General demographics
Population, age, geographic spread — a verified snapshot of the Ethiopian-Israeli community as of end-2024.
Total Ethiopian-origin population
177,600177,600 people of Ethiopian origin live in Israel as of end-2024 — up from 171,600 at end-2023 (an annual growth rate of about 3.5%). Of these, 93,400 (~53%) were born in Ethiopia and 84,200 (~47%) were born in Israel to a father born in Ethiopia.
Source: הלמ"ס — "האוכלוסייה ממוצא אתיופי בישראל, לקט נתונים לרגל חג הסיגד 2025" (הודעה 367/2025, 16.11.2025) · 2024
Children aged 0-14
26.2%26.2% of the Ethiopian-origin population are children aged 0-14 — close to the share in the general Jewish-and-others population (26.7%).
Source: הלמ"ס, לקט נתונים לרגל חג הסיגד 2025 (367/2025) · 2024
Aged 65 and over
7.0%Only 7.0% of the Ethiopian-origin population is aged 65+, versus 15.0% in the general Jewish-and-others population — a significantly younger population.
Source: הלמ"ס, לקט נתונים לרגל חג הסיגד 2025 (367/2025) · 2024
Geographic concentration — leading district
37.2%37.2% of the community lives in the Central District, 27.4% in the Southern District — together about 65% across just two districts. Full breakdown in the chart below.
Source: הלמ"ס, לקט נתונים לרגל חג הסיגד 2025 (367/2025) · 2024
Municipality with the most residents
Netanya — 13,300Netanya leads in absolute number of Ethiopian-origin residents — 13,300 people, about 5.6% of the city's population.
Source: הלמ"ס, לקט נתונים לרגל חג הסיגד 2025 (367/2025) · 2024
Municipality with the highest share
Kiryat Malachi — 13.8%Kiryat Malachi leads in relative share of the local population — 13.8% of the city's total population (3,900 people) is of Ethiopian origin.
Source: הלמ"ס, לקט נתונים לרגל חג הסיגד 2025 (367/2025) · 2024
New immigrants from Ethiopia
285285 new immigrants arrived from Ethiopia in 2024 — a sharp decline from 1,812 in 2023 and 1,680 in 2022.
Source: הלמ"ס, לקט נתונים לרגל חג הסיגד 2025 (367/2025) · 2024
Births and fertility rate
4,010 births · TFR 2.544,010 live births to Ethiopian-origin women in 2024; a total fertility rate (TFR) of 2.54 children per woman.
Source: הלמ"ס, לקט נתונים לרגל חג הסיגד 2025 (367/2025) · 2024
Average household size
3.70Average household size in the community: 3.70 people, versus 2.99 in the general Jewish-and-others population.
Source: הלמ"ס, לקט נתונים לרגל חג הסיגד 2025 — אינפוגרפיקה · 2024
Geographic distribution by district
- Central District37.2%
- Southern District27.4%
- Haifa District13.8%
- Jerusalem District6.6%
- Northern District6.5%
- Tel Aviv District6.4%
- Judea and Samaria Area2.1%
Context and interpretation
Snapshot
The Ethiopian-origin population in Israel is relatively young compared to the general Jewish population, with a pronounced geographic concentration in the Central and Southern districts. As of end-2024 the population stood at 177,600 — up about 3.5% from end-2023 (171,600).
Data source and update cadence
CBS publishes an official "data digest" every year ahead of the Sigd holiday (November), covering demographics, education, sports, welfare, and crime — the most current and reliable source for community data, refreshed annually. This page is based on the latest publication (367/2025, end-2024 data) and will be updated every November when the new report is released.
Key points
- Young population: only 7.0% of the community is aged 65+ (vs 15.0% in the general population) — a result of relatively high fertility and aliyah concentrated mostly in recent decades.
- Geographic concentration: about 65% of the community lives in just the Central and Southern districts. Netanya has the highest absolute number of residents (13,300); Kiryat Malachi has the highest relative share (13.8%).
- Sharply declining aliyah rate: 285 new immigrants in 2024, down from 1,812 in 2023 — reflecting changes in absorption policy and the size of the waiting pool of aliyah candidates.
Figures are updated yearly from official publications. If you spot an inaccuracy or want to suggest a source — get in touch.
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