion of Poland, Nazi authorities then segregated Jews in ghettos across most large towns and cities, and expanded their network of concentration camps throughout the country. In the ghettos, civilians were deprived of food, and hundreds of thousands died due to disease and starvation; while prison labor was implemented under extreme conditions in concentration camps to fuel the German war effort. In Poland, six extermination camps were also operational between December 1941 and January 1945, which saw the mass extermination of approximately 2.7 million people over the next three years (including many non-Poles, imported from other regions of Europe). While concentration camps housed prisoners of all backgrounds, extermination camps were purpose-built for the elimination of the Jewish race, and over 90% of their victims were Jewish. The majority of the victims in these extermination camps were executed by poison gas, although disease, starvation and overworking were also common causes of death. In addition to the camps and ghettos, SS death squads (Einsatzgruppen) and local collaborators also committed widespread atrocities across Eastern Europe. While the majority of these atrocities took place in the Balkan, Baltic and Soviet regions, they were still prevalent in Poland (particularly during the liquidation of the ghettos), and the Einsatzgruppen alone are estimated to have killed up to 1.3 million Jews throughout the Holocaust. By early 1945, Soviet forces had largely expelled the German armies from Poland and liberated the concentration and extermination camps; by this time, Poland had lost roughly ninety percent of its pre-war Jewish population, and suffered approximately three million further civilian and military deaths. By 1991, Poland's Jewish population was estimated to be just 15 thousand people, while there were fewer than two thousand Jews recorded as living in Poland in 2018.

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.

This statistic shows the top 25 countries in the world with the largest number of Jewish population in 2010. In 2010, there were living about 5.7 million Jews in the United States.

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.

In the Middle Ages, it is believed the largest Jewish populations in the world were found in Asia, particularly across the Middle East. Of the estimated total Jewish population of 1.2 million people, over 80 percent are thought to have lived in Asia, while 13 percent lived in Europe, and the remaining six precent lived in (North) Africa. The largest populations were found on the Arabian peninsula, as well as Iran and Iraq, while the Near East (here referring to the Levant region) had a much smaller population, despite being the spiritual homeland of the Jewish people.

These figures are based on the records of Benjamin of Tudela, a Jewish traveller from the Middle Ages who provided one of the most comprehensive collections of population statistics from the period. Benjamin's writings not only recorded the number of Jews living across this part of the world, but also gave an insight into societal structures and the ordinary daily lives within Jewish communities in the medieval period. The source providing these figures, however, has adjusted some of the statistics to account for known populations that were missing from Benjamin of Tudela's records, especially in Europe and Asia.

Despite intensive study, most of the specific genetic factors that contribute to variation in human height remain undiscovered. We conducted a family-based linkage study of height in a unique cohort of very large nuclear families from a founder (Jewish) population. This design allowed for increased power to detect linkage, compared to previous family-based studies. Loci we identified in discovery families could explain an estimated lower bound of 6% of the variance in height in validation families. We showed that these loci are not tagging known common variants associated with height. Rather, we suggest that the observed signals arise from variants with large effects that are rare globally but elevated in frequency in the Jewish population.

Throughout history, the displacement and migration of Jewish populations has been a repeating theme. In ancient times, the worlds Jewish population was concentrated in the Middle East, especially around Judaism's spiritual homeland in present-day Israel. However, the population distribution of the world's Jewry began to shift in the Middle Ages, with an increasing share living in Europe. Initially, Western Europe (particularly France, Italy, and Spain) had the largest Jewish populations, before they then migrated eastward in later centuries. Between the 18th and mid-20th centuries, over half of the worl'd Jews lived in Europe, with over 80 percent of these living in Eastern Europe.

Poland had become a refuge for Jews fleeing persecution in the Middle Ages, although shifting borders and foreign influence meant that long-term security was never fully attained, and a series of pogroms in the Russian Empire in the 1800s, and rising anti-Semitism in Central Europe in the early-1900s contributred to waves of migration to the United States and Israel during this time. After the Holocaust saw the genocide of up to six million Jews (over one third of the world's Jewish population), the share of Jews living in Europe dropped drastically, and emmigration outside of Europe increased. Today, the United States has the world's largest Jewish population in the world at around 7.3 million people, just ahead of Israel with 7.1 million.

Abstract

IPUMS-International is an effort to inventory, preserve, harmonize, and disseminate census microdata from around the world. The project has collected the world's largest archive of publicly available census samples. The data are coded and documented consistently across countries and over time to facillitate comparative research. IPUMS-International makes these data available to qualified researchers free of charge through a web dissemination system.

The IPUMS project is a collaboration of the Minnesota Population Center, National Statistical Offices, and international data archives. Major funding is provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Additional support is provided by the University of Minnesota Office of the Vice President for Research, the Minnesota Population Center, and Sun Microsystems.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

Household

UNITS IDENTIFIED: - Dwellings: Not available in microdata sample - Vacant units: Not available in microdata sample - Households: Yes - Individuals: Yes - Group quarters: Includes but not identified - Special populations: No special populations

UNIT DESCRIPTIONS: - Households: A group of persons living together in the same dwelling who prepare most of their meals together. Generally, this term is identical with members of a family who live in the same dwelling. A person living alone is considered to be a household. - Group quarters: An administrative unit that provides dormitory facilities and usually food services to at least five individuals.

Universe

Permanent residents of Israel, including those who were abroad on the census date but had been absent from Israel no longer than one year continuously. Jewish persons living in Jewish localities in administered territories.

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data [cen]

Sampling procedure

MICRODATA SOURCE: Central Bureau of Statistics - Israel

SAMPLE DESIGN: Systematic sample of every 5th household after a random start. 1-in-2 sample drawn from that by MPC.

SAMPLE UNIT: Household

SAMPLE FRACTION: 10%

SAMPLE SIZE (person records): 315,608

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The census was conducted in two stages and for each one there a separate enumeration form. In the first stage (A), the entire population was enumerated. The stage A questionnaire was designed to cover all households and every member in the houusehold.

In 2020, Mexico had a Jew population of 58,876 people. More than a third of that population lived in Mexico State by that time. Mexico City had almost 18,000 Jewish people in this same year.

The Freikorps Grün Loudon started as a German mercenary formation raised in spring 1790 to provide the Habsburg army with a light infantry force against the short-lived Brabant Republic. The Freikorps continued to serve during the First Coalition War against Revolutionary France (1792-97). As the conflict dragged on, the Rhineland, which served as its primary recruitment area was occupied by the enemy. As a result, the Freikorps shifted its main recruitment efforts to the Habsburg province of Galicia where a large Jewish population lived. The first Jews volunteers were enlisted in spring 1796. Within a year, Jewish soldiers comprised more than one per cent of the unit's strength. This proportion was kept until the Freikorps was disbanded in summer 1798. With a total number of 27 individual entries, this dataset covers every single Jewish soldier who served in the unit. In addition to basic bibliographical information, the dataset includes reconstructions of complete service itineraries. Some of these are so detailed that the whereabouts and doings of individual soldiers could be traced month after months. After Freikorps Grün Loudon was disbanded, 22 surviving Jewish veterans were transferred to the 3rd and 4th Light Infantry Battalions. Their subsequent service and eventual fates are covered as well. In the dataset includes partial information about three spouses and two children, whose their existence can be discerned from soldiers' personal records. In terms of their service experiences, the Jewish members of the Freikorps Grün Loudon did not differ much from other mercenary soldiers of that period. As implied by their name, Freikorps units did not form part of the standing army. Manned by foreign renegades and local volunteers, their soldiers were considered more expandable, and Freikorps used to suffer high combat losses. Tactically, Freikorps were often divided into small raiding detachments, which meant their soldiers often remained outside of the direct supervision of their officers. This resulted in high desertion rates. At the same time, the Freikorps also had a committed core of highly-dedicated professional soldiers. Among the veterans of the Freikorps Grün Loudon was Samuel Prager – one of the first documented Jewish soldiers in modern history to rise to the rank of Company Sergeant Major. For more information on the Freikorps Grün Loudon, see: Alfons von Wrede, Geschichte der k. und k. Wehrmacht, 5 Vols., (Vienna: Seidel, 1898–1905), Vol. 2, pp. 445-6. For more information how to identify Jewish soldiers in Habsburg military records, see: Ilya Berkovich, 'Nachweis von Konfession und Religion in habsburgischen Militärmatriken', Die Habsburgermonarchie: Fragen, Quellen und Ergebnisee zur Geschichte der Neuzeit (Blog), (10 January 2020).

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Kosher Foods Market Size 2025-2029

The kosher foods market size is forecast to increase by USD 16.5 billion, at a CAGR of 7.2% between 2024 and 2029.

The market is experiencing significant growth due to several key factors. The rise in Jewish and Muslim populations worldwide is driving demand for kosher-certified food products. Additionally, the increasing popularity of private labels and ethical labels is attracting consumers seeking transparency and authenticity. Meat substitutes, such as tofu and meat alternatives, are gaining traction as consumers look for more sustainable and ethical food options. Seafood, another major category in the market, is benefiting from the growing trend of consumers preferring healthier food choices. Furthermore, the demand for gluten-free food and energy drinks with kosher certification is on the rise. Intense competition from halal foods, however, poses a challenge to the market growth. Overall, the market is expected to witness steady growth in the coming years, with a focus on innovation, sustainability, and consumer preferences.

What will be the Size of the Kosher Foods Market During the Forecast Period?

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The market encompasses a diverse range of food products adhering to Jewish dietary regulations. This market caters to consumers seeking healthier options, with a growing emphasis on allergen-free food and ethical sourcing. The demand for vegan kosher foods is also on the rise, aligning with broader trends in plant-based diets. Kosher foods are produced under strict supervision, ensuring the separation of milk and animal products. Hypermarkets, grocery stores, online platforms, and specialty stores serve as key distribution channels for this market. Major product categories include seafood, meat, dairy products, beverages, dietary supplements, and a wide array of packaged goods such as pasta, bread, cereals, juices, frozen meals, and packaged snacks. Buckwheat and other alternative grains have gained popularity due to their inclusion in kosher diets. Overall, the market exhibits strong growth, driven by increasing consumer awareness and adherence to dietary preferences and ethical considerations.

How is this Kosher Foods Industry segmented and which is the largest segment?

The kosher foods industry research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD billion' for the period 2025-2029, as well as historical data from 2019-2023 for the following segments.

Product

  Kosher pareve
  Kosher meat
  Kosher dairy


Distribution Channel

  Supermarkets and hypermarkets
  Grocery stores
  Online stores


End-user

  Household consumers
  Food service industry
  Food processing industry


Geography

  North America

    Canada
    US


  Europe

    Germany
    UK
    France
    Italy


  Middle East and Africa



  South America

    Brazil


  APAC

By Product Insights

The kosher pareve segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period.

The kosher pareve market encompasses a range of food products that adhere to Jewish dietary regulations, excluding meat and dairy. These neutral foods, which can be consumed with meat and dairy, include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, tofu, plant proteins, confectionery products, beverages, and dietary supplements. Strict adherence to kosher standards mandates careful inspection of fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts for bugs, insects, or larvae. Eggs, too, must be free of blood spots to be considered kosher. Pareve products cater to various consumer groups, such as health-conscious individuals, vegetarians, and those with celiac disorders or lactose intolerance. This segment also includes snacks, savory dishes, bakery items, and culinary products. The pareve market serves both the Jewish and non-Jewish communities, with offerings available at grocery stores, hypermarkets, and online platforms. Examples of pareve foods are buckwheat, seafood, lamb, pulses, juices, frozen meals, packaged snacks, and baked goods.

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The kosher pareve segment was valued at USD 13.80 billion in 2019 and showed a gradual increase during the forecast period.

Regional Analysis

North America is estimated to contribute 39% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period.

Technavio's analysts have elaborately explained the regional trends and drivers that shape the market during the forecast period.

For more insights on the market share of various regions, Request Free Sample

The North American market holds the largest share in the global consumption of kosher foods, with the US and Canada being the key contributors. While the Jewish community is the primary consumer base, the Muslim population in the US also favors ko

How do historical legacies shape contemporary political outcomes? The article proposes a novel attitudinal mechanism through which distant interethnic competition can influence political preferences in the present. It theorizes that historically conditioned predispositions at the local level can moderate the effects of national-level framing of a policy issue. Using Poland as a test case, I show that subnational variation in support for EU accession was influenced by populist claims about the increase in Jewish influence in the post-accession period. Anti-Semitic cues resonated with voters in areas with historically large Jewish populations and a contentious interethnic past, where latent anti-Semitism persisted throughout the Communist period. To provide evidence for this argument, the article draws on rich historical and contemporary data at the county, town, and individual level of analysis and utilizes novel research methods.

Background/Aims: Ashkenazi Jews have a 1:40 prevalence of BRCA1/2 mutations. Orthodox Jews are an understudied population with unique cultural and religious factors that may influence BRCA1/2 genetic testing uptake. Methods: Using a mixed-methods approach, we conducted a cross-sectional survey and focus groups among Orthodox Jewish women in New York/New Jersey to explore factors affecting decision-making about BRCA1/2 genetic testing. Results: Among 321 evaluable survey participants, the median age was 47 years (range, 25–82); 56% were Modern Orthodox and 44% Yeshivish/Chassidish/other; 84% were married; 7% had a personal history of breast or ovarian cancer. Nearly 20% of the women had undergone BRCA1/2genetic testing. Predictors of genetic testing uptake included being Modern Orthodox (odds ratio [OR] = 2.31), married (OR = 3.49), and having a personal or family history of breast or ovarian cancer (OR = 9.74). Focus group participants (n = 31) confirmed the importance of rabbinic consultation in medical decision-making and revealed that stigma was a prominent factor in decisions about BRCA1/2 testing due to its potential impact on marriageability. Conclusion: In order to increase the uptake of BRCA1/2 genetic testing among the Orthodox Jewish population, it is crucial to understand religious and cultural factors, such as stigma and effect on marriageability, and engage religious leaders in raising awareness within the community.

Europe's Jewish population in 1939 was around 9.5 million people, and it is estimated that six million of these were ultimately killed by 1945. The persecution of German Jews escalated during the interwar period, particularly after Hitler's ascent to power in 1933, and again after Kristallnacht in 1938. However, the scale of this increased drastically following the German invasions of Poland in 1939 and the USSR in 1941, when Germany annexed regions with some of the largest Jewish populations in Europe. Extermination Camps As part of the "Final Solution to the Jewish Question", the Nazi occupiers established six extermination camps in present-day Poland; these were Auschwitz-Birkenau, Belzec, Chelmno, Majdanek***, Sobibor, and Treblinka. Prisoners, mostly Jews, were transported from all over Europe to these camps. Upon arrival, the majority of victims were sent directly to purpose-built chambers or vans, where they were murdered with carbon monoxide or Zyklon B gas. A relatively small number of prisoners were also forced to dispose of the victims' bodies, which often included their own family members, friends, or persons known to them. Most of the deceased were incinerated, and many of the camp records were destroyed; this means that precise figures for the number of deaths in extermination camps will never be known. It has been estimated that at least 2.7 million Jews were murdered in these six camps; over two thirds of these were killed at Auschwitz or Treblinka. Einsatzgruppen After extermination camps, the most common method of murder was through mass shootings. The majority of these shootings were not carried out by regular soldiers, but specialized task forces known as "Einsatzgruppen". Each group was just a few hundred men each, but they were responsible for some of the largest individual acts of genocide in the war. The largest of these took place at Babi Yar, near Kyiv in 1941, where almost 35,000 victims were beaten, humiliated, and then shot over a two day period. The Einsatzgruppen were most active in the annexed Soviet territories (although additional regiments were active in Poland and the Balkans), and their ranks were often bolstered by local volunteers. It has been estimated that Einsatzgruppen were responsible for the genocide of more than two million people in fewer than six years.

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.

Archaeological evidence of human activity in the area of Ramat Hanadiv is visible mostly around the tuff layers and near sources of water. The two main sites are Ein Tzur and Horvat Aqav (horva meaning ruins in Arabic). The tuff is a nurturing layer into which the wells at Ein Tzur were dug and upon which agricultural plots were situated. Inhabitants of the ancient settlement of Horvat Eleg relied upon the nearby spring to create a system of aqueducts. The following section summarizes the main archaeological sites at Ramat Hanadiv. All excavations between 1984 and 2006 were conducted by the late Prof. Yizhar Hirschfeld, the Park's archaeologist. Horvat Aqav The site includes an agricultural manor, inhabited by the local Jewish population up to the second half of the first century B.C. and deserted, most likely, at the time of the Great Revolt against the Roman Empire (70 A.D.). Beginning in the Byzantine era in the 4th century and continuing until the Arab occupation, the site was re-settled as a country villa. The remains of the villa, including the water system's ruins were preserved and are open to the public. Horvat Eleq This site is situated at a strategic point, at the top of a hill overlooking the cultivated 'Hanadiv' Valley. A water tunnel with a spring flowing through it was found at the foot of the hill. Throughout the 20 seasons of excavations at the site, various findings were revealed, including specimens dating as early as the Bronze era. The most impressive findings are from the early Roman era: a wall, a tower and structures for processing agricultural produce. Some other findings indicate the existence of a settlement at this location during the Iron, Persian and Hellenist eras. During excavations, some ruins of Herodian origin were found. The findings included a large castle from King Herod's time (37-4 B.C.). The castle was abandoned during the Jewish fight against the Romans. Other structures which were part of this impressive site were found on the slope of the hill. The Tumuli Field At the southern part of Ramat Hanadiv, remains of 40 round tumuli were found. The tumuli were used for burial purposes during the period between 3000 B.C. until the beginning of 2000 B.C. At the centre of each tumulus, a sarcophagus made of non-chiselled limestone plates (coffin/tomb) was found. Some of the tombs contained gifts, such as batons, daggers and jewellery.

Repeated measures ANCOVAs (measurement time × political bloc) of all measurements with covariates (age, family income, education level, and level of religiosity).

Israel's population is aging steadily, with the median age projected to rise from ** years in 2020 to ** years by 2050. This demographic shift reflects global trends of increasing life expectancy and declining birth rates, though Israel maintained a relatively young population compared to many developed nations. The country's unique religious and cultural makeup contributed to regional variations in age distribution, presenting both opportunities and challenges for policymakers. Which region has the oldest population? As of 2023, over a ******* of Israelis were under the age of 14 years. The largest age group in the country being ************** and below. Interestingly, significant regional differences existed within the country when it came to age distribution and aging. While the median age in the Jerusalem district was below **, Tel Aviv was the oldest region with an average age of over ** years, highlighting significant demographic variations across different areas. How does religion influence demographics? Religious affiliation played a role in Israel's age structure and demographics. Muslims are the youngest religious group with a median age of ** years, while Christians of Arab ethnicity are the oldest, at ** years. Jews, the largest religious-ethnic group, had a median age of almost ** years, but within the Jewish demographic, age and fertility varied greatly between people based on religiosity. These differences play a significant role in the country's population and future growth patterns.