Sources of Population Growth: Total Israeli Population and Settler Population, 1991 - 2003
| Year | Area | Annual Population Growth |
Migration Balance | Natural Increase |
Population | Net Increase | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internal Migration |
Immigrants | Total* | Start of Year | End of Year | |||||
| 2003 | Israel | +1.8% | -- | 26,100 | 10,700 | 106,600 | 6,631,100 | 6,748,400 | 117,300 |
| West Bank and Gaza |
+5.3% | 3,400 | 900 | 3,900 | 7,700 | 220,100 | 231,700 | 11,600 | |
| 2002 | Israel | +1.9% | -- | 36,700 | 21,500 | 100,800 | 6,508,800 | 6,631,100 | 122,300 |
| West Bank and Gaza |
+5.7% | 4,000 | 1,100 | 4,800 | 7,100 | 208,200 | 220,100 | 11,900 | |
| 2000 | Israel | +2.6% | -- | 63,600 | 61,400 | 98,700 | 6,209,100 | 6,369,300 | 160,100 |
| West Bank and Gaza |
+7.8% | 7,100 | 1,300 | 8,100 | 6,300 | 183,800 | 198,200 | 14,400 | |
| 1998 | Israel | +2.4% | -- | 59,800 | 48,800 | 92,600 | 5,900,000 | 6,041,400 | 141,500 |
| West Bank and Gaza |
+7.4% | 5,400 | 1,200 | 6,200 | 5,500 | 157,800 | 169,400 | 11,600 | |
| 1996 | Israel | +2.6% | -- | 75,000 | 59,200 | 86,400 | 5,612,300 | 5,757,900 | 145,600 |
| West Bank and Gaza |
+9.1% | 7,300 | 800 | 7,700 | 4,400 | 132,900 | 144,900 | 12,100 | |
| 1994 | Israel | +2.7% | -- | 83,200 | 63,700 | 80,200 | 5,327,600 | 5,471,500 | 143,900 |
| West Bank and Gaza |
+9.7% | 6,900 | 1,000 | 7,600 | 3,700 | 115,600 | 126,900 | 11,200 | |
| 1993 | Israel | +2.5% | -- | 80,300 | 52,500 | 79,200 | 5,195,900 | 5,327,600 | 131,711 |
| West Bank and Gaza |
+10.3% | 6,900 | 1,000 | 7,500 | 3,300 | 104,800 | 115,600 | 10,800 | |
| 1991 | Israel | +4.9% | -- | 178,200 | 163,300 | 73,800 | 4,821,700 | 5,058,800 | 127,100 |
| West Bank and Gaza |
+14.7% | 8,000 | 1,500 | 9,300 | 2,700 | 81,600 | 93,600 | 12,000 | |
Annual settler population growth is more than three times the annual population growth in Israel proper (1998: 3.1 times; 1996: 3.5; 1994: 3.6; 1993: 4.1; 1991: 3.0).
The settlements absorb annually about 1000 new immigrants. Israel, it will be remembered, committed itself in 1992 to a policy of not encouraging immigrant settlement in the territories.
Israelis are still moving across the Green Line in large, though declining, numbers. This internal migration is also considered by the U.S. to be part of the "natural increase" in settler population, and therefore, has not been a topic of U.S. criticism since the August 1992 understanding between President George Bush and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
The natural increase of the settler population has doubled since 1991 and now almost equals the migration balance.
*Includes emigration.
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics. Statistical Abstract of Israel, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004 (Table 2.5).
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