Over 42,000 new olim to celebrate their 1st Independence Day in Israel

Some 488 immigrants came to Israel this year as volunteer soldiers, mostly from the United States and Britain. Many of them were integrated into special programs for lone soldiers.

 Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata welcomes new immigrants into Israel (photo credit: Noga Malaka/Aliyah and Integration Ministry)
Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata welcomes new immigrants into Israel
(photo credit: Noga Malaka/Aliyah and Integration Ministry)

A record 42,675 immigrants have made Israel their home since Independence Day last year, according to data from the Aliyah and Integration Ministry

The countries from which the most immigrants arrived this past year were Russia with 33% of the total number immigrants, Ukraine with 27%, followed by 10% from the United States, 8% from France, 3% from Argentina, 3% from Belarus and 2% from India. There were an additional 18 countries from which only one immigrant made aliyah, including Madagascar, South Korea, Malta and Macedonia.

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Of those who immigrated since the last Independence Day, 28% were 18-35 years old, 22% were newborn to 17 years, 18% were ages 36-50, and 16% were 60 and over. Some 55% of the immigrants were women and 45% were men. The oldest immigrant was a 102-year-old who came from France in October. The second oldest was a 101-year-old immigrant who recently made aliyah from Ukraine after the Russian invasion.

The cities where the most immigrants decided to live since last Independence Day are Netanya and Tel Aviv-Jaffa, each of which absorbed 11% of the new immigrants. Jerusalem absorbed 10%, Haifa absorbed 8%, and Ashdod and Bat Yam each absorbed 4%.

Half of the immigrants were of working age and have entered the job market, according to the Aliyah and Integration Ministry. Of those workers, there were 2,100 engineers, 1,500 economists, 1,100 teachers, 1,000 doctors and 250 nurses.

 New immigrants to Israel (credit: Noga Malaka/Aliyah and Integration Ministry)
New immigrants to Israel (credit: Noga Malaka/Aliyah and Integration Ministry)

Some 488 immigrants came to Israel this year as volunteer soldiers, mostly from the United States and Britain. Many of them were integrated into special programs for lone soldiers.

There were 6,050 immigrants ages six-18 who have been absorbed into the educational system. Some 633 Holocaust survivors also immigrated, most of whom came from Ukraine and are in the process of being recognized by the Holocaust Survivors Authority.

“Tens of thousands of new immigrants have immigrated in the last year of... all ages and from almost every country around the world,” Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata said. “The new immigrants are a huge contribution to Israel and are a strengthening force of national, social and economic resilience.”

She continued, “I am proud of each and every one of the employees of the Aliyah and Integration Ministry for this busy year; a year that began with aliyah saturated with the challenges of corona and that ended at the height of the historic operation to help the Jews of Ukraine.”

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