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February 22, 2002/Adar 10, 5762, Vol. 54, No. 23
Study shows majority of Jews will be living in Israel
JESSICA STEINBERG
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
JERUSALEM - Thirty years from now, most of the world's Jews will be living in Israel, the Jewish Agency for Israel says.
This projection was released as part of a worldwide Jewish demography research project launched by the Jewish Agency.
Headed by Hebrew University Professor Sergio DellaPergola, the Jewish Demography Initiative will gather and coordinate data aimed at helping Jewish and Israeli government decision-makers set policies regarding immigration, housing and related issues.
The initiative, which will have an international advisory board, also will seek to create public awareness about the impact of demographic trends on Israeli society and world Jewry.
Among the statistics released:
- World Jewish population, currently about 13.2 million, is expected to reach 15.6 million in 2080.
- Sometime after 2030, Israel will be home to the majority of world Jewry. This will be the result of aliyah and the shrinking size of Jewish communities abroad due to assimilation and low birthrates. Currently, 37 percent of the world's Jews live in Israel.
- The Jewish population in the Diaspora is older than in Israel. According to a 1995 survey, 27 percent of Israel's Jewish population is younger than 14, compared to 17.6 percent in the Diaspora. Only 11.5 percent of Israel's Jewish population is over 65, compared to 18.5 percent in the Diaspora.
- Mixed marriages are reducing the number of Jews because only a fraction of the children of such marriages regard themselves as Jewish.
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