2020 Edition

Background

Israel has become a regional economic and military powerhouse, leveraging its prosperous high-tech sector, large defense industry, and concerns about Iran to foster partnerships around the world. The State of Israel was established in 1948. The UN General Assembly proposed in 1947 partitioning the British Mandate for Palestine into an Arab and Jewish state. The Jews accepted the proposal, but the local Arabs and the Arab states rejected the UN plan and launched a war. The Arabs were subsequently defeated in the 1947-1949 war that followed the UN proposal and the British withdrawal. Israel joined the UN in 1949 and saw rapid population growth, primarily due to Jewish refugee migration from Europe and the Middle East. Israel and its Arab neighbors fought wars in 1956, 1967, and 1973, and Israel signed peace treaties with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. Israel took control of the West Bank, the eastern part of Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights in the course of the 1967 war. It ceded the Sinai back to Egypt in the 1979-1982 period but has continued to administer the other territories through military authorities. Israel and Palestinian officials signed interim agreements in the 1990s that created a period of Palestinian self-rule in parts of the West Bank and Gaza. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. The most recent formal efforts between Israel and the Palestinian Authority to negotiate final status issues occurred in 2013 and 2014, and the US continues its efforts to advance peace. Israel signed the US-brokered normalization agreements (the Abraham Accords) with Bahrain, the UAE, and Morocco in 2020 and reached an agreement with Sudan in 2021. Immigration to Israel continues, with more than 44,000 estimated new immigrants, mostly Jewish, in the first 11 months of 2023. Former Prime Minister Benjamin NETANYAHU returned to office in 2022, continuing his dominance of Israel's political landscape at the head of Israel's most rightwing and religious government. NETANYAHU previously served as premier from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021, becoming Israel's longest serving prime minister. On 7 October 2023, HAMAS militants launched a combined unguided rocket and ground terrorist attack from Gaza into southern Israel. The same day Israel’s Air Force launched air strikes inside Gaza and initiated a sustained air campaign against HAMAS targets across the Gaza Strip. The following day, NETANYAHU formally declared war on HAMAS, and on 28 October, the Israel Defense Forces launched a large-scale ground assault inside Gaza. The Israeli economy has undergone a dramatic transformation in the last 30 years, led by cutting-edge high-tech sectors. Offshore gas discoveries in the Mediterranean place Israel at the center of a potential regional natural gas market. In 2022, a US-brokered agreement between Israel and Lebanon established their maritime boundary, allowing Israel to begin production on additional gas fields in the Mediterranean. However, Israel's economic development has been uneven. Structural issues such as low labor-force participation among religious and minority populations, low workforce productivity, high costs for housing and consumer staples, and high income inequality concern both economists and the general population. The current war with Hamas disrupted Israel’s solid economic fundamentals, but it is not likely to have long-term structural implications for the economy. 

Area

land

21,497 sq km

total

21,937 sq km

water

440 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than New Jersey

Climate

temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas

Coastline

273 km

Elevation

highest point

Mitspe Shlagim 2,224 m; note - this is the highest named point, the actual highest point is an unnamed dome slightly to the west of Mitspe Shlagim at 2,236 m; both points are on the northeastern border of Israel, along the southern end of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range

lowest point

Dead Sea -431 m

mean elevation

508 m

Geographic coordinates

31 30 N, 34 45 E

Geography - note

note 1: Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) is an important freshwater source; the Dead Sea is the second saltiest body of water in the world (after Lake Assal in Djibouti) note 2: the Malham Cave in Mount Sodom is the world's longest salt cave at 10 km (6 mi); Mount Sodom is a hill about 220 m (722 ft) high that is 80% salt, with multiple salt layers covered by a veneer of rock

Irrigated land

1,927 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

border countries

Egypt 208 km; Gaza Strip 59 km; Jordan 327 km (20 km are within the Dead Sea); Lebanon 81 km; Syria 83 km; West Bank 330 km

total

1,068 km

Land use

agricultural land

24.8% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 12.5% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 4.7% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 7.6% (2023 est.)

forest

6.7% (2023 est.)

other

68.5% (2023 est.)

Location

Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Lebanon

Major lakes (area sq km)

salt water lake(s)

Dead Sea (shared with Jordan and West Bank) - 1,020 sq km note - endorheic hypersaline lake; 9.6 times saltier than the ocean; lake shore is 431 meters below sea level

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

continental shelf

to depth of exploitation

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic earthquakes

Natural resources

timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand

Population distribution

population concentrated in and around Tel-Aviv, as well as around the Sea of Galilee; the south remains sparsely populated, with the exception of the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba

Terrain

Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains; Jordan Rift Valley

Age structure

0-14 years

27.5% (male 1,320,629/female 1,260,977)

15-64 years

60.3% (male 2,885,485/female 2,781,777)

65 years and over

12.3% (2024 est.) (male 525,161/female 628,588)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

1.78 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

1.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

3.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

18.89 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

50.4% (2021 est.)

Death rate

4.89 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

20.4 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio

4.9 (2024 est.)

total dependency ratio

65.9 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio

45.6 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

5.9% of GDP (2022 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

16.1% national budget (2022 est.)

Ethnic groups

Jewish 73.5% (of which Israel-born 79.7%, Europe/America/Oceania-born 14.3%, Africa-born 3.9%, Asia-born 2.1%), Arab 21.1%, other 5.4% (2022 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

1.41 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

7.9% of GDP (2021)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

13% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

3.1 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

2.3 deaths/1,000 live births

male

3.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total

2.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Languages

Hebrew (official), Arabic (special status under Israeli law), English (most commonly used foreign language)

major-language sample(s)

ספר עובדות העולם, המקור החיוני למידע בסיסי (Hebrew) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

85.1 years

male

81.1 years

total population

83.1 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

4.421 million Tel Aviv-Yafo, 1.174 million Haifa, 970,000 JERUSALEM (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

2 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

30.7 years

male

29.6 years

total

30.2 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

27.7 years (2019 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Israeli

noun

Israeli(s)

Net migration rate

1.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

26.1% (2016)

Physician density

3.8 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Population

female

4,671,342

male

4,731,275

total

9,402,617 (2024 est.)

Population growth rate

1.59% (2025 est.)

Religions

Jewish 73.5%, Muslim 18.1%, Christian 1.9%, Druze 1.6%, other 4.9% (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 99% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

16 years (2022 est.)

male

14 years (2022 est.)

total

15 years (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.84 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

12.4% (2025 est.)

male

24.9% (2025 est.)

total

18.6% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.89 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.51% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

92.9% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, Friday before the last Sunday in March; ends the last Sunday in October

etymology

the meaning of the ancient name is unclear; the city is called Ursalim or Urusalimmi in Egyptian texts from the 14th century B.C., which may come from the Western Semitic verb yaru, meaning "to establish," and the name Shalim, the Canaanite god of dusk; another theory says the root letters s-l-m in the name refer to shalom, meaning "peace" 

geographic coordinates

31 46 N, 35 14 E

name

Jerusalem

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Israel

dual citizenship recognized

yes, but naturalized citizens are not allowed to maintain dual citizenship

residency requirement for naturalization

3 out of the 5 years preceding the application for naturalization

Constitution

amendment process

proposed by Government of Israel ministers or by the Knesset; passage requires a majority vote of Knesset members and subject to Supreme Court judicial review

history

no formal constitution; some functions of a constitution are filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the Basic Laws, and the Law of Return (as amended)

Country name

conventional long form

State of Israel

conventional short form

Israel

etymology

named after the ancient Kingdom of Israel; according to Biblical tradition, the Jewish patriarch Jacob received the name Israel (meaning "He who struggles with God") after he wrestled with an angel of the Lord

former

Mandatory Palestine

local long form

Medinat Yisra'el

local short form

Yisra'el

Diplomatic representation from the US

branch office(s)

Tel Aviv

chief of mission

Ambassador Mike HUCKABEE (21 April 2025)

email address and website

JerusalemACS@state.gov https://il.usembassy.gov/

embassy

14 David Flusser Street, Jerusalem, 9378322

FAX

[972] (2) 630-4070

mailing address

6350 Jerusalem Place, Washington DC 20521-6350

telephone

[972] (2) 630-4000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Yechiel (Michael) LEITER (since 4 February 2025)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

email address and website

consular@washington.mfa.gov.il https://embassies.gov.il/washington/Pages/default.aspx

FAX

[1] (202) 364-5607

telephone

[1] (202) 364-5500

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the Knesset

chief of state

President Isaac HERZOG (since 7 July 2021)

election results

2021: Isaac HERZOG elected president; Knesset vote in first round - Isaac HERZOG (independent) 87, Miriam PERETZ (independent) 26, invalid/blank 7 2014: Reuven RIVLIN elected president in second round; Knesset vote - Reuven RIVLIN (Likud) 63, Meir SHEETRIT (The Movement) 53, other/invalid 4

election/appointment process

president indirectly elected by the Knesset for a single 7-year term; following legislative elections, the president, in consultation with party leaders, tasks a Knesset member (usually the member of the largest party) with forming a new government

expected date of next election

June 2028

head of government

Prime Minister Benyamin NETANYAHU (since 29 December 2022)

most recent election date

2 June 2021

Flag

description: white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the Magen David (Star of David or Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag history: the design resembles a traditional Jewish prayer shawl (tallit), which is white with blue stripes; the hexagram as a Jewish symbol dates back to medieval times

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Independence

14 May 1948 (following League of Nations mandate under British administration)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2002

International organization participation

BIS, BSEC (observer), CE (observer), CERN, CICA, EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of the president, deputy president, 13 justices, and 2 registrars) and normally sits in panels of 3 justices; in special cases, the panel is expanded with an uneven number of justices

judge selection and term of office

judges selected by the 9-member Judicial Selection Committee, consisting of the Minister of Justice (chair), the president of the Supreme Court, two other Supreme Court justices, 1 other Cabinet minister, 2 Knesset members, and 2 representatives of the Israel Bar Association; judges can serve up to mandatory retirement at age 70

subordinate courts

district and magistrate courts; national and regional labor courts; family and juvenile courts; special and Rabbinical courts

Legal system

mixed system of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religious laws

Legislative branch

electoral system

proportional representation

expected date of next election

October 2026

legislative structure

unicameral

legislature name

Parliament (Knesset)

most recent election date

11/1/2022

number of seats

120 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Likud (32); Yesh Atid (24); Religious Zionism (14); National Unity (12); Shas (11); United Torah Judaism (Yahadut Hatorah) (7); Yisrael Beiteinu (6); Other (14)

percentage of women in chamber

24.2%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

4 years

National anthem(s)

history

adopted 2004, unofficial since 1948; used as the anthem of the Zionist movement since 1897; the 1888 arrangement by Samuel COHEN is thought to be based on the Romanian folk song "Carul cu boi" (The Ox-Driven Cart)

lyrics/music

Naftali Herz IMBER/traditional, arranged by Samuel COHEN

title

"Hatikvah" (The Hope)

National color(s)

blue, white

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Masada; Old City of Acre; White City of Tel-Aviv - the Modern Movement; Biblical Tels - Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba; Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev; Bahá’i Holy Places; Sites of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel; Caves of Maresha and Bet-Guvrin; Necropolis of Bet She’arim

total World Heritage Sites

9 (all cultural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 14 May (1948)

National symbol(s)

Star of David (Magen David), menorah (seven-branched lampstand)

Political parties

Balad Blue and White Hadash Labor Party or HaAvoda Likud Meretz National Unity (alliance includes Blue and White and New Hope) New Hope Noam Otzma Yehudit Religious Zionist Party Shas Ta'al United Arab List United Torah Judaism or UTJ (alliance includes Agudat Israel and Degel HaTorah) Yesh Atid Yisrael Beiteinu

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal; 17 years of age for municipal elections

Agricultural products

milk, chicken, potatoes, tomatoes, tangerines/mandarins, bananas, eggs, avocados, beef, carrots/turnips (2023)

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

2.6% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on food

15.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$188.905 billion (2023 est.)

revenues

$162.524 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

$17.104 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$18.604 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

$16.713 billion (2024 est.)

Economic overview

high-income, technology- and industrial-based economy; economic contraction and fiscal deficits resulting from war in Gaza; labor force stabilizing following military reservist mobilization; high-tech industry remains resilient while construction and tourism among hardest-hit sectors

Exchange rates

Currency

new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

3.442 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

3.23 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

3.36 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

3.667 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

3.7 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$164.407 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$154.638 billion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$153.248 billion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

integrated circuits, diamonds, broadcasting equipment, medical instruments, refined petroleum (2023)

Exports - partners

USA 29%, China 10%, Ireland 6%, Germany 4%, Hong Kong 4% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

30.4% (2023 est.)

government consumption

22.3% (2023 est.)

household consumption

48% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-27.6% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

24.4% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

1.7% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

1.3% (2024 est.)

industry

17.3% (2024 est.)

services

72.5% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$540.38 billion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

37.9 (2021 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

26.6% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%

2% (2021 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$153.388 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$140.432 billion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$140.438 billion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

cars, diamonds, crude petroleum, broadcasting equipment, garments (2023)

Imports - partners

China 17%, USA 12%, Germany 7%, Turkey 6%, Italy 4% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

-4.2% (2024 est.)

Industries

high-technology products (including aviation, communications, computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics, fiber optics), wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages, and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, pharmaceuticals, construction, metal products, chemical products, plastics, cut diamonds, textiles, footwear

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

4.4% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

4.2% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

3.1% (2024 est.)

Labor force

4.71 million (2024 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2019

59.6% of GDP (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$459.698 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$468.095 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$472.177 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

6.3% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

1.8% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

0.9% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$48,100 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$47,500 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$47,300 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

0.2% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

0.2% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$194.231 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$204.661 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$214.544 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

22.1% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

3.7% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

3.6% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

3.2% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

6% (2024 est.)

male

6.2% (2024 est.)

total

6.1% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

5.297 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

9 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

4.887 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

63.964 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

6.93 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

22.612 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

3.51 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

89.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

9.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

112.437 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

12.608 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports

11.505 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports

59.369 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

24.186 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves

176.018 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

12.73 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

219,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)

total petroleum production

15,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

30 (2023 est.)

total

2.76 million (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

the Israel Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) has 3 channels, two in Hebrew and one in Arabic; multi-channel satellite and cable TV packages provide access to foreign channels; IBC broadcasts on 8 radio networks with multiple repeaters, and Israel Defense Forces Radio broadcasts over multiple stations; about 15 privately owned radio stations (2019)

Internet country code

.il

Internet users

percent of population

87% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

31 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

2.905 million (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

152 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

13.8 million (2022 est.)

Airports

40 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

4X

Heliports

13 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

container ship 4, general cargo 1, oil tanker 4, other 32

total

41 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Ashdod, Ashqelon, Elat, Hadera, Haifa

large

0

medium

1

ports with oil terminals

4

small

2

total ports

5 (2024)

very small

2

Railways

standard gauge

1,497 km (2021) 1.435-m gauge

total

1,497 km (2021) (2019)

Military - note

the IDF is responsible for external defense but also has some domestic security responsibilities; its primary operational focuses include the threat posed by Iran, instability in Syria, and terrorist organizations, including HAMAS, Hizballah, and Palestine Islamic Jihad; since its creation from armed Jewish militias during the First Arab-Israeli War in 1948-49, the IDF, particularly the Ground Force, has been guided by a requirement to rapidly mobilize and defend the country’s territory from numerically superior neighboring countries; the active-duty military is backed up by a large force of trained reserves--approximately 300-400,000 personnel--that can be mobilized rapidly  Israel’s primary security partner is the US; consistent with a 10-year (2019-2028) Memorandum of Understanding, the US annually provides over $3 billion in military financing and cooperative military programs, such as missile defense; the US also provides Israel access to US-produced military weapons systems including advanced fighter aircraft; Israel has Major Non-NATO Ally status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) has operated in the Golan between Israel and Syria since 1974 to monitor the ceasefire following the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and supervise the areas of separation between the two countries; UNDOF consists of about 1,300 total personnel (2025)

Military and security forces

Israel Defense Forces (IDF): Ground Forces, Israel Naval Force (IN, includes commandos), Israel Air Force (IAF, includes air defense) Ministry of National Security: Israeli Police (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 170,000 active-duty Defense Forces (130,000 Ground Forces; 10,000 Naval; 30,000 Air Force); more than 400,000 reserves (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the majority of the IDF's inventory is comprised of weapons that are domestically produced or imported from Europe and the US; the US has been the leading supplier of arms in recent years; Israel's defense industry can develop, produce, support, and sustain a wide variety of weapons systems for both domestic use and export, particularly armored vehicles, unmanned aerial systems, air defense, and guided missiles (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

5% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

5% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

4.5% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

5% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

8% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-28 years of age for voluntary military service; 18 months service for men, 12 months for women; 18-21 years of age for compulsory military service for men and women; Jews and Druze can be conscripted; Christians, Circassians, and Muslims may volunteer; conscript service obligation is up to 36 months for enlisted personnel (depending on sex, marital status, and military occupation); officers serve 48 months; Air Force pilots commit to 9 years of service (2024)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

68,000 (2024 est.)

refugees

27,413 (2024 est.)

stateless persons

35 (2024 est.)

Key space-program milestones

1961 - first sounding rocket launched 1988 - first operational launch of small-lift satellite launch vehicle (SLV) (Shavit) placed first domestically produced technology-demonstrator satellite (Ofeq-1) in orbit  1995 - launched first fully operational remote sensing satellite (Ofeq-3) on Shavit SLV 2007 - unveiled Shavit-2 small-lift 3-stage SLV 2014 - joined ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) project; domestically built lunar probe (Beresheet) launched by US (crashed on Moon’s surface) 2022 - joined US Artemis Moon exploration project

Space agency/agencies

Israel Space Agency (ISA; established 1983 under the Ministry of Science and Technology; origins go back to the creation of a National Committee for Space Research, established 1960); Ministry of Defense Space Department (2025)

Space launch site(s)

Palmachim Airbase (Central district) (2025)

Space program overview

has an ambitious space program that is one of the most advanced in the region; designs, builds, operates, and launches communications, remote sensing (RS), and scientific satellites; designs, builds, and operates orbital satellite/space launch vehicles (SLVs); researches and develops a range of other space-related capabilities, with a focus on lightweight and miniaturized technologies; has relations with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of Canada, the ESA, individual ESA member states (such as France, Germany, and Italy), India, Japan, Mexico, and the US; has a substantial commercial space sector, as well as state-owned enterprises (2025)

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP); Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ); HAMAS

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

11.542 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

24.066 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

28.793 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

64.401 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

limited arable land and restricted natural freshwater resources; desertification; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides

International environmental agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Marine Life Conservation

Methane emissions

agriculture

40.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)

energy

29.2 kt (2022-2024 est.)

other

0.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

272.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

20.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

1.78 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

1.215 billion cubic meters (2022)

industrial

104.834 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

1 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

5.4 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

30.4% (2022 est.)