Demographic Shifts in Israeli-Occupied Territories: A Concerning Decline in Fertility Rates Among Jewish Women
Watan-The Israeli newspaper, The Times of Israel, has warned of what it called a slowdown in population growth within Israeli-occupied territories and a decline in the fertility rates of Jewish women, contrasting with the increasing number of settlers from non-Jewish communities. The newspaper pointed to what it described as a “demographic change” within the occupied Palestinian territories.
The report highlighted the continued decline in birth rates among all religious groups, citing a study by the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies based in occupied Jerusalem.
The study indicated that the population of the occupied territories reached 9.84 million by the end of 2023, with a 1.86% increase over the year, but the growth rate fell below the average of the past decade.
Decline in Fertility Rates Among Jewish Women
Despite a record decrease in death rates until the end of September, and migration being higher than the natural rate, the average fertility rate for Jews between 2018 and 2022 decreased from 3.17 to 3.03 children per woman.
The newspaper expressed concern over the study’s findings, which indicated a 3.6% decline in the fertility rate among Jewish women in the first nine months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.
The Times of Israel claimed that the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 led to an increase in immigration to Israel, which had represented about 20% of the annual population growth in the occupied Palestinian territories during the previous decade.
Decline in Fertility Rates Among Jewish Women
According to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, this influx led to an increase in the population of groups categorized as “not classified by religion,” mainly consisting of immigrants from the former Soviet Union whom the religious authorities in the country did not recognize as Jews.
The Israeli newspaper claimed that these groups are increasingly contributing to demographic changes in Israel. They constituted about 3% of annual growth in Israel, rising to 6% by 2012, 8% by 2015, 13% by 2019, and nearly 20% by 2023. This group has the highest employment rate and contributes to longer working hours compared to any other group in Israel, even surpassing those of the Jewish population.
