The Central Bureau of Statistics has published new figures ahead of Independence Day showing that the country's population stands at 8,345,000, some 10.4 times greater than the 806,000 at its founding. Jewish residents number 6,251,000, comprising 74.9% of the population. The Arab population, which stands at 1,730,000, represents 20.7% of the general public. Non-Arab Christians, members of certain religions and new immigrants who according to the population registry are not part of any religious group, comprise 364,000 people (4.4%). Israel's population grew by 2%, or 162,000, from the previous Independence Day. A record 176,000 babies were born during that period, and 44,000 residents died. Some 32,000 people made aliyah since last year's celebrations. Israel holds a record when it comes to immigration: some 3,500,000 people made aliyah since the state's founding (41.9% percent). Some 75% of Jewish residents are native born and the capital, Jerusalem, is the most populated city in the country, with some 815,300 residents (9.8% of the population). Fourteen Israeli trailblazers were chosen to light torches in the main Independence Day ceremony in Jerusalem on Wednesday: Iron Dome developer Dr. Danny Gold; Ehud Shabtai, one of the cofounders of the navigation application Waze; Or Asulin, a high school student from Acre; Rami Levy, who owns a supermarket chain; Alice Miller, who successfully petitioned the High Court to Justice to let women partake in the Israeli Air Force's pilot training course; Lucy Aharish, a Arab journalist; Professor Marta Weinstock-Rosin, who developed an Alzheimer's drug; Gavriel Iddan, an electro-optical engineer who invented a wireless endoscopic capsule; Rafi Mehudar, who helped invent successful drip irrigation technology; Avihu Medina, an israeli signer and composer who made a indelible impact on Mediterranean music; Sima Shine, who was the chief analyst at the Mossad and is currently the deputy director general of the Ministry of Strategic Affairs; Gal Lusky, who founded the relief organization Israeli Flying Aid; Malka Pioterkovsky, a champion of religious women who wish to engage in Torah study; and Cpl. Dan Korkovsky, who went on to serve in the IDF despite being on the autistic spectrum, and who will light the torch with Bat-Chen Pomorchuk, who runs a program that helps adults that have been diagnosed with autism.
