How Many Christians Live in Israel?
Approximately 184,200 Christians were living in Israel in December 2025, about 1.9% of the population, on the Central Bureau of Statistics’ estimate.
Approximately 184,200 Christians were living in Israel in December 2025, about 1.9% of the population, on the Central Bureau of Statistics’ preliminary estimate published on 24 December 2025. That estimate counts Christians who appear in the Population Register, so it covers residents rather than foreign nationals living in the country. The rest of the Bureau’s Christmas release is dated end of 2024 or the 2024/25 school year, and each figure below carries its own period.
| Figure | What it counts | Period |
|---|---|---|
| approximately 184,200 | Christians living in Israel, about 1.9% of the population, preliminary | December 2025 |
| 78.7% | Share of Christians in Israel who are Arab Christians, 6.8% of the total Arab population | End of 2024 |
| 1.61 | Children a Christian woman is expected to bear in her lifetime, and 1.48 for an Arab Christian woman | 2024 |
| 2,134 | Infants born to Christian women, about 73% of them, or 1,568, to Arab Christian women | 2024 |
| 26,240 | Christian students in primary and secondary schools, 1.3% of all students | 2024/25 school year |
| 67.7% | Labour force participation among Christians aged 15 and over, and 56.9% among Christian Arabs | 2024 |
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics, Christmas 2025, media release 413/2025, 24 December 2025.
Almost 4 in 5 Christians in Israel are Arab Christians
The Central Bureau of Statistics puts the share at 78.7% at the end of 2024, and those Arab Christians are 6.8% of the total Arab population in Israel. The split matters for anyone reading the Bureau’s headline population categories, because the two groups sit on opposite sides of them: the Bureau counts Arab Christians inside “Arabs”, alongside Moslems and Druze, and counts non-Arab Christians inside “Jews and Others”. A reader adding Christians to either group from the headline table will double count them.
Two thirds of Arab Christians live in the Northern District
The Central Bureau of Statistics recorded 68.3% of Arab Christians in the Northern District at the end of 2024 and a further 14.7% in the Haifa District. Four localities hold the largest Arab Christian populations.
| Locality | Arab Christian residents | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Nazareth | 18,900 | End of 2024 |
| Haifa | 18,800 | End of 2024 |
| Jerusalem | 13,400 | End of 2024 |
| Nof HaGalil | 10,800 | End of 2024 |
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics, Christmas 2025, media release 413/2025.
Christian fertility is 1.61 children per woman
That is the Central Bureau of Statistics’ figure for 2024, and it falls to 1.48 for an Arab Christian woman. Both sit below the replacement level of about 2.1. The Bureau counted 2,134 infants born to Christian women in 2024, of whom about 73%, or 1,568, were born to Arab Christian women.
Household size follows the same pattern. The Bureau puts the average household headed by a Christian at 2.89 persons at the end of 2024, against 3.02 for a household headed by a Jew and 4.35 for one headed by a Moslem.
87.7% of Christian 12th-graders were eligible for a matriculation certificate
The Central Bureau of Statistics recorded that share for the 2024/25 school year. In the same year the Bureau counted 26,240 Christian students in primary and secondary schools, 1.3% of all students in Israel, and 6,700 Christian students in higher education, 2.2% of all students, with a further 500 or so at the Open University.
Women are 61.1% of Christian students in higher education
The Central Bureau of Statistics recorded that share for 2024/25, and it publishes the same measure for the other population groups in the same release.
The December estimate counts residents in the Population Register
The 184,200 is a preliminary estimate for December 2025, and the Bureau states in the release that it covers Christians who appear in the Population Register. Foreign nationals living in Israel who are not in that register sit outside it, which is why the figure is a count of residents rather than of everyone in the country who is Christian on any given day.
The share has held at about 1.9% across the releases. The Bureau put Christians at about 182,000 and about 1.9% of the population in its December 2021 release, and at approximately 187,900 and about 1.9% in its December 2023 release. Each of those totals is that release’s own preliminary estimate on its own vintage, so the shares are the comparable part and the counts are not a series.
Where these figures come from
Every figure on this page is the Central Bureau of Statistics’ own, published in its annual Christmas media release on Christians in Israel. The December 2025 total is preliminary; the population, household, fertility and labour force figures are for the end of 2024 or for calendar 2024; the education figures are for the 2024/25 academic and school year. The Bureau’s criminal-justice rates are per 100,000 persons and count judgments handed down in 2023, not offences committed that year, so the denominator and the year both travel with them.
The count of Christians and the share of the population come from different bases in different releases, and the totals across releases are separate preliminary estimates rather than one series. The share of about 1.9% is the figure each release states for itself.
Questions
How many Christians live in Israel?
Approximately 184,200 in December 2025, about 1.9% of the population, on the Central Bureau of Statistics’ preliminary estimate.
What share of them are Arab Christians?
78.7% at the end of 2024, on the Central Bureau of Statistics’ count. They are 6.8% of the total Arab population in Israel.
Does the Bureau count Christians as Arabs or as Jews and Others?
Both, depending on the person. The Central Bureau of Statistics counts Arab Christians inside the Arab group and non-Arab Christians inside Jews and Others.
Where do most Arab Christians live?
68.3% were in the Northern District at the end of 2024, with a further 14.7% in the Haifa District, on the Central Bureau of Statistics’ figures.
Which locality has the most Arab Christians?
Nazareth, with 18,900 at the end of 2024, followed by Haifa with 18,800, Jerusalem with 13,400 and Nof HaGalil with 10,800.
What is the Christian fertility rate in Israel?
1.61 children per woman in 2024, and 1.48 for an Arab Christian woman, on the Central Bureau of Statistics’ figures.
How many babies were born to Christian women?
2,134 in 2024, of whom about 73%, or 1,568, were born to Arab Christian women.
How large is a Christian household?
2.89 persons on average at the end of 2024, against 3.02 for a household headed by a Jew and 4.35 for one headed by a Moslem.
How many Christian students are in school?
26,240 in primary and secondary schools in 2024/25, 1.3% of all students in Israel.
How many Christians are in higher education?
6,700 in 2024/25, 2.2% of all students, with a further 500 or so at the Open University.
What share of Christian 12th-graders qualify for matriculation?
87.7% were eligible for a matriculation certificate in 2024/25.
Are more Christian students in higher education women or men?
Women, at 61.1% in 2024/25. The Central Bureau of Statistics publishes 71.0% for Moslems, 63.3% for Druze and 58.3% for Jews and Others in the same release.
What is Christian labour force participation?
67.7% among Christians aged 15 and over in 2024, and 56.9% among Christian Arabs.
Does the 184,200 include Christian foreign nationals?
Not those outside the Population Register. The Central Bureau of Statistics states that the estimate covers Christians who appear in the register.
Has the number changed since 2021?
The Bureau published about 182,000 in December 2021 and approximately 187,900 in December 2023. Each is that release’s own preliminary estimate, so the counts are not a continuous series; the share stayed at about 1.9% in all three.
Sources
- Central Bureau of Statistics, 2025. Christmas 2025 - Christians in Israel. Media release 413/2025, 24 December 2025.
- Central Bureau of Statistics, 2023. Christmas 2023 - Christians in Israel. Media release 411/2023.
- Central Bureau of Statistics, 2021. Christmas 2021 - Christians in Israel. Media release 432/2021.
- Central Bureau of Statistics, 2026. Israel’s Independence Day 2026. Media release 117/2026.
