Rosh Hashanah will be celebrated with a world Jewish population of 14.7 million, according to new Jewish Agency figures. And research by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) suggests the Israeli population will reach 10 million by the end of 2024.

The Jewish Agency survey shows that around 45 per cent of the 14.7 million (6.6 million) live in Israel. Of the 8.1 million elsewhere, 5.7 million are in America, 453,000 in France, 391,000 in Canada, 290,000 in Britain and 180,000 in Argentina. Russia has 172,000 Jews, Germany 116,000 and Australia 113,000.

Among Arab countries, there are 8,500 Jews in Iran, 2,000 in Morocco and 1,000 in Tunisia. Fewer than 500 Jews live in Yemen, Syria and Egypt respectively.

Ninety-eight countries have at least 100 Jews living in them.

The research was compiled by Professor Sergio Della Pergola, Israel’s leading expert on Jewish demography and reflect the world’s “core Jewish population”– those who identify in surveys as Jewish and do not have another religion. It also includes individuals with a Jewish parent who claim no religious or ethnic identity. 

The CBS data shows that Israel’s population, currently 8.9 million, experienced a 2 per cent growth rate in 2017-18.

There were 175,000 babies born and 43,000 deaths. New immigrants totalled 29,000.

Israel’s fertility rate is 3.11 per woman, the highest among OECD countries — and close to double the OECD average. In August, hospitals across Israel reported a record number of births.