Jerusalem is the only city in the world in which 15 different Christian communities live side by side, but the percentage of Christians living in the city has decreased since 1988, a new report released by the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies on Sunday said. The report, titled "Christians and Christianity in Jerusalem," and released on Christmas Eve, noted that while Jerusalem's Christian population grew steadily from the end of the Six-Day War, from 12,900 in 1967 to around 14,400 in 1988, the number of Christians in the city has decreased from 2.9 percent in 1988 to 1.9% at the end of 2010. The reasons for the decreasing percentage, according to the report, are a low birthrate, and a lack of Christian immigration to the capital city combined with a pattern of Christian Arab emigration abroad since the beginning of the 20th century. Of the total number of Christians residing in Jerusalem at the close of 2010, according to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, 11,576 were Christian Arabs and 3,029 were non-Arab Christians. The latter group includes Armenians, clergy, monks, nuns, Christians with Israeli citizenship or residence, and immigrants (mainly from the former Soviet Union) who identify as Christians. Additionally, the report notes that there is an unknown number of foreign workers and refugees who work in Jerusalem and identify as Christians. Despite the small percentage of Christians living in Jerusalem, compared to city's large Muslim and Jewish populations, the report notes that "the Christian presence is physically prominent" in the city in the form of several churches, monasteries, and other institutions. A survey conducted in the early 2000s, and cited by the report, revealed that there are 117 Christian institutions and sites in Jerusalem's Old City and Mount Zion. The Christian presence is also strong in terms of educational institutions, with approximately 20 Christian-affiliated educational bodies operating within the Jerusalem area. Lastly, the report points out Jerusalem's strong Christian tourism sector. In 2010, 66% of tourists who visited Israel and Jerusalem were Christian, compared to 30% who were Jews. The report concludes that the Christian contribution to Jerusalem's landscape and economy is immense.
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