| Land area (sq. km) |
21,710.00 |
WDI |
| Arable land (% of land area) |
15.75 |
WDI |
| Population, total |
6,797,669.50 |
WDI |
| Population growth (annual %) |
1.63 |
WDI |
| Population density (people per sq. km) |
313.11 |
WDI |
| Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) |
97.15 |
WDI/UN/UNICEF |
| Life expectancy at birth, total (years) |
79.37 |
WDI |
| Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) |
4.80 |
WDI |
| Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty line (% of population)** |
21.0 (2005) |
WDI/CIA/UNICEF |
| Urban population (% of total) |
91.56 |
WDI |
| Ethnic breakdown |
Jewish 80.1% (Europe/America-born 32.1%, Israel-born 20.8%, Africa-born 14.6%, Asia-born 12.6%), non-Jewish 19.9% (mostly Arab) (1996 est.) |
CIA |
| Religious breakdown |
Jewish 76.5%, Muslim 15.9%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian 0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2003) |
CIA |
| Language |
Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language |
CIA |
| Capital City |
Jerusalem |
CIA |
| Character of government |
parliamentary democracy; Administrative Division: 6 districts; Independence day: 14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) |
CIA* |
| Current President/Prime Minister |
President Moshe KATZAV (since 31 July 2000) and Prime Minister Ehud OLMERT (since May 2006) |
CIA* |
| Executive branch description |
President is the chief of state and Prime Minister is the head of government. cabinet: Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the Knesset. elections: president is largely a ceremonial role and is elected by the Knesset for a seven-year term (no term limit). Following the legislative ellection, the president assign Knesset members to form a governing coalition government |
CIA* |
| Legislative branch description |
unicameral Knesset (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) |
CIA* |
| Judicial branch description |
Supreme Court (justices appointed by Judicial Selection Committee - made up of all three branches of the government; mandatory retirement age is 70) |
CIA |
| Women in national parliament (% of total) |
15.00 |
WDI |
| Foreign aid per capita (current US$) |
70.45 |
WDI |
| Foreign direct investment, net inflow (BoP, current US$ bn) ** |
1.66 |
WDI |
| GDP growth (annual %) |
4.44 |
WDI |
| GDP per capita (constant 2000 US$) |
17,787.76 |
WDI |
| Inflation, consumer prices (annual %) |
(0.41) |
WDI |
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
8.74 |
WDI/CIA/WRI |
| Military expenditure (% of central government expenditure) |
17.93 |
WDI/WRI/Dept of State/UNICEF |
| Health expenditure, public (% of GDP) |
6.07 (2003) |
WDI/WRI |
| Education expenditure, public (% of GDP) |
7.31 (2003) |
WDI/WRI |
| Main export |
machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel |
CIA |
| Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) |
10.7 (2003) |
WDI/CIA |
| External debt, total (DOD, current US$) |
N/A |
WDI/CIA |
| Currency |
Israeli Shekel (ILS) |
CIA |
| Local Currency Rate, per US$ |
4.55 |
CIA |
| Internet users (per 1,000 people) |
470.75 |
WDI/Comp Industry Almanac |
| Mobile phone subscribers (per 1,000 people) |
1,057.35 |
WDI |
| Personal computers (per 1,000 people) |
740.99 |
WDI |
| Telephone mainlines (per 1,000 people) |
441.33 |
WDI |
