The Central Bureau of Statistics released data examining Israel's population following the outbreak of war on October 7, 2023, providing a social and economic snapshot of Israel and the Gaza and Lebanon border regions through 2024.
A total of 1,076 Israelis were killed in the October 7 attack. In 2023, the war claimed 1,377 lives, including 828 civilians and 509 soldiers. In 2024, 406 people were killed, including 96 civilians and 310 soldiers.
The report examined demographic and social changes in the Gaza border and Lebanon border communities. At the end of 2023, 361,900 residents lived in Gaza border communities, including 76,800 evacuees, of whom 51,500 were evacuated fromGaza border communities. In 2024, the number of evacuees from the Gaza border stood at only 4,400.
On the Lebanon border, approximately 504,800 residents lived in communities within 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) of the border at the end of 2023, including 51,900 evacuees, of whom 49,500 were evacuated from communities within 5 kilometers (3.1 miles). In 2024, the number of evacuees from the Lebanon border rose to 63,100, all from communities within 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) of the border.
At the end of 2023, more than 134,000 evacuees were absorbed in communities outside their place of residence. Eilat absorbed the largest number of evacuees – approximately 19,000, Tel Aviv absorbed approximately 15,000 evacuees, and Jerusalem absorbed approximately 14,000.
As a result of the war, a significant increase was recorded in the number of people with disabilities in Israel. In 2024, approximately 1.32 million people with various disabilities were included in the registry, representing 13.1% of the total population, compared to approximately 1.163 million in 2023, who represented 11.7% of the population. Simultaneously, a sharp increase occurred in the number of disability benefit recipients from the National Insurance Institute, including those receiving benefits due to hostile actions, which rose from 4,200 in 2023 to 29,900 in 2024.
Among Gaza border residents, the number of people with disabilities rose from 52,900 in 2023 to 76,700 in 2024. In Gaza border communities, the number rose from 8,400 to 22,500.
The number of people with mental disabilities in Gaza border communities rose from 1,600 in 2023 to approximately 8,600 in 2024, and in expanded Gaza border communities from 9,500 to 21,300.
Among residents of communities within 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) of the Lebanon border, the number of people with disabilities rose from 12,700 in 2023 to 13,400 in 2024, and in communities within 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) of the border, the number rose from 68,900 to 74,800.
Among IDF disabled veterans, significant increases were also recorded in mental injuries, from 13,600 in 2023 to 16,100 in 2024, an increase of 18.1%. The report's data reflects the price paid by reserve soldiers after a long period of war and hundreds of days of reserve duty.
In the fourth quarter of 2023, with the outbreak of war, a sharp increase occurred in the rate of those absent from work due to reserve service, reaching 3.4% of all employed persons – 147,300 people. Subsequently, the rate declined, and in the first quarter of 2025 it stood at 0.5% of all employed persons – 21,400 people.
Among reserve soldiers' spouses, 94.8% were women and 5.2% were men. Of the female spouses, 52% reported a deterioration in their children's mental state following the service, and 34.1% reported financial difficulty. Among families with children, 35.2% reported financial difficulty following reserve service, and among couples without children, 27.6%.
Against the backdrop of the war, life expectancy in 2023, excluding civilians and soldiers killed in the war, stood at 83.8 years in the general population, 81.7 years among men, and 85.7 years among women. Life expectancy including war casualties was half a year lower and stood at 83.3 years. In 2024, life expectancy excluding war casualties stood at 83.4 years, slightly lower than in 2023, while life expectancy including war casualties was slightly lower among men and unchanged among women.
In the birth sector, approximately 178,700 newborns were born in 2023 and approximately 180,800 in 2024. In June and July 2024, a decline in birth volume of 2.6% and 7.1% respectively was recorded, compared to the corresponding period in 2023. From August, recovery began, and in September 2024, an increase of 7.2% was recorded compared to September 2023.
Between October 2023 and September 2024, 79,900 Israelis emigrated from Israel, compared to 74,600 between October 2022 and September 2023 (before the war began), an increase of approximately 6.9%. Of the total emigrants during the war period, 48,800 were Jews, 25,800 were others, and 5,000 were Arabs. For comparison, in the corresponding period the previous year, 43,500 Jews, 26,800 others, and 4,300 Arabs left.
The number of Israeli emigrants who returned during the war period stood at 19,900, compared to 24,800 in the corresponding period the previous year, a decline of approximately 19.8%.
Of the total returning Israelis during the war period, 15,300 were Jews, 2,700 were Arabs, and 1,900 were others. For comparison, in the corresponding period the year before the war, 18,500 Jews, 3,300 others, and 3,000 Arabs returned.
In the labor market, stability was recorded in the number of employee positions for workers from the Palestinian Authority until the third quarter of 2023, when the number stood at 128,100. In the fourth quarter of 2023, a sharp decline occurred to 41,200 positions – the lowest figure in the past decade.
In contrast, the number of employee positions for workers from abroad rose from 132,300 in the fourth quarter of 2023 to 165,200 in the fourth quarter of 2024. The employment rate among those aged 15 and above declined from 61.3% in 2023 to 60.8% in 2024, with sharp declines in Lebanon border communities and fence-adjacent communities on the Gaza border.
In October 2023, 36.7% of businesses in Israel were temporarily closed or operating in a limited capacity, while in the Southern District the rate stood at 59.4%. In November and December, recovery was recorded, and in December the rate of closed businesses in the Southern District fell to 10.3%.
High rates of welfare needs were also recorded in Gaza and Lebanon border communities compared to the national rate. In fence-adjacent communities on the Gaza border, the number of those registered for welfare services rose to 169.3 per 1,000 people in 2024, compared to 153.2 in 2023.
In the tourism sector, in the last quarter of 2023, a sharp decline occurred in the number of tourist overnight stays, reaching only 0.5 million, compared to 2.4 million in the corresponding quarter in 2022. Simultaneously, a sharp increase was recorded in Israeli overnight stays due to the absorption of evacuees. In 2024, approximately 22.5 million overnight stays were recorded in tourism hotels, a decline of 13.6% compared to 2023, while tourist overnight stays plummeted to only 1.9 million.
Despite the challenges, overall life satisfaction among those aged 20 and above remained high in 2024 and stood at 91.1%. However, an increase was recorded in the rate of those reporting that their lives or economic situation will not improve, as well as a sharp increase in feelings of depression, stress, and fear of terror events, especially in Gaza and Lebanon border communities. Simultaneously, a decline was recorded in trust in the government and the justice system, to the lowest levels since 2015, alongside a significant increase in the scope of volunteering, which reached a record rate of 30% in 2024.
