Christians Report Lowest Growth Rate in Israel

January 20, 2012

According to a recent report from the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, Christians have the lowest growth rate among the Israeli population, the Religion News Service reports. The Christian growth rate, 0.9 percent, ranks behind the Jewish rate of 1.7 percent and the Muslim rate of 2.7 percent. About 154,000 Christians live in Israel, about 2 percent of the population -- a percentage which has remained relatively stable since the mid-1980s. The estimated birth rate for Christian women is also the lowest among the religious groups; the average number of children born to a Christian woman is 2.1, compared to a Jewish woman (3.0) and a Muslim woman (3.8).