Family
Marriage, divorce, household size, and single-parenthood — verified family structure in the community.
Ethiopian-origin marriages
740 grooms · 766 brides740 grooms and 766 brides of Ethiopian origin married through recognized religious institutions in Israel in 2023 — 92% for the first time. Marriage/divorce data in the Sigd digest lags about two years behind the general demographics figures.
Source: הלמ"ס, "לקט נתונים לרגל חג הסיגד 2025" (367/2025, 16.11.2025) · 2023
In-community marriage — intergenerational gap
82% (88% vs 74%)82% of Ethiopian-origin newlyweds married a spouse of the same origin — a consistent downward trend since 2015. The intergenerational gap is stark: 88% of Ethiopia-born olim married "in," versus only 74% of Israeli-born (2nd generation) — a significantly stronger "out-marriage" trend in the 2nd generation.
Source: הלמ"ס, "לקט נתונים לרגל חג הסיגד 2025" (367/2025, 16.11.2025) · 2023
Average age at first marriage
30.4 (men) · 28.6 (women)Age at first marriage: 30.4 for men (3.4 years higher than the Jewish average) and 28.6 for women (3.2 years higher). Among 25-29 year-olds, 86% of men and 70% of women in the community are still single, versus 64%/51% in the general population.
Source: הלמ"ס, "לקט נתונים לרגל חג הסיגד 2025" (367/2025, 16.11.2025) · 2023
Divorce rate
14.1 per 1,00014.1 divorces per 1,000 married Ethiopian-origin individuals in 2023 (359 men, 393 women) — versus 8.2 in the general Jewish population, nearly 1.7x.
Source: הלמ"ס, "לקט נתונים לרגל חג הסיגד 2025" (367/2025, 16.11.2025) · 2023
Average household size
3.7046.3 thousand Ethiopian-origin households (2022-2024 average), averaging 3.70 people — versus 2.99 in the general population. 82% of them are family households (versus 74% in the general population).
Source: הלמ"ס, "לקט נתונים לרגל חג הסיגד 2025" (367/2025, 16.11.2025) · 2024
Single-parent family rate
26%26% of Ethiopian-origin families (out of 38.4 thousand families) are single-parent — nearly 2x the rate among Jewish-and-other families (13%). The trend is rising: 24% in 2022/23.
Source: הלמ"ס, "לקט נתונים לרגל חג הסיגד 2025" (367/2025, 16.11.2025) · 2024
Family-type distribution (Ethiopian-origin)
- Couple with children63%
- Single-parent families26%
- Couple without children11%
Source: הלמ"ס, "לקט נתונים לרגל חג הסיגד 2025" (367/2025, 16.11.2025)
Context and interpretation
Snapshot
CBS data shows a consistent picture over the years: age at first marriage is significantly higher among Ethiopian-Israelis than the general Jewish population (about 3 years, for both men and women), the in-community marriage rate is high but has been declining consistently since 2015, the divorce rate is higher (nearly 1.7x), and the single-parent family rate is nearly double the general population's. At the same time, households and families are larger on average, with a higher share of "couple with children" (63% vs 57%) and a lower share of "couple without children" (11% vs 30%) — possibly reflecting the community's relatively young age structure rather than a difference in preferences.
An important timing note
Marriage and divorce figures in this section refer to 2023 — not 2024 like the general demographics figures (TED-20) — because CBS consistently publishes them with a roughly two-year lag. Household and family figures are a three-year average (2022-2024) from the labor-force survey. These different data years should not be conflated on this page.
An intergenerational trend
The starkest gap is between generations: 88% of Ethiopia-born Ethiopian-Israelis married a spouse of the same origin, versus only 74% of the Israeli-born 2nd generation — a sign of gradual integration and intermingling with the general population.
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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