This article lists the 73 localities in Israel that the Israeli Ministry of Interior has designated as a city council. It excludes the 4 Israeli settlements in the West Bank designated as cities, but occupied East Jerusalem is included within Jerusalem.

The list is based on the current index of the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Within Israel's system of local government, an urban municipality can be granted a city council by the Interior Ministry when its population exceeds 20,000.[1] The term "city" does not generally refer to local councils or urban agglomerations, even though a defined city often contains only a small portion of an urban area or metropolitan area's population.

List

Israel has 16 cities with populations over 100,000, including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv-Yafo.[2] In all, there are 77 Israeli localities granted "municipalities" (or "city") status by the Ministry of the Interior, including four Israeli settlements in the West Bank.[3] Two more cities are planned: Kasif, a planned city to be built in the Negev, and Harish, originally a small town currently being built into a large city. The area and population of Jerusalem includes that of East Jerusalem which has been de facto annexed by Israel and incorporated within Jerusalem's municipal borders under the Jerusalem Law. This, however, is not recognized by the international community who regard East Jerusalem to be Palestinian territory held under Israeli occupation.[4][5] If East Jerusalem is considered part of Israel, Tel Aviv is the country's second most populous city with 452,000 residents after Jerusalem with 919,000; if not, Tel Aviv is the most populous city before West Jerusalem with around 350,000.

The following table lists all Israeli cities by name, district, population, and area, according to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics:

Name Photo District First
settlement
Population
estimate,
2021[6]
Population
census,
2008[7]
Change,
2008–
–2021
Area,
km2
[8]
Density,
per km2
[9]
Socio-
economic
index[10]
Acre[cbs 1]   North Bronze Age 49,614 46,100 +7.62% 13.5 3,362.0 −0.395
Afula   North Bronze Age 59,075 40,200 +46.95% 26.9 1,611.7 −0.028
Arad   South 1962 27,582 23,400 +17.87% 93.1 195.9 0.287
Arraba[cbs 2]   North N/A 26,641 20,600 +29.33% 8.25 3,097.1 −0.945
Ashdod   South 1956[note 1] 225,975 204,300 +10.61% 47.2 4,783.9 −0.109
Ashkelon[cbs 3]   South Neolithic 149,160 110,600 +34.86% 47.8 2,964.8 -0.032
Baqa al-Gharbiyye   Haifa Middle Ages 30,973 N/A N/A 16.4 3,152.1 −0.736
Bat Yam   Tel Aviv 1926 126,290 130,300 −3.08% 8.2 15,758.4 −0.025
Beersheba[cbs 4]   South 1900[note 2] 211,251 193,400 +9.23% 117.5 1,751.7 0.035
Beit She'an[cbs 5]   North Neolithic 18,900 16,900 +11.83% 7.3 2,379.9 −0.277
Beit Shemesh[cbs 6]   Jerusalem 1950 141,764 72,700 +95.00% 34.3 2,866.6 −1.149
Bnei Brak[cbs 7]   Tel Aviv 1924 212,395 151,800 +39.92% 7.1 25,709.4 −1.304
Dimona   South 1955 35,892 32,400 +10.78% 29.9 193.7 −0.235
Eilat[cbs 8]   South 1951 52,753 47,300 +11.53% 84.8 509.6 0.247
El'ad   Center 1998 49,593 33,900 +46.29% 2.8 13,138.6 −1.493
Giv'at Shmuel[cbs 9]   Center 1944 28,162 21,000 +34.10% 2.6 9,978.1 1.124
Givatayim[cbs 10]   Tel Aviv 1922 61,281 52,100 +17.62% 3.3 18,058.2 1.417
Hadera   Haifa 1891 100,631 79,400 +26.74% 49.4 1,809.2 0.255
Haifa   Haifa Antiquity 282,832 264,300 +7.01% 63.7 4,331.4 0.652
Herzliya[cbs 11]   Tel Aviv 1924 103,318 86,300 +19.72% 21.6 4,291.0 1.373
Hod HaSharon   Center 1924 65,363 46,300 +41.17% 21.6 3,058.9 1.485
Holon   Tel Aviv 1935 197,464 176,300 +12.00% 18.9 10,017.7 0.509
Jerusalem   Jerusalem Neolithic
(East Jerusalem)

mid-1800s
(West Jerusalem)

966,210 759,700 +27.18% 125.2 7,014.1 −0.802
Kafr Qasim[cbs 12]   Center 19th century 24,757 18,400 +34.55% 8.7 2,391.5 −0.841
Karmiel[cbs 13]   North 1964 46,311 44,200 +4.78% 19.2 2,056.3 0.309
Kfar Saba[cbs 14]   Center 1903 101,801 82,800 +22.95% 14.2 6,831.0 1.191
Kfar Yona[cbs 15]   Center 1932 27,898 16,500 +69.08% 11.0 1,962.4 0.786
Kiryat Ata[cbs 16]   Haifa 1925 60,102 50,400 +19.25% 16.7 3,253.0 0.249
Kiryat Bialik[cbs 17]   Haifa 1934 43,267 37,200 +16.31% 8.2 4,650.1 0.567
Kiryat Gat[cbs 18]   South 1954 60,582 47,500 +27.54% 16.3 3,328.2 −0.378
Kiryat Malakhi[cbs 19]   South 1950 25,022 20,500 +22.06% 4.6 4,741.2 −0.594
Kiryat Motzkin[cbs 20]   Haifa 1934 46,565 38,100 +22.22% 3.8 10,612.0 0.590
Kiryat Ono[cbs 21]   Tel Aviv 1939 41,900 30,000 +39.67% 4.1 8,557.8 1.513
Kiryat Shmona[cbs 22]   North 1949 22,336 23,200 −3.72% 14.2 1,595.8 −0.014
Kiryat Yam[cbs 23]   Haifa 1941 39,441 37,700 +4.62% 4.3 8,568.6 0.018
Lod   Center Neolithic 82,629 69,400 +19.06% 12.2 6,078.3 −0.448
Ma'alot-Tarshiha   North 1963 22,315 20,600 +8.33% 6.8 2,303.0 0.024
Migdal HaEmek[cbs 24]   North 1953 26,029 23,900 +8.91% 7.6 2,876.6 −0.273
Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut
[cbs 25]
  Center 1985 97,097 69,300 +40.11% 50.2 1,862.5 1.351
Nahariya[cbs 26]   North 1935 60,806 51,300 +18.53% 10.2 4,941.8 0.436
Nazareth   North Bronze Age 77,925 71,700 +8.68% 14.1 5,357.9 −0.558
Nesher   Haifa 1923 23,760 23,300 +1.97% 12.8 1,828.9 0.783
Ness Ziona[cbs 27]   Center 1883 50,456 36,100 +39.77% 15.6 3,071.5 1.265
Netanya   Center 1929 224,066 180,100 +24.41% 29.0 6,807.7 0.240
Netivot   South 1956 42,039 26,100 +61.07% 5.6 2,874.7 −0.760
Nof HaGalil   North 1957 42,657 41,400 +3.04% 32.5 1,224.4 0.055
Ofakim[cbs 28]   South 1955 33,999 24,000 +41.66% 10.3 2,565.0 −0.757
Or Akiva[cbs 29]   Haifa 1951 19,902 16,000 +24.39% 3.5 3,165.3 −0.097
Or Yehuda   Tel Aviv 1955 36,815 33,900 +8.60% 5.1 5,477.7 0.133
Petah Tikva[cbs 30]   Center 1878 252,270 200,300 +25.95% 35.9 6,626.5 0.655
Qalansawe   Center Middle Ages 23,877 18,200 +31.19% 8.4 2,603.2 −1.011
Ra'anana[cbs 31]   Center 1922 78,562 68,300 +15.02% 14.9 4,833.8 1.462
Rahat   South 1972 76,237 50,000 +52.47% 19.6 3,283.9 −1.848
Ramat Gan   Tel Aviv 1921 169,706 143,600 +18.18% 13.2 9,376.1 1.041
Ramat HaSharon   Tel Aviv 1923 47,970 39,000 +23.00% 16.8 2,708.3 1.796
Ramla   Center 8th century 77,798 65,700 +18.41% 11.9 6,252.2 −0.333
Rehovot   Center 1890 147,878 111,100 +33.10% 23.0 5,712.4 0.629
Rishon LeZion[cbs 32]   Center 1882 257,128 226,800 +13.37% 58.7 4,212.6 0.886
Rosh HaAyin   Center 1949 71,651 37,900 +89.05% 24.4 2,868.0 0.578
Safed[cbs 33]   North Bronze Age 37,472 29,600 +26.59% 29.2 1,123.5 −1.011
Sakhnin   North Bronze Age 32,743 25,100 +30.45% 9.8 3,062.2 −0.740
Sderot[cbs 34]   South 1951 30,553 20,700 +47.60% 4.5 3,788.0 −0.223
Shefa-'Amr[cbs 35]   North Bronze Age 43,023 35,700 +20.51% 19.8 2,065.0 −0.784
Tamra   North N/A 35,405 28,100 +26.00% 29.3 1,118.1 −0.983
Tayibe   Center N/A 45,388 35,700 +27.14% 18.7 2,198.7 −0.878
Tel Aviv-Yafo   Tel Aviv Neolithic
(Jaffa)

1887
(Neve Tzedek)

467,875 402,600 +16.21% 51.8 8,473.0 1.221
Tiberias   North 20 46,698 41,600 +12.25% 10.9 2,663.5 −0.379
Tira[cbs 36]   Center N/A 27,392 22,200 +23.39% 11.9 2,128.7 −0.469
Tirat Carmel[cbs 37]   Haifa N/A 26,806 18,600 +44.12% 5.6 3,425.4 −0.138
Umm al-Fahm   Haifa N/A 57,677 45,000 +28.17% 22.3 2,053.4 −1.294
Yavne   Center Bronze Age 53,595 32,800 +63.40% 10.7 2,690.9 0.455
Yehud-Monosson   Center N/A 30,619 26,200 +16.87% 5.0 5,862.3 1.034
Yokneam Illit[cbs 38]   North 1950 24,158 19,000 +27.15% 7.4 2,649.1 0.800

See also

Notes

General
  1. ^ Tel Ashdod, remains of the ancient town, lies east of the modern city.
  2. ^ Tel Be'er Sheva, remains of the ancient town, lies east of the modern city.
Official spellings
  1. ^ Akko
  2. ^ Arrabe
  3. ^ Ashqelon
  4. ^ Be'er Sheva
  5. ^ Bet She'an
  6. ^ Bet Shemesh
  7. ^ Bene Beraq
  8. ^ Elat
  9. ^ Giv'at Shemu'el
  10. ^ Giv'atayim
  11. ^ Herzliyya
  12. ^ Kafar Qasem
  13. ^ Karmi'el
  14. ^ Kefar Sava
  15. ^ Kefar Yona
  16. ^ Qiryat Atta
  17. ^ Qiryat Bialik
  18. ^ Qiryat Gat
  19. ^ Qiryat Mal'akhi
  20. ^ Qiryat Motzkin
  21. ^ Qiryat Ono
  22. ^ Qiryat Shemona
  23. ^ Qiryat Yam
  24. ^ Migdal HaEmeq
  25. ^ Modi'in-Makkabbim-Re'ut
  26. ^ Nahariyya
  27. ^ Nes Ziyyona
  28. ^ Ofaqim
  29. ^ Or Aqiva
  30. ^ Petah Tiqwa
  31. ^ Ra'annana
  32. ^ Rishon LeZiyyon
  33. ^ Zefat
  34. ^ Sederot
  35. ^ Shefar'am
  36. ^ Tire
  37. ^ Tirat Karmel
  38. ^ Yoqne'am Illit

References

  1. ^ "Israeli Democracy: How Does It Work?". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 22 June 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  2. ^ "Inventory of World Cities". Globalization and World Cities Study Group & Network. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2008.
  3. ^ 2.22 Localities and Population, by Municipal Status and District Archived 17 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine, 2018
  4. ^ Symon, Fiona (4 December 2001). "Jerusalem: Crucible of the conflict". BBC News Online. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  5. ^ "Background on East Jerusalem". B'Tselem. 8 July 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  6. ^ "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  7. ^ "Profiles by Locality". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 2008. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  8. ^ "2004 local government profile" (in Hebrew). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2007.
  9. ^ Population and Density per Sq. Km. in Localities Numbering 5,000 Residents and More on 31.12.2016 (Report). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 6 September 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  10. ^ SOCIO-ECONOMIC INDEX 2013 OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES, IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER OF HEBREW NAMES (PDF) (Report). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2018.

External links