Nation's capital has much to celebrate ahead of Jerusalem Day

As Israel prepares to mark 50 years to the reunification of Jerusalem on May 23, the nation's capital and its largest city has a lot to celebrate.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, Jerusalem's population has grown from just 84,000 in 1948 to 883,000 in 2016. Around one-tenth of Israel's population resides in Jerusalem. In addition, 3,118 new immigrants decided to make the capital their home. In 2016, Jerusalem's population grew by 16,000 people.

There were 23,600 births in the city in 2016, which constituted 13% of births across the country. The total fertility rate in Jerusalem stood at 3.87 children per woman in 2016, as opposed to the national average of 3.09; and the average household in Jerusalem, with 3.9 members, was also larger than the Israeli average of 3.3.

Ninety-three percent of Jews and 89% of Arabs who live in Jerusalem say they are satisfied with their lives. The national average is 88%.

Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research data reveals that the high-tech industry is thriving in the capital. In the past two years, the number of Jerusalem residents employed in the high-tech industry rose by 28%. In 2015, 18,500 people worked in high-tech, compared to 14,400 in 2013. Workforce participation in 2016, however, stood at 52.4%, as opposed to the national average of 64.1%.

Data from the Jerusalem Municipality's urban planning department, the Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research and the CBS further said that 78% of tourists who arrived in Israel in 2016 visited the nation's capital, and 51% stayed there overnight.

In 2016, 36,200 students were enrolled in academic studies in the city. Seventy-four percent of students said they were happy to be living in Jerusalem, and 75% of those in their final year of studies said they were likely to remain there for the next two years.

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