Growth rate in Judea & Samaria increases in 2019 to 3.4%. ‘Half a million residents and high growth rate means its time for sovereignty.’
In 2019, the Israeli population of Judea and Samaria rose by 15,229, compared to a rise of 12,964 in 2018.
Over the last decade, the population has increased by a total of 151,263, representing a 48% increase.
The four Israeli cities in Judea and Samaria – Modi’in Illit, Beitar Illit, Ma’ale Adumim, and Ariel – made up 43% of the total Israeli population in the area, with 202,177 residents total.
Ma’ale Adumim – at seven kilometers (4.3 miles) from Jerusalem. The overwhelming majority moved to the city not for ideological reasons but for lower-cost housing and higher living standards. 48 percent of residents were under the age of 18. The unemployment rate is 2.1 percent, far below the national average. It had 21 schools and 80 kindergartens. It has won the Israel Ministry of Education prize for excellence twice and has also won the national prize for environmental quality in recognition of its emphasis on urban planning, green space, playgrounds and outdoor sculptures. It is located along Highway 1, which connects it to Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area.
According to the AP, the growth rate of the “settlement population” is well ahead of the general population, driven in part by the relatively affordable housing prices found in Judea and Samaria,, as well as the higher birthrate among their many religious families.
The data, released ahead of President Donald Trump’s long-awaited peace plan, indicate that evacuating settlements is no longer a viable option for international peacemakers, according to Baruch Gordon, director of West Bank Jewish Population Stats.
According to the anti-settlement watchdog group Peace Now, Israel in 2019 pushed forward plans to build 9,413 settlement homes, roughly the same levels as 2017 and 2018. The figures are more than triple the level of settlement planning during the final two years of the Obama administration.