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NEWS
CBS: Children Make Up One-Third of Israel's Population
By G. Kleiman
Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) figures show that at the
end of 2005 there were 2,326,400 children (ages 0-17) living
in Israel: 1,608,300 Jewish children, 643,000 Arab children
and more than 70,000 "other" children from immigrant families
whose religion is not listed in the population registry.
Like in 2004, children constitute one-third of the total
population. In most of the Western world the percentage of
children is considerably smaller, whereas in many Arab
countries children constitute half of the population.
In 2005 there were 143,900 babies born, of which 51.4 percent
were boys. 100,700 were born to Jewish mothers, 34,200 to
Muslim mothers, 4,000 to mothers whose religion is not
listed, 2,500 to Druse mothers and 2,500 to Christian
mothers.
The highest child-adult ratio of any municipality is in
Beitar Illit, where children constitute 63 percent of the
population. In Modi'in Illit and Elad as well, the percentage
of children is approaching the 60 percent mark. Similar
figures were recorded in Bedouin towns in the South, such as
Tel Sheva, Rahat and Kasifa.
As in past years Jerusalem has the largest child population
in absolute numbers, with 291,700 children representing 40.5
percent of city residents. Tel Aviv-Jaffa is second with
75,400 children, but there they represent a mere 20 percent
of the overall population — the lowest child-adult
ratio of any urban center in Israel. In Givatayim, Bat Yam
and Ramat Gan as well, the ratio hovers around the 20 percent
mark.
In contrast Bnei Brak's 67,500 children constitute 47 percent
of the population. In Modi'in-Maccabim and Re'ut, both of
which have a large concentration of (non-chareidi) young
couples, the portion of children is 43 percent and 41 percent
respectively.
Of the 574,468 children enrolled in Jewish sector primary
schools in 5765, 25 percent studied at chareidi schools (up
from 21.9 percent in 5763) compared to 56 percent at
government schools (down from 59 percent in 5763) and 18.9
percent at government-religious schools (down from 19.1
percent in 5763).
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