For young and old

Jerusalem’s population is so young because it has a relatively high percentage of children.

By MICHAL KORACH
Graph 521 (photo credit: courtesy)
Graph 521
(photo credit: courtesy)
Jerusalem’s population is particularly young. In 2009, the median age in the city was 24. By way of comparison, Tel Aviv and Haifa are significantly older, with median ages of 34 and 38, respectively. The national median age for 2009 was 29.
Jerusalem’s population is so young because it has a relatively high percentage of children, in addition to its having an unusually low percentage of seniors (age 65+). Almost half (42 percent) of Jerusalem’s population is 18 and under while only 8% is 65 and older.
Of Jerusalem’s non-haredi neighborhoods, the youngest median ages per neighborhood were recorded in Har Homa (21), Givat Mordechai (23) and French Hill (26). Conversely, the highest neighborhood median ages were recorded in Kiryat Wolfson (68), Nayot, Neveh Granot and Neveh Sha’anan (47) and Talbiyeh (45).
Among Jerusalem’s haredi neighborhoods, the lowest neighborhood median ages were recorded in Kiryat Keminitz in Neveh Ya’acov (15), Ramat Shlomo (16), Mea She’arim and Batei Ungerin (16). The highest neighborhood median ages were found in Knesset and Batei Broida (31), Sha’arei Hessed (25), Har Nof and Bayit Vagan (20).
A similar study of Arab neighborhoods could not be performed due to lack of available data.
The graph below shows that non-haredi localities surrounding Jerusalem had a higher median age than those in Jerusalem, while localities surrounding Jerusalem with large haredi populations had a lower median age than those in Jerusalem.