Southern District: population, jobs, wages, health, schooling and poverty
Southern District is a district of Israel, number 4 of 6 by population. Southern District had 1,522,600 residents on 31 December 2024, 15.1% 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 3rd smallest of 6 among the districts.
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Southern District: 64.2% of people aged 15 and over in Southern District worked at some point in the 12 months before the 2022 census (Israel: 66.2%); 3rd lowest of 6 among the districts. The share was 67.8% for men and 60.9% for women.
- Health in Southern District: 32,343 babies were born alive to residents of Southern District in 2024, a crude birth rate of 22.1 per 1,000 residents (Israel: 18.6); 2nd highest of 6 among the districts.
- Education in Southern District: 13.6% of people aged 15 and over in Southern District had 16 or more years of study at the 2022 census, while 7.3% had 8 years or fewer (Israel: 17.7% and 6.8%); the 16-years-or-more share is 2nd lowest of 6 among the districts.
- Poverty and living standards in Southern District: 22.6% of families in Southern District lived below the poverty line in 2023 (Israel: 20.1%), according to the National Insurance Institute; 2nd 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 Southern District growing?
The population of Southern District grew 7.2% between the 2022 census (2 April 2022, 1,420,400 people) and the end of 2024, against 4.8% for Israel as a whole; that growth is the highest of 6 among the districts.
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) · saved copyHow many towns and villages are there in Southern District?
Southern District has 256 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 Southern District?
Southern District covers 14,185 square kilometres and had 100 people per square kilometre at the 2022 census; density is the lowest of 6 among the districts.
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) · saved copyWhat is the median age in Southern District?
The median age of people in Southern District was 28 at the 2022 census (Israel: 30), 2nd youngest of 6 among the districts. 42% of households had children under 18 and 26% had someone aged 65 or over (Israel: 42% and 26%).
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) · saved copyHow many households are there in Southern District?
There were about 419,920 households in Southern District at the 2022 census, with 3.1 people each on average (Israel: 3.0); 3rd highest of 6 among the districts.
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) · saved copyWhat is the religious make-up of Southern District?
In the 2022 census 69.8% of people in Southern District were Jewish, 21.5% Muslim, 0.4% Christian and 0.0% 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 Southern District are secular or religious?
Asked about the way of life of the household, 38.0% of households in Southern District described themselves as secular, 31.7% traditional, 19.5% religious or very religious and 6.3% 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
- Northern District 1,584,300
- Tel Aviv District 1,539,100
- 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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