Religiosity, nationalism and human reproduction: the case of Israel

Abstract

Israel is 280 miles long and 10 miles wide at its narrowest point; it is comparable in size to the State of New Jersey. The total population of Israel is currently about 6.5 million, of the same order as the populations of Austria, Switzerland or Denmark. Eighty per cent of the population are Jews, 15 per cent Muslim, 3 per cent Christians and 2 per cent Druze (Yaffe, 1999). Israel is a highly urban and industrialized country, with over 95 per cent of the population living in cities or towns. Israel’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita is approximately US $17,500. This, despite its geographical location in the Middle East, makes Israel’s economic level equal to that of England, placing Israel among the developed European countries.