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Jerusalem

June 6, 2017

156/2017

Immigration to Israel 2016

In 2016, there were 25,977 immigrants[1] to Israel, 7% fewer than in 2015

  • Since the establishment of the State of Israel, there have been approximately 3.2 million immigrants; about 43% arrived in 1990 or later.
  • In 2016, there have been approximately 26,000 immigrants, 7% fewer than in 2015. The immigration rate was 3.0 immigrants per 1,000 residents.
  • In 2016, 57% of the immigrants arrived from the Soviet Union (former), mainly from Russia and Ukraine; 17% arrived from France; and 11% from the United States.
  • In 2016, there was an increase of 1.5% in the number of immigrants from Russia (6,992)and a decrease of 12% in the number of immigrants from Ukraine (5,809) compared with 2015. Following a large increase in the number of immigrants from France during the previous two years, the number of immigrants from France in 2016decreased by 36% in 2016 (4,239).
  • Most of the new immigrants settled in the large cities. Jerusalem absorbed 12% of all immigrants; Tel Aviv-Yafo – 11%, Netanya – 9%, Haifa – 8%; and Ashdod and Bat Yam – 5% each.
  • The education level of the immigrants who arrived in 2015 was relatively high – 72% of them had 13 or more years of schooling, and about half (about 52%) had 16 or more years of schooling.
  • Of the immigrants aged 15 and over, 67% wereProfessionals.
  • In 2016, 4,200 immigrant citizens[2] settled in Israel. Together with the new immigrants, the total number of immigrants to Israel was 30,180.

The data below refer to the characteristics of the immigrants only.

Links to tables and diagram data

In the past year, the number of immigrants was lower than during the previous year: In 2016, there were 25,977 immigrants, compared to 27,908 during 2015, a decrease of 7%. Nonetheless, the number of immigrants in 2016 almost reached the number that there were during 2014 (24,120 immigrants), which was an increase over 2013 (16,884 immigrants).

In 2016, the immigration rate[3] was 3.0 immigrants per 1,000 residents in the average population, compared to a rate of 3.3 immigrants in 2015. This was similar to the rate in 2014, when there was a large increase in the annual number of immigrants. During the 1990–2001 period of mass immigration, this rate was 17 immigrants per 1,000 residents ( Table 1).

Immigrants' Last Continent of Residence[4] (Table 2)

In 2016, the largest number of immigrants arrived from Europe (77% of all immigrants who arrived in Israel), followed by America and Oceania (together, 17% of all immigrants), Asia (4% of all immigrants), and Africa (1% of all immigrants). Based on these data, the percentage of immigrants from Europe decreased in comparison with 2015 (a decrease of 13%), as did the percentage of immigrants from Africa (a decrease of 12%). In contrast, the percentage of immigrants from America and Oceania increased (an increase of 9%), as did the percentage from Asia (an increase of 31%).

Table A – Immigrants, by Last Continent of Residence, in 2015 and 2016

Continent / Year of immigration / Percentage of change
2015 / 2016
Absolute numbers
Total* / 27,908 / 25,977 / -6.9
Europe / 22,600 / 19,635 / -13.1
America and Oceania / 4,062 / 4,410 / 8.6
Asia / 852 / 1,113 / 30.6
Africa / 394 / 348 / -11.7

* Incl. continent of residence unknown.

Last Country of Residence[5] (Table 2)

In 2016, the largest number of immigrants arrived from Russia (27% of the immigrants that year), followed by Ukraine (23%), France (17%), and the United States (11%). Among these countries, there was a relatively small increase in the number of immigrants from Russia and the United States (increases of 1.5% and 9.4%, respectively) compared to 2015. There was a relatively large decrease in the number of immigrants from France (-36%) and a smaller decrease in immigrants from Ukraine (-12%) compared to the previous year.

The number of immigrants from the republics of the USSR (former)continued to constitute the majority of immigrants to Israel in 2016: 14,456 immigrants arrived from the USSR (former) countries, and they comprised 57% of all immigrants. Most of these immigrants arrived from Russia and Ukraine. Together, they accounted for approximately 89% of all immigrants from USSR (former) countries.

Age Structure of the Immigrants (Table 3 and Table B)

Table B – Immigrants to Israel and Israel's Population, by Age, 2015 and 2016, in Percentages

Age group / Percentage of all immigrants / Percentage of the Israeli population*
2015 / 2016 / 2015
Total / 100.0 / 100.0 / 100.0
0-14 / 19.0 / 17.4 / 28.3
15-64 / 67.0 / 68.5 / 60.8
65+ / 14.0 / 14.0 / 11.0

* Calculated according to the average population in 2015.

The age structure of the immigrants who arrived in 2016was slightly older than that of the immigrants who arrived in 2015. The percentage of immigrants aged 0–14 out of all immigrants who arrived in 2016decreased slightly compared to 2015. Concomitantly, the percentage of immigrants aged 15-64 increased.The percentage of immigrants aged 65 and over remained the same. Compared to the age structure of Israel's total population in 2015, the age structure of the immigrants in 2016 was older: the percentage of immigrant children aged 0–14 was lower, and the percentage of immigrant adults was higher. Nonetheless, the median age of the 2016 immigrants, 32.7, was similar to that in 2015 (32.9)

The age distribution of the immigrants varied according to their last continent of residence.

The median age[6] of immigrants from Africa increased; these were the oldest of all immigrants. Their relatively high median age (40.3) resulted from a decrease in the percentage of immigrants from Ethiopia, who arecharacterized by a relatively young age structure (median age 20.8), as well as to the increase in the percentage of immigrants from South Africa (median age 34.1) and Morocco (median age 65.9) out of the total number of immigrants from that continent.

The median age of immigrants from Asia also increased, from 30.5 in 2015 to 33.2 in 2016. This occurred as a result of an increased percentage of immigrants from Turkey, who had a relatively older age structure (median age 53.2)

The median ages of the immigrants from Europe (34.2), America and Oceania (27.2) remained similar to those of the previous year.

Sex and Marital Status(Table 6, Table C)

As in the past, in 2016 the majority of the immigrants were women (51%) – 945 men per 1000 women. The median age of women was slightly higher than that of men (33.0 and 32.4 years, respectively). These data are similar to median age for 2015, when the median age of men and women was the same (32.9).

The percentage of never-married immigrant men aged 15 and over (32%) was higher than that of never-married immigrant women aged 15 and over (30%). The percentage of married men (59%) was higher than that of married women (52%). Compared to the previous year, the percentage of never-married men and women increased (30% and 29%, respectively, in 2015) and the percentage of married men and women decreased (62% and 54%, respectively, in 2015). Similar to the previous year, the percentage of divorced women (10%) and widows (7%) who immigrated during 2016 was larger than the percentage of divorced men (7%) and widowed men (2%).

Table C – Marital Status of Immigrants aged 15 and over, 2016

Total* / Marital status
Sex / Never married / Married / Divorced / Widowed
Absolute numbers
Total / 21,449 / 6,676 / 11,892 / 1,852 / 1,022
Men / 10,247 / 3,263 / 6,085 / 683 / 210
Women / 11,202 / 3,413 / 5,807 / 1,169 / 812
Percentages
Total / 100.0 / 31.1 / 55.5 / 8.6 / 4.8
Men / 100.0 / 31.9 / 59.4 / 6.7 / 2.1
Women / 100.0 / 30.5 / 51.8 / 10.4 / 7.2

* Incl. marital status unknown.

First Place of Settlement in Israel[7](Tables 4 and 5)

First Place of Settlement, by District (Table 4 and Table D)

Table D – Immigrants by First District of Settlement, 2016

District / Total immigrants – absolute numbers / Percentage of total immigrants
Total / 25,977 / 100.0
Central / 5,980 / 23.0
Tel Aviv / 5,608 / 21.6
Southern / 4,149 / 16.0
Jerusalem / 3,730 / 14.4
Haifa / 3,482 / 13.4
Northern / 2,262 / 8.7
Judea and Samaria Area / 766 / 2.9

The distribution of immigrants by district of first settlement in 2016 was similar to the distribution in the previous two years. In 2016, the largest number of immigrants settled in the Central District. Most of the immigrants who settled in that district arrived from France, Ukraine, and Russia. The Central District was followed by the Tel Aviv District (most of the immigrants who settled there were from Russia and Ukraine); the Southern District (mainly immigrants from Russia and Ukraine), the Jerusalem District (mainly immigrants from France and the United States), the Haifa District (mainly immigrants from Ukraine and Russia), the Northern District (mainly immigrants fromRussia and Ukraine), and the Judea and Samaria Area (mainly immigrants from the United States, Russian, and Ukraine).

Settlement by Locality (Table 5)

A review of the immigrants' choices of their locality of first residence indicates that most of them preferred to settle in large cities. Apparently, they seek to live where their relatives already live, or one of established immigrants' community from their country of origin. Out of all the immigrants who arrived in Israel in 2016, Jerusalem absorbed the largest number(12% of total immigrants), followed by Tel Aviv-Yafo (11%), Netanya (9%), Haifa (8%), Ashdod and Bat Yam (5% each) and Ra'anana (3%).

A breakdown of the number of immigrants by last country of residence prior to immigration reveals that for the most part, the trend that characterized the first locality of residence in 2015was maintained. Of the immigrants who arrived from Russia, the largest percentage settled in Tel Aviv-Yafo (14% of total immigrants from Russia in 2016) and in Haifa (12%). Immigrants from Ukraine settled mainly in Haifa (14%), Bat-Yam (8%), and Ashdod (7%).Of the immigrants who arrived fromFrance, the largest percentage settled in Netanya (27% of all immigrants from France in 2015), Jerusalem (19%), and Tel Aviv-Yafo (15%). Immigrants from the United States settled mainly in Jerusalem (31%), Bet Shemesh (13%), and Tel Aviv-Yafo (9%).

Education

The education level of the immigrants who arrived in 2016 was higher than that of the immigrants who arrived during the previous year. Among those aged 15 and over for whom the number of years of schooling was known, 72% had 13 or more years of schooling (compared with 65% in 2015); approximately 52% of whichhad 16 or more years of schooling. The proportion of immigrants with 0–12 years of schooling was 28% in 2016 (compared with 35% in 2015). Only years of education abroad prior to immigration were taken into account. The immigrants' education level was higher than that of the total population in Israel, of which 48% of persons aged 15 and over had 13 or more years of schooling and 52% had 0–12 years of schooling (2015 data).

Diagram 1– Immigrants Aged 15 and Over by Years of Schooling, 2016

An examination of years of schooling among immigrants aged 25 and over (without persons who might still be studying, aged 15–24) shows that the percentage of immigrants with the relatively high number of years of schooling (13 years of schooling and over) increases and the percentage of immigrants with the relatively small number of years of schooling (up to12 years of schooling) decreases.

Diagram 2 – Immigrants Aged 25 and Over by Years of Schooling, 2016

Occupation

Immigration to Israel in 2016, as in previous years, was characterized by a high percentage of persons who had worked as Professionals in their country of origin. Of immigrants whose occupation abroad before immigration was known, 67% were Professionals; 10% were Practical engineers, technicians, agents, and associate professionals; and 7% were Service and sales workers.

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Immigration to Israel 2016 06/06/2017

[1]This includes immigrants, potential immigrants, and tourists who changed their status to immigrants or potential immigrants; it does not include immigrating citizens.

[2] Immigrating citizen: A person born to an Israeli citizen who was staying abroad, and who arrived in Israel with the intention of settling.

[3] The immigration rate for 2016 was calculated according to population estimates for that year.

[4] The last continent and country of residence were determined according to the last permanent country of residence abroad, during the year preceding entry to Israel, according to the borders at the time of the estimate.

[5] The last continent and country of residence were determined according to the last permanent country of residence abroad, during the year preceding entry to Israel, according to the borders at the time of the estimate.

[6] Median age is the age at which half of the population is older and half of the population is younger.

[7] The immigrant's first locality of residence after arriving in Israel.