Facts about Israel

Facts about Israel

1. Lowest point: At -418 meters, the Dead Sea coastline is the lowest point of dry land in the world. The Dead Sea also contains about 31.5% of salt, which is about 9 times as much as the Mediterranean Sea. The extreme salt content means that almost no life can survive in the sea. Hence the name ‘Dead Sea’

2. Kosher: The glue on Israel’s stamps is kosher. The burgers at McDonald’s in Israel are also kosher (kosher is a ritual form of slaughter used only by Jews)

3. Tzedakah: At some bus stops in Israel, there is a small box for collecting charity (tzedakah). However, it should be noted that tzedakah is more of an obligation, whereas charity in the traditional sense is something you give generously out of spontaneous kindness

4. Silicon Wadi: With more than 3000 high-tech companies and start-ups, Israel has the second highest concentration of high-tech companies in the world. The highest concentration is in the Silicon Wadi area, surpassed only by California’s Silicon Valley

5. The Negev Desert: The Negev Desert covers over half of Israel and is located in the southern part of the country. Although the desert generally doesn’t grow many plants, vegetation such as acacia and pistachio trees, as well as other smaller vegetation

Facts: The Wailing Wall in Israel
Attribution: askii + david55king – Flickr.com

Fact: The Wailing Wall in East Jerusalem, Israel, is the holiest site in Judaism

 

6. Sea and lake: Israel has access to the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea (Gulf of Aqaba), the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. About half of Israel’s drinking water comes from Lake Genesaret

7. Braille: Israeli banknotes (Shekel) feature Braille (Braille alphabet), making it easier for blind and visually impaired people to handle money

8. Military service: Military service is mandatory for all citizens over the age of 18 in Israel. However, Arabs are exempt, and can be exempted for religious, physical or psychological reasons. Yeshiva students (who study Torah and Talmud) have the right to postpone conscription indefinitely due to their studies and in practice, many of them never join the military. In addition, there are also a number of conscientious objectors

9. The formation of Israel: Israel’s raison d’être is found partly in the Bible’s descriptions of the land of Israel, but also in the history of the Jews as a persecuted people. After World War I, the so-called Palestine Mandate (an area consisting of present-day Jordan and Israel) was approved by the League of Nations to establish a “national home for the Jewish people”. In 1947, the UN approved a division of the Mandate into 2 states: one Arab and one Jewish

10. Israel in the present: The then head of the World Zionist Organization, David Ben-Gurion, declared the state of Israel independent on May 14, 1948. The following day, Arab countries launched a war of independence (the 1948 Arab-Israeli War), which Israel won. However, the war led to an expansion of Israel’s borders, which was not part of the original 1947 UN partition plan. Since then, the situation in Israel has generally been characterized by unrest and also several wars

Fact: Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are the 2 largest cities in Israel
Attribution: calebjenkins + rictulio + gribbly + David Berkowitz – Flickr.com

The two largest cities in Israel are the capital Jerusalem with 815,600 inhabitants (top) and Tel Aviv with 403,700 inhabitants (bottom)

Geographic facts

  • Location: Middle East. Between Egypt and Lebanon with a Mediterranean coastline
  • Country borders: Egypt (266 km), Gaza Strip (51 km), Jordan (238 km), Lebanon (79 km), Syria (76 km) and West Bank (307 km)
  • Coastline: 273 km
  • Climate: Temperate. Hot and dry in the southern and eastern desert areas
  • Landscape: The Negev Desert in the south, mountains in the center of the country and low-lying coastal plains facing the Mediterranean Sea
  • Lowest point: -408 m (Dead Sea)
  • Highest point: 1,208 m (Har Meron)
  • Natural resources: Timber, iron ore, natural gas, phosphorite, clay and sand
  • Largest city: Jerusalem
  • Capital city: Jerusalem
  • Total area (square kilometers): n/a
  • Land areas (km2): n/a
  • Urban areas (km2): n/a
  • Agricultural land (km2): n/a
  • Agricultural area (% of total area): n/a
  • Forest area (% of land area): n/a
  • Plant species (higher), endangered: n/a
  • CO2 emissions (metric tons per capita): n/a

Demographic facts

Population

  • Population density (people per km2 total area): 433,06 (2021)
  • Population of largest city: 4.420.855,00 (2023)
  • Population growth (annual %): 2,06 (2023)
  • Population, total: 9.756.600,00 (2023)
  • Population growth in urban areas (annual %): 2,16 (2023)
  • Population in urban areas (% of total population): 88,31 (2023)
  • Population in rural areas (% of total population): 7,15 (2023)
  • Population growth in rural areas (annual %): 0,80 (2023)
  • Etniske grupper: 78.1% Jews (place of birth: 73.6% Israel, 17.9% Europe/USA, 5.2% Africa, 3.2% Asia) and 24.9% non-Jews (mainly Arabs)
  • Sprog: Hebrew (the official language), Arabic (used officially for the Arab minority), English (the most common foreign language)
  • Religioner: 75.1% Jewish, 17.4% Muslim, 2% Christian, 1.6% Druze, 3.9% other
  • Net immigration: 9.999,00 (2023)

Birth and death rates

  • Fertility rate, total (births per woman): 2,89 (2022)
  • Birth rate, gross (per 1,000 inhabitants): 19,00 (2022)
  • Teenage mothers (% of women aged 15-19 who have had children or are pregnant): 2,84 (2020)
  • Death rate, gross (per 1,000 people): 5,40 (2022)
  • Life expectancy at birth, women (years): 84,80 (2022)
  • Life expectancy at birth, men (years): 80,70 (2022)
  • Life expectancy at birth, all (years): 82,70 (2022)
  • Mortality caused by traffic accidents (per 100,000 inhabitants): 3,90 (2019)
  • Mortality, women (per 1,000 adult women): 39,64 (2016)
  • Mortality, male (per 1,000 adult males): 70,87 (2016)
  • Suicide rate, women (per 100,000 women): 2,30 (2019)
  • Mortality, infant (per 1,000 live births): 2,70 (2022)

Work, income and education

  • Wage earners, total (% of total labor force): n/a
  • Income share of the highest 10%: 26,60 (2021)
  • Income share of the lowest 10%: 2,00 (2021)
  • Unemployment, total (% of total labor force): 3,37 (2023)
  • Labor force, total: 4.586.645,00 (2023)
  • Workforce with basic education (% of the workforce): 29,71 (2023)
  • Labor force with medium education (% of labor force): 68,66 (2023)
  • Number of poor cf. national poverty limits (% of the population): n/a
  • Proportion of the population with moderate or severe food insecurity (%): 13,20 (2021)
  • School enrolments, primary school (gross %): 96,31 (2022)
  • Youth unemployment, all young people (% of total labor force aged 15 - 24): 92,85 (2023)
  • Young people not in education, employment or training, total (% of all young people): 14,94 (2023)
  • Literacy/literacy, total adults (% of population over 15): 92,00 (1983)

    Spending

  • Household (and NPIS) consumption expenditure (US$): 240.108.694.128,24 (2023)
  • Electricity consumption (kWh per inhabitant): 6.600,90 (2014)
  • Inhabitants using the Internet (% of the population): 91,85 (2022)
  • Mobile subscriptions (per 100 people): 152,22 (2022)
  • Number of smokers, total (over 15 years): 21,20 (2020)
  • Alcohol consumption per capita (litres of pure alcohol, expected estimates, +15 years): 5,92 (2023)

Business and tourism

  • Employers, total (% of total labor force): 3,73 (2023)
  • New companies (number of registrations): 16.898,00 (2020)
  • New businesses (new registrations per 1,000 inhabitants aged 15 - 64): 3,06 (2020)
  • Listed companies, total: 518,00 (2022)
  • Business conditions (0 = lowest grade to 100 = highest grade): 1.720,00 (2021)
  • International tourism, number of arrivals: 4.905.000,00 (2019)
  • International tourism, number of departures: 9.179.000,00 (2019)
  • Railway lines (total route kilometers): 1.720,00 (2021)
  • Railways, number of passengers transported (million passenger-kilometres): 1.956,00 (2021)

Health

  • Hospital beds (per 1,000 inhabitants): 3,06 (2021)
  • Suicide rate, men (per 100,000 men): 8,40 (2019)
  • Nurses and midwives (per 1,000 inhabitants): 5,86 (2022)
  • Doctors (per 1,000 inhabitants): 3,71 (2022)
  • Prevalence of HIV, total (% of population aged 15 - 49): 118,75 (2023)

Facts Israel's economy

GDP and GNI

  • BNP (US$): 0,44 (2022)
  • GDP growth (annual %): 76,68 (2019)
  • GDP per capita (US$): 513.611.100.815,69 (2023)
  • GDP, KPP (US$): 2,42 (2023)
  • BNI (US$): 52.642,43 (2023)
  • GNI growth (annual %): 528.107.993.572,78 (2023)
  • Gross savings (% of GDP): 506.703.670.405,96 (2023)

Inflation, interest rates and consumer prices

  • Deposit rate (%): 13,19 (2021)
  • Lending rate (%): 4,23 (2023)
  • Inflation, consumer prices (annual %): 18,89 (2022)
  • Consumer Price Index (2010 = 100): 118,75 (2023)

Trade and production

  • Trade (% of GDP): 389,45 (1996)
  • Vareeksport (US$): 11,48 (2022)
  • Vareimport (US$): 60.274.207.928,34 (2022)
  • Food exports (% of merchandise exports): 3,93 (2023)
  • Food imports (% of goods imports): 10,12 (2023)
  • Food Production Index (2004 - 2006 = 100): 105,48 (2022)
  • Index of animal production (2004 - 2006 = 100): 5,80 (2019)

Industry

  • Industry (including construction), value added (% of GDP): 7,23 (2022)
  • Industry (including construction), value added (US$): 30,42 (2023)
  • Industry, value added (% of GDP): 2,96 (2022)
  • Industry, value added (US$): 109,45 (2022)

Military

  • Armed forces, total: 178.000,00 (2020)
  • Military expenditure (% of GDP): 66.893.000.000,00 (2023)
  • Military Expenditure (US$): 91.284.000.000,00 (2023)

Others

  • Current health expenditure (% of GDP): 13,19 (2021)
  • Labor tax and contribution (% of company profit): 99.183.778.603,61 (2022)
  • Development Assistance (ODA) received per capita (US$): 5,32 (2023)
  • Social contributions (% of income): 27.498.527.856,85 (2023)