Photo by
Yoav Dudkevitch/TPS-IL on 22 December, 2024
Christmas in Israel: Christian Community Sees Modest Growth
Jerusalem, 22 December, 2024 (TPS-IL) -- Israel’s Christian community grew 0.6% over the last year according to figures released by the Central Bureau of Statistics on Sunday ahead of Christmas.
According to the figures, Israel is home to approximately 180,300 Christians, comprising roughly 1.8% of the nation’s population. This marks a 0.6% increase in the Christian community over the past year.
A significant majority of Israel’s Christians, 78.7%, are Arab, representing 6.9% of the Arab population.
Most Arab Christians reside in the Northern District and Haifa District, at 68.2% and 14.7%, respectively. Meanwhile, non-Arab Christians are primarily concentrated in the Tel Aviv and Central Districts (41.3%) and the Northern and Haifa Districts (34.8%). Key localities with substantial Arab Christian populations include Nazareth (19,800 residents), Haifa (18,700), Jerusalem (13,100), and Nof HaGalil (10,500).
Marriage trends among Christians in Israel highlight higher average ages at first marriage compared to other religious groups. In 2022, 762 Christian couples wed, with grooms averaging 30.9 years and brides 27.6 years at first marriage.
The CBS noted that fertility rates among Christian women continue to decline, with an average of 1.64 children per woman in 2023. Arab Christian women have an even lower fertility rate of 1.52 children per woman. The average household size in Christian-headed households is 2.87 persons, smaller than Jewish-headed (3.03) and Muslim-headed households (4.30). Similarly, Christian families with children under 17 have an average of 1.80 children, compared to 2.46 among Jewish families and 2.59 among Muslim families.
Education is a cornerstone of the Christian community in Israel. In the 2023/24 school year, 26,417 Christian students—1.3% of all students—were enrolled in elementary and secondary education. Among 12th graders, 86.9% qualified for a matriculation certificate in 2022/23. Higher education is also prominent, with 53% of Arab Christians and 26.6% of non-Arab Christians pursuing undergraduate studies within eight years of high school graduation. These rates exceed those of broader Arab and Hebrew education systems. Christian students, who account for 2.2% of all higher education enrollees, exhibit notable academic preferences, with fewer studying education and teacher training (8.2%) and more pursuing engineering and architecture (24.6%).
Christian participation in the workforce is high at 70.2%, with 72.1% of men and 68.7% of women employed. Among Arab Christians, participation is slightly lower at 62.4%.
But challenges persist, with 16,500 Christians registered with welfare services in 2023 and 4,100 participating in welfare programs. Crime rates remain low, though variations exist between Arab and non-Arab Christians in trial and conviction rates. Public order, personal offenses, property crimes, and moral offenses were the most common convictions.
