Health
Life expectancy, infant mortality, chronic disease, and mental health — verified health data in the community.
Life expectancy at birth
83.8Life expectancy at birth: 83.8 years for Ethiopian-origin Israelis, versus 83.4 for Jews-and-others and 82.8 for the general population (2020-2022 average). CBS itself notes the difference has only borderline statistical significance, given the small population and wide confidence interval — this should not be presented as "the community lives longer" without that caveat.
Source: מרכז המחקר והמידע של הכנסת, "נתונים על מצב הבריאות של יוצאי אתיופיה" (10.7.2024) · 2022
⚠️ CBS notes only borderline statistical significance (small population, wide confidence interval).
Infant mortality rate
2.2 per 1,0002.2 deaths per 1,000 live births among infants born to a mother born in Ethiopia (or an Israeli-born mother whose father was born in Ethiopia) — lower than the general population rate (2.7) and slightly above Jews-and-others (1.9). 2020-2022 average.
Source: מרכז המחקר והמידע של הכנסת, "נתונים על מצב הבריאות של יוצאי אתיופיה" (10.7.2024) · 2022
Deaths due to intentional self-harm
8.4 per 100,0008.4 deaths per 100,000 Ethiopian-origin residents in 2022, versus 3.7 in the general population — more than double. In 2021 (an outlier year) the gap was even larger: 16.1 versus 4.2. This is the most consistently documented health gap over time (2009-2023) in the community, and warrants careful, non-sensationalist coverage alongside information on available support services.
Source: הלמ"ס, מצוטט ב: מרכז המחקר והמידע של הכנסת (10.7.2024) · 2022
Diabetes prevalence
3.6% vs 2.7%3.6% of Ethiopian-origin Israelis are diagnosed with diabetes, versus 2.7% in the general Jewish population (2018). The Ministry of Health explicitly stated it has no national diabetes registry by country of birth — this figure is based on a specific study, not a full official registry.
Source: משרד הבריאות, "מצב הבריאות של יוצאי אתיופיה בישראל – 2018" (דצמבר 2019), מצוטט ב: מרכז המחקר והמידע של הכנסת (10.7.2024) · 2018
⚠️ No official national registry — based on a specific study, not a representative national survey.
Diabetes prevalence by years in the country
0.4% → 17.6%Diabetes prevalence rises sharply with years since immigration: 0.4% at the time of aliyah, 8.6% after 4 years, 9.6% after 7 years, and 17.6% after 10-16 years in the country — a trend attributed to dietary and lifestyle changes. Based on specific studies, not an official registry.
⚠️ Based on specific studies (exact study years not specified in the source), not a national registry.
Mammography screening rate
67%-69%67%-69% of Ethiopia-born women aged 50-74 underwent mammography screening, versus 70%-72% among Jewish women of other origins — a relatively small gap, close to the national target (70%).
Source: משרד הבריאות, מצוטט ב: מרכז המחקר והמידע של הכנסת (10.7.2024) · 2022
Average monthly household health expenditure
₪617Ethiopian-origin households spend ₪617/month on health (4.7% of consumption expenditure), versus ₪1,133 (6.4%) for the general population.
Source: הלמ"ס, סקר הוצאות משק הבית 2022, מצוטט ב-"לקט נתונים לרגל חג הסיגד 2024" (371/2024) · 2022
Diabetes prevalence by years in the country
- At time of aliyah0.4%
- After 4 years8.6%
- After 7 years9.6%
- After 10-16 years17.6%
Context and interpretation
Snapshot
Life expectancy among Ethiopian-origin Israelis (83.8 years) is close to the general population's (82.8) — but CBS itself stresses that the difference has only borderline statistical significance, given the relatively small population. The age-adjusted overall mortality rate is nearly identical to the general population (4.69 vs 4.92 per 1,000).
The most consistently documented gap: suicide and self-harm
The rate of deaths from intentional self-harm among Ethiopian-origin Israelis (8.4 per 100,000 in 2022) is more than double the general population's (3.7) — and in outlier years (like 2021) the gap reaches nearly 4x. This is the most consistent gap over time, from 2009 to 2023, and warrants careful, non-sensationalist coverage alongside references to support resources.
Chronic disease — an important caveat
The Ministry of Health explicitly stated it has no official national registry for diabetes, hypertension, or obesity by country of birth — all figures in this section (e.g. a 3.6% vs 2.7% diabetes prevalence, and the sharp rise from 0.4% at aliyah to 17.6% after 10-16 years in the country) are based on specific academic studies, mostly IDF-based, not a current representative national survey. They should not be presented as an "official, comprehensive figure."
What this page deliberately does not include
Per the research brief's explicit instruction, this page does not include a certain category of especially sensitive epidemiological data from the 1990s that surfaced during research. That data is clearly historical and highly sensitive, and publishing it requires explicit sign-off that was not obtained — so it has been fully omitted from this public page.
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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