POPULATION DENSITY
IN THE MEDITERRANEAN COASTAL REGION
POPULATION DENSITY IN THE COASTAL REGION IN SELECTED YEARS
4,500
4,000
Persons per sq.km.
3,500
3,000
Urban coastal localities
2,500
Coastal localities
2,000
Israel - total
1,500
1,000
500
2006
1995
1983
0
POPULATION DENSITY IN URBAN LOCALITIES IN THE COASTAL REGION
IN SELECTED YEARS
18,000
14,000
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
- XXVI -
2006
Qiryat Yam
Akko
Netanya
Nahariyya
Tirat Karmel
Haifa
1995
Rishon LeZiyyon
1983
Hadera
Herzliyya
Jisr Az-Zarqa
Bat Yam
Ashqelon
0
Tel Aviv-Yafo
2,000
Ashdod
Persons per sq.km.
16,000
Description of the indicator
This indicator presents the population density in the Mediterranean coastal region of Israel,
compared with the population density in the entire area of the country. The coastal region
defined for this indicator refers to localities whose area of jurisdiction borders on the
Mediterranean coast.
Relevance to sustainable development
This indicator makes it possible to assess the demographic pressures exerted on the coastal
region. A comparison with the density in the entire national area emphasizes the imbalance
in density, and the attraction of the population to the Mediterranean coastal region. Coastal
areas tend to be more populated than other areas, due to their being focuses of economic
activity that attracts people (tourism, leisure, fishing, availability of sea lanes, etc.) The more
population density and economic activity rise in a specific area, the higher the pressure
exerted on the local ecosystem, and its ability to provide services to the population residing
in that area. The various pressures may be expressed in the loss of open areas, pollution of
land and groundwater, damage to the variety of land and water species, coastal and sea
pollution, damage to the quality of air, etc.
Selected findings

The Mediterranean coastal region constitutes 2% of the total national area (458 sq.km.),
whereas the population residing in that region in 2006 constituted 26% of the total
national population (1.8 million people).

Population density in the coastal region is 14 times higher than that of the total area of
the State of Israel.

Close to 100% of the population in the coastal region reside in urban localities (14 urban
localities out of 27 localities bordering on the Mediterranean coast). In these localities, the
population density grew in 1983 – 2006 by 39%, from 3,157 people per sq.km. to 4,392
people per sq.km., respectively.

The highest population density among the coastal cities is in Bat Yam (15,800 people per
sq.km.).

The population density in Ashdod grew by 2.5 from 1983 to 2006; from 1,730 people per
sq.km. to 4,250 people per sq.km., respectively.
- XXVII -