A. GENERAL
This publication presents detailed data on live births and fertility patterns in Israel in 2011,
and is a continuation of a series of special publications on vital statistics in Israel. The
publication includes series data as of 1955, as well as a series of more detailed data for
2011. The data for 2011 include the distribution of live births and fertility patterns by
geographical characteristics (district and sub-district) as well as demographic characteristics
of the newborn’s parents (e.g., religion, age, and continent of birth), and of the newborn (e.g.,
sex and birth order).
The data in this publication are based on official forms for reporting newborns (the
“Notification of Live Birth” form) obtained from the Population and Immigration Authority as
computerized data.
The publication preceding this one was Vital Statistics – Live Births 2004. Both publications
are a continuation of the publication Vital Statistics, which presented data on marriages,
divorces, live births, and deaths in Israel for 1993.
In addition to this publication, the Central Bureau of Statistics publishes selected annual data
on live births regularly in the Statistical Abstract of Israel as well as on the CBS website and
in press releases. Monthly data on live births are also published in the Israel Monthly Bulletin
of Statistics.
B. MAIN FINDINGS
Number of Live Births
In 2011, 166,296 infants were born in Israel. Of those infants, about 73% were born to
Jewish women, about 21% to Moslem women, about 3% to women not classified by religion
at the Population and Immigration Authority, about 2% to Druze women, and about 1% to
Arab Christian women.1
Since the beginning of the 21st century, there has been an increase of 21.9% in the number
of live births in Israel, from 136,390 live births in 2000, to 166,296 in 2011. Among women
not classified by religion at the Population and Immigration Authority, the number of live
births increased by 40.7%, and among Jewish women the number of live births increased by
32.2%. By contrast, the number of live births among Druze, Christian, and Moslem women
declined by 8.8% and 6.9%, and 1.4%, respectively.
Sex Ratio at Birth
Of 166,296 infants born in 2011, about 51.2% (85,162 infants) were males, and about 48.8%
(81,134) were females. Between 2002 and 2011, the average sex ratio at birth was 104.7,
i.e., 104.7 male infants are born for every 100 female infants. This ratio is within the normal
biological range (104–107), and is similar to the sex ratio in societies where there is no
human intervention in the selection of the newborn’s sex.
1
In 2011, Arab Christians comprised about 80% of the Christian population of Israel.
(9)
Total Fertility Rate
In 2011, the total fertility rate in Israel was 3.00 children per woman on the average,
compared with 2.95 in 2000, 3.02 in 1990, 3.14 in 1980, and 3.97 in 1970. The national total
fertility rate is affected by the different fertility rates of the religious groups in the Israeli
population. Over the past decade, there has been an increase in fertility rates among the
Jewish population, from 2.66 children per woman on the average in 2000 to 2.97 in 2011. In
contrast, the fertility level among the Moslem population declined during that period, from
4.74 children per woman in 2000 to 3.56 children per woman in 2011 (after about two
decades in which the fertility rate had remained relatively stable – since the mid-1980s). A
decline in the fertility rate was also observed among the Druze population, from 3.07 children
per woman in 2000 to 2.38 children per woman in 2011. Among the Christian population the
fertility level also declined, from 2.55 children per woman in 2000 to 2.18 children per woman
in 2011. The lowest fertility rates continue to be among the population of women not
classified by religion at the Population and Immigration Authority. In 2011, the total fertility
rate among that population was 1.68 children per woman – slightly higher than the median in
Eastern European countries (1.2–1.6),2 which are the countries of origin for most of those
women.
1. TOTAL FERTILITY RATES, BY MOTHER'S RELIGION
1970-2011
10
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Total
2
Jews
Moslems
Christians
From the Eurostat website.
( 10 )
2009
2006
2003
2000
1997
1994
1991
1988
1985
1982
1979
1976
1973
1970
0
Not classified by religion
2011
No. of children per woman
9
Mother’s Age at Time of Giving Birth
Since 2000, the average age of mothers at the time of birth has risen by about 1.1 years,
reaching 30.1 years in 2011. This increase can be attributed to the increasing tendency of
Israeli women to delay childbirth until age 30 or over. The share of women who gave birth at
age 30 and over rose from 40% in 2000 to 50% in 2011. In many developed countries, it is
common to delay childbirth after age 30. In Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy, the
average age of mothers at the time of birth already passed the threshold of age 30 in the
mid-1990s. However, in European countries that once belonged to the Eastern bloc, the
average age of mothers at the time of birth was younger. For example, in 2011, the average
age of mothers at the time of birth was 28.9 in Slovakia and in Poland, and 29.4 in Hungary.3
Mother’s Age at First Birth
In 2011, the average age of mothers giving birth to their first child was 27.3 – 1.6 years older
than in 2000. Since the mid-1990s, the mother’s age at first birth has increased over two
years. Evidently, postponement of establishing a family can be attributed to postponement of
the first marriage. In 2010, the average age of women at first marriage was 24.8 – 1.4 years
older than in 1995. It appears that postponement of establishing a family can also be due to
the increased share of women in institutions of higher education, as well as to their increased
participation in the labour force. The oldest women giving birth to their first child are those not
classified by religion (28.6 years on the average), whereas the youngest are Moslem women
(23.4 years on the average).
Live Births to Unmarried Mothers4 (Jews)
In 2011, about 6% (7,267) of the infants born to Jewish women were born to unmarried
mothers (69% were born to never-married women, and the rest were born to divorcees or
widows). This percentage is lower than the percentage of infants born to unmarried women
in most OECD member countries such as the United Kingdom (45%), France (53%), Mexico
(55%), Estonia (59%), and Iceland (64%), and is only higher than the percentage in South
Korea (1.5%), and Japan (2%).5
In recent years, the upward trend in the rate of births to never-married women has continued.
In 2011, the rate was 9.0 births per 1,000 never-married women at childbearing age,
compared with 5.7 births per 1,000 women in 2000 and 4.0 births per 1,000 in 1994. In 2011,
the highest percentage of births to never-married women was among those aged 35–39
(53.0 births per 1,000 never-married women in that age group, constituting 6.2% of all births
to women in that group). The lowest percentage of births to never-married women that year
was among those aged 15–19 (0.7 births per 1,000 never-married women in that age group,
constituting 11.8% of all births to women in that group).
3
See in the Eurostat website: Mean Age of Women at Childbearing.
4
The woman’s marital status relates to the time she gave birth, and does not necessarily apply to
the time she got pregnant.
5
In 2010, see: OECD Family database.
( 11 )
Multiple Births
Of all infants born in Israel in 2011, about 4.6% were born in multiple births. That year, about
4.9% of all infants born to Jewish mothers were born in multiple births, and 3.7% of the
infants were born to Moslem mothers. Since the mid-1990s, the rates of multiple births in
Israel have been on the rise. As a result, Israel is now among the countries with the highest
proportions of multiple births in the world. The high rate of multiple births in Israel is
attributed, among other causes, to the prevalence of fertility treatment in the country under
the National Health Insurance Law.
In 2011, about 97% of all infants born in multiple births were twins. Among the Moslem
population, there was a decline in the percentage of triplets born in all multiple births, from
7.2% in 2000 to 5.4% in 2011. Among the Jewish population, the percentage of triplets born
in multiple births also declined during the same period from 7.4% to 2.8%.
Total Fertility Rate in OECD Countries
The total fertility rate in Israel (3.0) is higher than in other OECD countries. In all of the
countries belonging to the OECD, except for Israel, the fertility rate in recent years has been
less than 2.1 children per woman, i.e., lower than the level needed to maintain a stable
population size (replacement rate). For example, in 2011 the total fertility rates in these
countries were: United States and Australia (1.9), Netherlands (1.8), Canada (1.6), Estonia
(1.5), Greece and Japan (1.4), Hungary and South Korea (1.2).6
2. TOTAL FERTILITY RATE IN OECD MEMBER COUNTRIES
2011
3.00
2.50
1.70
2.00
1.50
1.00
Source: OECD
6
See: OECD Family database, and The Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat)
website.
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South Korea
Poland
Hungary
Spain
Portugal
Germany
Italy
Japan
Greece
Austria
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Luxembourg
Estonia
Canada
Slovenia
Netherlands
OECD Average
Finland
Denmark
Norway
Belgium
Australia
United States
Chile
Sweden
France
United Kingdom
Turkey
Iceland
Ireland
Mexico
Israel
0.00
Switzerland
0.50
New Zealand
No. of children per woman
3.50
C. SOURCES AND EXPLANATIONS
The data on live births are based on information in the “Notification of Live Birth” forms as
well as on personal information in the Population Register. The Population Registration
Ordinance 1965 requires that the Population and Immigration Authority be notified of the birth
within 10 days by the person in charge of the institution where the birth took place, or by the
parents of the child, the doctor or midwife if the birth occurred elsewhere.
If the birth took place at a hospital, the “Notification of Live Birth” form is filled out in four
copies. The first copy is sent to the Population and Immigration Authority, the second copy is
sent to the National Insurance Institute, the third copy is given to the parents as a temporary
notification of live birth, and the fourth copy remains at the hospital.
The Central Bureau of Statistics receives a file of live births from the Population and
Immigration Authority every month, which includes births in Israel (including Israeli localities
in the Judea and Samaria Area), where at least one of the parents was a resident of Israel.
The file does not include live births to Israeli citizens abroad, or live births in Israel to two
parents who are not Israeli residents. The file is created in the process of updating the
Population Register at the Population and Immigration Authority, and includes information
from the Population Register on the parents of the newborn, as well as information on the
newborn from the Notification of Live Birth. Data calculated at the Central Bureau of Statistics
on birth order and number of newborns in birth has also been added to the file (see
Definitions).
Until 1962, data on births were recorded according to the year of registration. Since 1963,
data are recorded according to the year of occurrence – except in cases of late registration.
Data on live births for 2011 include 573 cases of live births that occurred in 2009-2010 but
were recorded late. Of those cases, 343 of the women who gave birth were Moslem, 113
were Jewish, 88 were not classified by religion, 28 were Christian, and one was Druze.
Data on births from 1957 to 1959, as well as births in 1975 and the first half of 1976 are
based on a 50% sample.
Data on live births until 1962 do not include live births among the Bedouin population in the
south. Fertility rates for persons living outside of localities (mainly Bedouins) were also not
calculated for later years due to the discrepancy between the Population Registry data and
population estimates of Bedouin tribes.
As of 1970, births in East Jerusalem are included in the data on live births, and as of 1982,
the live births of Druze in the Golan are also included.
( 13 )
D. DEFINITIONS
Live birth: The birth of a foetus, which after separation from the mother (whether or not the
umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is still attached), exhibits at least one of the
following signs of life: respiration, heartbeat, umbilical cord pulse, or obvious movements of
voluntary muscles.
Multiple birth: A birth that includes more than one newborn, where at least one of the
newborns was born alive. These births are identified on the basis of the “Notification of Live
Birth” and “Notification of Stillbirth” forms for the same year. The data in Table 2 and Table
14 in this publication refer to multiple births where the newborns are born alive.
Sex ratio at birth: The number of live births of males for every 100 live births of females.
Birth order: The ordinal number of a live birth in relation to all of the previous live births a
mother has had. As of 2003, the method of calculating birth order is based on the total of all
previous children born to the mother, with the addition of 1 to mark the event of the present
birth (regardless of the number of living newborns born at that birth). In addition, for
newborns whose mothers are not Israelis, the birth order was calculated according to the
Notification of Live Birth form. Until 1990, the source of data on birth order was the
Notification of Live Birth form, Paragraph 30c. Since 1991, the source has been the
Population Register. Based on this source, it was possible for the first time to identify cases
of unknown birth order in the Notification of Live Birth form. Until 1990, these cases were
included together with first births. From 1991 to 2002, birth order calculations were based on
the total number of children a mother has.
Natural increase: The difference between births and deaths during a given period.
Population group and religion: Until 1991, the population was broken down by: Jews,
Moslems, Christians, and Druze. Included with the Druze were “Others”, i.e., members of
other recognized religions (such as Bahais, Samaritans, and Sikhs). From 1992 to 1995,
“Others” were added to Christians.
Starting with the 1995 Census, the definitions of religion and population groups were altered
due to the arrival of many immigrants not listed as Jewish at the Population and Immigration
Authority. Christians were divided into two groups – Arab Christians, and non-Arab
Christians, according to several criteria: religion of the locality of residence, nationality,
country of birth, and allocation to a Statistical Area. An “Arab Christian” is defined as any
Christian living in a non-Jewish locality, or anyone who lives in another locality but whose
nationality is listed at the Population and Immigration Authority as Arab. If these details are
missing, any Christian born in an Arab country, or any Christian born in Israel whose father
was born in an Arab country is included in the group of Arab Christians. If those criteria are
not met, the Statistical Area that the person belongs to will be considered. If most of the
residents in that Statistical Area are Arabs, the person will be considered an Arab Christian.
The rest of the Christians are defined as “non-Arab Christians”.
Another group presented separately since 1996 is the group not classified by religion at the
Population and Immigration Authority. The persons in this group are usually family members
( 14 )
of Jewish immigrants. This group also includes members of religions that were not specified
separately (e.g., Buddhists, Hindus, Samaritans, etc.).
As of 2000, the overall population also includes Lebanese citizens (soldiers from the
Southern Lebanese Army and their families) who entered Israel in May 2000 and were given
Israeli identity cards. At the end of 2011, that population comprised 2,650 persons, and about
1,700 were not classified by religion. In the tables that present data by religion, this group
was only included in the total population and in the population of Arabs, but is not included in
the specification of religions.
In light of those definitions, data in the tables are presented by religion as follows: Jews,
Moslems, Christians – thereof Arab Christians, Druze, and Not Classified by Religion.
Some of the tables also present a breakdown by population groups: Until 1996, the
population was broken down into two groups: Jews, and Arabs and Others. As of 1996, the
population groups are: “Jews and Others”, and “Arabs”. “Jews and Others” include: Jews,
non-Arab Christians, and those not classified by religion at the Population and Immigration
Authority. “Arabs” include: Moslems, Arab Christians, Druze and as of 2000, Lebanese
citizens who are not classified by religion.
Country of birth: Defined by the borders at the time of the estimate, with the exception of
the USSR, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia. Data on those countries relate to the political
situation before their dissolution.
Continent of birth: Defined by the physical borders at the time of the estimate, with the
following exceptions: persons born in the Asian republics of the Former USSR were included
in the continent of Europe, and those born in Oceania were included in the continent of
America.
E. METHODS OF COMPUTATION
All of the rates, averages, and percentages based on 5 to 19 cases are marked in
parentheses, and those based on less than 5 cases are marked with two dots (..).
Since 1969, calculations of rates have been made on the basis of a population which
includes potential immigrants.7 The annual rates are derived from current population
estimates, which are based on the last census – excluding estimates for 2008, which are
based on the 1995 Census. The rates from 2009 onwards are based on population estimates
that were updated according to the 2008 Census.
Crude birth rate: The number of live births per 1,000 residents. The crude birth rate is
calculated by dividing the number of live births by the average population, multiplied by
1,000.
7
See the Introduction to Chapter 4 – Immigration, in the Statistical Abstract of Israel 2014, No. 65.
( 15 )
General fertility rate: The number of live births per 1,000 women at childbearing age (15-49
years). The general fertility rate is calculated by dividing the number of live births by the
average population of women aged 15–49, multiplied by 1,000.
Specific fertility rate, by age: The number of live births for mothers at childbearing age (1549 years), per 1,000 women of the same age. The specific fertility rate is calculated by
dividing the total number of live births for mothers in a given age group by the average
population of women who were in the same age group that year, multiplied by 1,000.
Total fertility rate: The average number of children that a woman is expected to bear during
her lifetime, on the assumption that the following conditions will prevail while she is at
childbearing age (15-49 years): (1) The woman’s chances of bearing a child at all ages will
be according to the specific birth rates among the women in the population in a given period;
and (2) The woman will remain alive throughout her childbearing years. The total fertility rate
is calculated by summing up all of the specific fertility rates for mothers in every cohort, then
dividing the result by 1,000 and multiplying it by the duration of the cohort.
There is a difference between the total fertility rate published in Table 5, and rate that would
have been obtained if it had been calculated on the basis of specific fertility rates for the age
groups presented in the table. This difference derives from the addition of women aged 1450, who are not usually included in the calculation of the total fertility rate.
Age of newborn’s father/mother: In the tables, this age relates to the parents’ age on their
last birthday. Calculation of the parent’s age is by his/her year of birth, on the assumption
that the date of birth is July 1st. Hence, if the event (the live birth) took place in the second
half of the year, the parent’s age is equivalent to the difference between the year of the event
and the parent’s year of birth. If the event took place in the first half of the year, the age is
equivalent to this difference less one.
The average age is:
Σ xf x
Σ fx
 0.5
Where:
x=age
fx= number of cases at age x
Because the age relates to the last birthday, i.e., the full number of years reached, half a
year should be added to the average age. For example, age 21 refers to all those who
reached the full age of 21 but have not yet reached the age of 22, so that their average age
is 21.5.
“Unknown” values: Some of the variables contain “unknown” values (e.g., age, marital
status, and continent of birth of the newborn’s mother). To calculate the rates, percentages,
and means, the “unknown values” are distributed according to the known values. Absolute
numbers remain unchanged.
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