Jerusalem - Facts and Trends 2015

Jerusalem at a Glance: 2015

Population

In 2013 the population of Jerusalem numbered 829,900 residents, of whom 522,200 (63%) were Jewish and other (non-Arab), and 307,600 (37%) were Arab. In areas added to the city after 1967 there were 507,500 residents, of whom 201,900 were Jewish, constituting 40% of all the residents of those areas and 39% of the city’s total Jewish population. A total of 305,500 Arabs resided in these areas, constituting 60% of all the residents in those areas and 99% of Jerusalem’s Arab population. During the course of 2013, Jerusalem’s population increased by 1.8% (14,600 persons). The Jewish population grew by 1.4% (7,100 persons), and the Arab population by 2.5% (7,500 persons). These data indicate that the Arab population growth is greater than the Jewish population growth, both relatively and in absolute numbers.

Education

The education system in Jerusalem is the largest, most diverse, and most complex in Israel. During the 2014/2015 academic year a total of 274,600 students were enrolled in Jerusalem schools. Of these, 63,300 students were enrolled in the Hebrew educational system through the Jerusalem Education Administration, which includes state schools, state-religious schools, and state-ultra-orthodox schools. 100,700 students were enrolled in ultra-orthodox schools.

Employment 

The rate of participation in the labor force in 2013 for the peak working ages (25-54) in Jerusalem was 68% – considerably lower than the rate in Israel (82%), in Tel Aviv (89%), and in Haifa (87%). Interestingly, the rate of participation in the labor force for Jewish women of peak working ages (82%) was higher than the rate for men (72%). By contrast, in Israel the rate of participation for Jewish women (87%) is comparable to the rate for Jewish men (88%).

Tourism

The unique cultural and religious character of Jerusalem; its status as the capital of Israel, the center of Jewish life, and a holy city for the three monotheistic religions; and its wealth of religious, historical, and archeological sites as well as cultural centers – these factors combine to make it a powerful magnet city for visitors from all over Israel and the world. Jerusalem is a global tourist destination, and in 2014 it recorded 2,982,000 overnight hotel stays by tourists, constituting 32% of the total overnight hotel stays by tourists in Israel.