Population Growth
Population Growth (by Historical Landmarks) in Tel Aviv
| 1909 | Ahuzat Bayit Founded | 300 Residents |
| 1925 | "Geddes Plan" Begun | 34,000 |
| 1934 | City Status Attained | 75,000 |
| 1948 | State of Israel Declared | 150,000 |
| 1963 | Population Increase | 394,000 |
| 1985 | Economic Recession Ends | 322,000 |
| 1996 | Most Recent Count | 360,000 |
| 2010 | Population Forecast (Israeli Gov't Web Page) |
470,000 |
Currently, the population of Tel Aviv rests around 360,000 people. However, this number accounts only for the metropolitan population and not the additonal population of the conurbation. Overall, there are approximately 2 million residents living in and around Tel Aviv. One of the most intriguing aspects of Tel Aviv is the rate at which this population increased in such a short time. Also, the number of Jewish residents in Israel increased from under 25,000 at the turn of the century to the millions living there today. Most of this increase was entirely due to immigration.
Considering the history of Europe during the first half of the 20th century especially, the massive increase in the population of Israel is of no surprise. Palestine under the British Mandate period presented the opportunity for Jews to live free of persecution. However, the fact that so many Jews remained in Tel Aviv and were not responsible for population growth elsewhere in Israel is curious. First of all, the Tel Aviv settlement was not close enough to the sea to effectively use the water. Also, the climate of Tel Aviv in particular was not entirely favorable because it was blocked from the pleasant sea breezes.
Despite these discouraging conditions, the population of Tel Aviv grew. The most important factor was its proximity to Jaffa. Immigrants were arriving constantly through the port of Jaffa and hence, the first Jewish settlement they encountered was usually Tel Aviv. Many stayed to take advantage of the growing area.
Before World War II, there were 5 main waves of Jewish immigration to Palestine, mostly based on country of origin: The first two waves of Immigration came from Russia, where the government was pushing repressive policies on Jewish citizens. During World War I, the Jews already in Palestine faced a number of hardships based on political conflicts mostly with Turkey. During this time, few immigrants came to Palestine. However, following the war, many Eastern European Jews who wanted to escape the oppressive aftermath of wars and revolutions there.
The fourth wave of immigration represented a large section of the Polish middle-class who found that increasing anti-Semitism in the country was destroying their businesses. In Germany, with the rise of Nazism in January of 1933, the fifth immigration was the largest immigration. During World War II, approximately 60,000 immigrants arrived per year.
The difference over time in terms of immigrantion motivations helps to explain urban growth. The first waves of immigrants were fed up with European treatment of Jews and wanted to join the movement to return to the homeland. However, later immigrants had no choice but to leave Europe if they wished to continue their ways of life. Unlike the original settlers who had idealistic views on settlement, the new settlers were more interested in continuing their current occupations and urban lifestyles. Late in World War II, battered ships of illegal immigrants began arriving along the coast and although some were sent back by the English rulers, others were detained in Haifa until their requests were processed.
Throughout these massive periods of immigration, Tel Aviv retained a great deal of Jewish immigrants. It was often the first point of entry from Europe and there were opportunities abounding in the construction and real estate businesses.
Now, the population of Israel and of Tel Aviv continues to increase. Most of this immigration is based on political ideology rather than refugee activity. And in the future, population growth could pose major problems for Israel's already scarce land.