Northern District: population, jobs, wages, health, schooling and poverty
Northern District is a district of Israel, number 2 of 6 by population. Northern District had 1,584,300 residents on 31 December 2024, 15.7% of the 10,065,500 people in Israel (the national total includes Israeli residents of the Judea and Samaria Area, which is not part of any district); that is 2nd largest of 6 among the districts.
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Northern District: 63.3% of people aged 15 and over in Northern District worked at some point in the 12 months before the 2022 census (Israel: 66.2%); 2nd lowest of 6 among the districts. The share was 70.4% for men and 56.4% for women.
- Health in Northern District: 24,687 babies were born alive to residents of Northern District in 2024, a crude birth rate of 15.8 per 1,000 residents (Israel: 18.6); 3rd lowest of 6 among the districts.
- Education in Northern District: 13.2% of people aged 15 and over in Northern District had 16 or more years of study at the 2022 census, while 9.5% had 8 years or fewer (Israel: 17.7% and 6.8%); the 16-years-or-more share is the lowest of 6 among the districts.
- Poverty and living standards in Northern District: 22.5% of families in Northern District lived below the poverty line in 2023 (Israel: 20.1%), according to the National Insurance Institute; 3rd highest of 6 among the districts. The poverty line is half of the national median net income per standard person (NIS 3,324 a month in 2023).
How fast is the population of Northern District growing?
The population of Northern District grew 4.3% between the 2022 census (2 April 2022, 1,519,700 people) and the end of 2024, against 4.8% for Israel as a whole; that growth is 3rd lowest of 6 among the districts.
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) · saved copyHow many towns and villages are there in Northern District?
Northern District has 420 localities (towns, villages, kibbutzim and similar) as of 31 December 2024, out of 1,221 in Israel including the Judea and Samaria Area.
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) · saved copyHow big is Northern District?
Northern District covers 4,473 square kilometres and had 340 people per square kilometre at the 2022 census; density is 2nd lowest of 6 among the districts.
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) · saved copyWhat is the median age in Northern District?
The median age of people in Northern District was 30 at the 2022 census (Israel: 30), 3rd youngest of 6 among the districts. 44% of households had children under 18 and 24% had someone aged 65 or over (Israel: 42% and 26%).
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) · saved copyHow many households are there in Northern District?
There were about 474,070 households in Northern District at the 2022 census, with 3.2 people each on average (Israel: 3.0); 2nd highest of 6 among the districts.
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) · saved copyWhat is the religious make-up of Northern District?
In the 2022 census 42.9% of people in Northern District were Jewish, 38.7% Muslim, 6.7% Christian and 7.8% Druze, with the rest of another religion or unclassified (Israel: 72.7% Jewish, 17.8% Muslim).
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) · saved copyHow many people in Northern District are secular or religious?
Asked about the way of life of the household, 35.1% of households in Northern District described themselves as secular, 37.1% traditional, 18.8% religious or very religious and 2.6% ultra-Orthodox (2022 census; Israel: 43.5%, 27.4%, 16.7% and 8.0%).
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) · saved copyHow districts are governed in Israel
Districts (6) and sub-districts (15). District commissioner appointed by the Ministry of Interior. Deconcentrated central government: supervises local authorities and planning; no elected body.
Every tier of government in Israel
Other districts of Israel
- Central District 2,412,000
- Tel Aviv District 1,539,100
- Southern District 1,522,600
- Jerusalem District 1,331,600
- Haifa District 1,160,200
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Sources
- Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS): Population Census 2022: Summarized file of broad geographical units (sheet District Sub-District Natural Region), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 79a967d1e721…)
- Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS): Statistical Abstract of Israel 2025, Table 4.11: Matriculation examinees, by entitlement to a certificate and selected characteristics (2024; Ministry of Education data), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7c420a608d7f…)
- Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS): Statistical Abstract of Israel 2025, Table 2.12: Localities and population, by district, sub-district and population group (31 December 2024), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5f38eb4d06e2…)
- National Insurance Institute of Israel (Bituach Leumi): Report on the Dimensions of Poverty and Income Inequality 2023, Supplement table 7: poverty by districts and large cities, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a8907563561a…)
- Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS): Statistical Abstract of Israel 2025, Table 2.26: Live births, deaths and infant deaths, by district and sub-district, population group and religion (2024), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 19bc65c8e286…)
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