Ahead of the new year 5787, Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority published data on births during 5786, showing that cities with large concentrations of Chareidi families feature prominently among the country’s birth leaders.
According to the Authority, 179,398 babies had been registered in the Population Registry as of the morning of September 6, 2026.
So which cities saw the most births? Alongside Bnei Brak, which ranks second, the relatively small city of Modi’in Illit made it into the top ten.
The top ten cities by total number of births (rather than proportion) are:
Jerusalem (Israel’s largest city by population) – 23,336 births
Bnei Brak (Israel’s 6th-largest city) – 8,225
Tel Aviv–Yafo (Israel’s 2nd-largest city) – 7,405
Beit Shemesh (Israel’s 10th-largest city) – 6,974
Ashdod (Israel’s 7th-largest city) – 4,031
Haifa (Israel’s 3rd-largest city) – 3,421
Rishon L’Tzion (Israel’s 8th-largest city) – 3,413
Netanya (Israel’s 9th-largest city) – 3,343
Petach Tikva (Israel’s 4th-largest city) – 3,338
Modi’in Illit (Israel’s 21st-largest city) – 3,113
The birth figures are particularly striking when viewed alongside separate 2025 data on the proportion of children in Israel’s cities. Modi’in Illit has the highest proportion of children in the country, with nearly 60% of its residents — 54,833 people — under the age of 18.
Beitar Illit ranks second, with approximately 55.55% of its residents, or 41,231 people, being children. In Beit Shemesh and Elad, children account for more than half the population, at approximately 51%: around 97,000 in Beit Shemesh and 25,522 in Elad. In Bnei Brak, children account for approximately 48.5% of the population (114,713 children).
In Rahat, children account for approximately 45.5% of the population (38,472); in Netivot, approximately 41.8% (24,126). In Jerusalem, the proportion is approximately 36.7% (402,873); in Lod, 35.4% (34,360); in Kiryat Gat, 34.4% (26,386); and in Rosh HaAyin, 34.3% (27,103).
In Ramla (27,023 children), Modiin (33,026), and Rechovot (49,451), children account for approximately 30% of the population. In Ashdod, the figure is approximately 28% (73,517), while in Petach Tikva (77,450), Ashkelon (48,896), and Nazareth (22,174), it is approximately 27%. In Hadera, children account for approximately 26% (30,395), and in Be’er Sheva, approximately 25% (58,342).
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
