Haredi, Arab populations grow in Jerusalem as overall growth declines
Approximately 18,000 residents moved out of Jerusalem in 2015, while 8,200 ultra-Orthodox and 7,800 Arabs moved in.
By DANIEL K. EISENBUDUpdated: MAY 22, 2017 04:48A haredi in Jerusalem(photo credit: ILLUSTRATIVE)
While Jerusalem’s haredi (ultra-Orthodox) and Arab communities continue to see steady growth, less observant Jewish residents are moving out of the capital at a disproportionately high rate, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics.The data, published prior to Jerusalem Day, shows that 18,000 residents moved out of the capital in 2015, while 8,200 haredim and 7,800 Arabs moved in.Among the capital’s total population of 883,000, 63% are Jews and 37% are Arabs, the study found. The Jewish population is 36% ultra-Orthodox, 21% secular, 19% religious, 12% traditional-religious and 12% traditional.Since 2010, the haredi community grew by 0.5%, while less religious Jewish populations grew by 0.2%, the study found.Of the 23,581 babies born in the capital in 2015, 15,483 (65%) were Jewish; while 8,143 (35%) were Arab.Birth rates in Jerusalem in 2015 made up 13.2% of all babies born in the country, with the average fertility rate for Arab and Jewish women in the capital at 3.87 children, outpacing the 3.09 national average.Among Jewish mothers, the average fertility rate was 4.28, compared to the 3.09 Jewish national average. The average fertility rate for Arab women in the capital is 3.23, slightly outpacing the 3.13 Arab national average.In terms of household inhabitants, Jerusalem Jews averaged 3.4 people compared to the 3.1 national Jewish average. Arab households in Jerusalem averaged 5.2 inhabitants, versus a 4.5 national average.With respect to education, among the 75,000 Jewish elementary school students, 49,000 attended ultra-Orthodox institutions (65.5%), 13,500 attended national religious schools (18%), and 12,500 attended public schools.It is unclear how many Arab students were enrolled in elementary schools in the capital.Meanwhile, Jerusalem significantly trailed the national average in terms of perceived safety.While 71% of residents over the age of 20 said they felt safe walking the streets in the capital, 81% of respondents in other cities said they felt safe.