Largest cities in Israel by population
The 17 cities the United Nations Demographic Yearbook 2024 lists for Israel: the capital and every city of 100,000 or more, with the latest figure the country reported. The largest is Jerusalem with 987,900 people.
Who runs cities in Israel?
Municipalities (cities, about 76–80): Mayor and council directly elected for five years; council by closed-list proportional representation. Education buildings, welfare, sanitation, local roads, planning and property tax (arnona).
How local power works in Israel · Level 3: local councils worldwide
| # | City | Population | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jerusalem (capital) | 987,900 | 30 June 2024 (provisional) |
| 2 | Tel Aviv-Yafo | 469,425 | 30 June 2024 (provisional) |
| 3 | Haifa | 298,311 | 2023 |
| 4 | Petah Tiqwa | 267,196 | 2023 |
| 5 | Rishon Leziyyon | 258,681 | 2023 |
| 6 | Netanya | 233,485 | 2023 |
| 7 | Ashdod | 229,173 | 2023 |
| 8 | Bene Beraq | 223,786 | 2023 |
| 9 | Be'er Sheva | 218,995 | 2023 |
| 10 | Holon | 192,980 | 2023 |
| 11 | Ramat Gan | 167,795 | 2023 |
| 12 | Bet Shemesh | 167,318 | 2023 |
| 13 | Ashqelon | 161,745 | 2023 |
| 14 | Rehovot | 153,416 | 2023 |
| 15 | Bat Yam | 131,099 | 2023 |
| 16 | Herzliyya | 108,650 | 2023 |
| 17 | Hadera | 106,767 | 2023 |
Countries define a city in different ways (the city proper, or the wider urban area) and report in different years, so cities in different countries are not always comparable.
More on Israel: official statistics · government and power · regions
Sources
- United Nations Statistics Division: Demographic Yearbook 2024, Table 8: Population of capital cities and cities of 100 000 or more inhabitants, latest available year, 2005-2024, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0c6784df022e…)
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