WikiMini

List of cities in Israel

This article is about cities within Israel. For those in the Israeli-occupied territories, see List of Israeli settlements.

This article lists the 78 localities in Israel that the Israeli Ministry of Interior has designated as a city council. It includes occupied East Jerusalem but excludes the four Israeli settlements in the West Bank that are designated as cities.

The list is based on the current index of the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Within Israel's system of local government, an urban municipality can be granted a city council by the Interior Ministry when its population exceeds 20,000.[1] The term "city" does not generally refer to local councils or urban agglomerations, even though a defined city often contains only a small portion of an urban area or metropolitan area's population.

List of cities

[edit]

As for 2025, Israel has 18 cities with populations over 100,000, including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv-Yafo. In all, there are 80 Israeli localities granted "municipalities" (or "city") status by the Ministry of the Interior, including four Israeli settlements in the West Bank.[2] Two more cities are planned: Kasif, a planned city to be built in the Negev, and Harish, originally a small town currently being built into a large city. The area and population of Jerusalem includes that of East Jerusalem which has been de facto annexed by Israel and incorporated within Jerusalem's municipal borders under the Jerusalem Law. This, however, is not recognized by the international community who regard East Jerusalem to be Palestinian territory held under Israeli occupation.[3][4] If East Jerusalem is considered part of Israel, Tel Aviv is the country's second most populous city with 495,230 residents after Jerusalem with 1,028,366; if not, Tel Aviv is the most populous city before West Jerusalem with 362,960.

The following table lists Israeli cities, not including the settlements, by name, district, population, area, and the Socio-Economic Index, according to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics:

Name Photo District Metro
area[5] 		Founded Population Area
(km2)
[6] 		Density
(per
km2) 		SEI[7]
Estimate
(2023)
[8] 		Census
(2022)
[9] 		Change
(2022–
–2023)
Acre[cbs 1] North Haifa Bronze Age 53,422 50,555 +6% 18.09 2,953 −0.467
Afula North — Bronze Age 64,578 60,828 +6% 29.17 2,214 −0.327
Arad South — 1962 29,323 27,586 +6% 126.13 232 −0.876
Arraba[cbs 2] North — ? 26,810 26,119 +3% 8.4 3,192 −0.728
Ashdod South Gush Dan 1956[note 1] 229,173 227,865 +1% 63.9 3,586 −0.246
Ashkelon[cbs 3] South — Neolithic 161,744 152,370 +6% 52.32 3,091 −0.135
Baqa al-Gharbiyye Haifa — Middle Ages 30,750 29,868 +3% 9.18 3,350 −0.560
Bat Yam Tel Aviv Gush Dan 1926 131,099 128,152 +2% 9.41 13,932 −0.219
Be'er Ya'akov[cbs 4] Center Gush Dan 1907 34,601 31,439 +10% 9.46 3,658 0.783
Beersheba[cbs 5] South Beersheba 1900[note 2] 218,995 217,577 +1% 117.39 1,866 −0.111
Beit She'an[cbs 6] North — Neolithic 20,249 19,825 +2% 10.97 1,846 −0.392
Beit Shemesh[cbs 7] Jerusalem Jerusalem 1950 167,318 145,554 +15% 38.29 4,370 −1.485
Bnei Brak[cbs 8] Tel Aviv Gush Dan 1924 223,785 216,869 +3% 7.35 30,447 −1.627
Dimona South — 1955 39,230 37,213 +5% 220.46 178 −0.387
Eilat[cbs 9] South — 1951 57,339 55,213 +4% 101.49 565 0.151
El'ad Center Gush Dan 1998 49,766 48,825 +2% 3.49 14,260 −1.452
Ganei Tikva[cbs 10] Center Gush Dan 1949 25,093 23,650 +6% 2.16 11,617 1.474
Giv'at Shmuel[cbs 11] Center Gush Dan 1944 28,628 27,472 +4% 2.58 11,096 1.135
Givatayim[cbs 12] Tel Aviv Gush Dan 1922 58,557 58,052 +1% 3.24 18,073 1.569
Hadera Haifa — 1891 106,765 103,847 +3% 56.28 1,897 0.184
Haifa Haifa Haifa Antiquity 298,312 289,507 +3% 72.93 4,090 0.391
Harish Haifa — 1982 39,001 31,733 +23% 9 4,333 −0.182
Herzliya[cbs 13] Tel Aviv Gush Dan 1924 108,650 105,273 +3% 24.07 4,514 1.361
Hod HaSharon Center Gush Dan 1924 65,393 65,020 +1% 19.26 3,395 1.567
Holon Tel Aviv Gush Dan 1935 192,980 192,655 0% 19.04 10,136 0.371
Jerusalem Jerusalem Jerusalem Neolithic
(East Jerusalem)
mid-1800s
(West Jerusalem) 		1,028,366 1,005,919 +2% 125.55 8,191 −1.196
Kafr Qara[cbs 14] Haifa — ? 20,580 19,890 +3% 7.81 2,635 −0.112
Kafr Qasim[cbs 15] Center Gush Dan 19th century 27,121 26,389 +3% 9.3 2,916 −0.574
Karmiel[cbs 16] North — 1964 48,675 47,450 +3% 22.03 2,209 0.020
Kfar Saba[cbs 17] Center Gush Dan 1903 100,013 100,262 0% 14.48 6,907 1.192
Kfar Yona[cbs 18] Center Gush Dan 1932 29,548 28,135 +5% 11.51 2,567 0.781
Kiryat Ata[cbs 19] Haifa Haifa 1925 62,134 60,465 +3% 24.16 2,572 0.090
Kiryat Bialik[cbs 20] Haifa Haifa 1934 46,417 44,806 +4% 8.48 5,474 0.328
Kiryat Gat[cbs 21] South — 1954 69,762 63,386 +10% 15.85 4,401 −0.552
Kiryat Malakhi[cbs 22] South Gush Dan 1950 27,396 26,362 +4% 4.58 5,982 −0.671
Kiryat Motzkin[cbs 23] Haifa Haifa 1934 51,349 49,057 +5% 3.84 13,372 0.402
Kiryat Ono[cbs 24] Tel Aviv Gush Dan 1939 43,310 41,537 +4% 4.6 9,415 1.594
Kiryat Shmona[cbs 25] North — 1949 24,254 23,083 +5% 14.38 1,687 −0.163
Kiryat Yam[cbs 26] Haifa Haifa 1941 42,246 38,906 +9% 11.34 3,725 −0.247
Lod Center Gush Dan Neolithic 90,814 87,430 +4% 14.79 6,140 −0.738
Ma'alot-Tarshiha North — 1963 23,133 22,720 +2% 9.26 2,498 −0.057
Maghar[cbs 27] North — ? 23,184 22,564 +3% 21.11 1,098 −0.793
Migdal HaEmek[cbs 28] North — 1953 28,545 27,045 +6% 8.71 3,277 −0.398
Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut
[cbs 29] 		Center Gush Dan 1985 97,566 92,307 +6% 48.33 2,019 1.420
Nahariya[cbs 30] North Haifa 1935 68,316 63,318 +8% 13.83 4,940 0.143
Nazareth North — Bronze Age 77,208 77,295 0% 14.17 5,449 −0.704
Nesher Haifa Haifa 1923 22,760 22,911 −1% 12.94 1,759 0.564
Ness Ziona[cbs 31] Center Gush Dan 1883 47,534 47,620 0% 15.68 3,032 1.304
Netanya Center Gush Dan 1929 233,485 223,920 +4% 34.75 6,719 0.084
Netivot South — 1956 52,877 45,024 +17% 16.22 3,260 −0.762
Nof HaGalil North — 1957 45,587 43,479 +5% 32.86 1,387 −0.298
Ofakim[cbs 32] South Beersheba 1955 37,837 35,355 +7% 16.35 2,314 −0.730
Or Akiva[cbs 33] Haifa — 1951 24,203 22,173 +9% 5.55 4,361 −0.009
Or Yehuda Tel Aviv Gush Dan 1955 40,143 36,850 +9% 6.73 5,965 0.005
Petah Tikva[cbs 34] Center Gush Dan 1878 267,196 264,046 +1% 35.77 7,470 0.550
Qalansawe Center Gush Dan Middle Ages 24,728 23,951 +3% 8.37 2,954 −0.732
Ra'anana[cbs 35] Center Gush Dan 1922 83,145 80,155 +4% 14.86 5,595 1.280
Rahat South Beersheba 1972 75,684 71,355 +6% 33.48 2,261 −1.845
Ramat Gan Tel Aviv Gush Dan 1921 167,794 165,155 +2% 16.39 10,238 1.099
Ramat HaSharon Tel Aviv Gush Dan 1923 49,002 48,986 0% 16.73 2,929 1.699
Ramla Center Gush Dan 8th century 84,312 81,126 +4% 13.39 6,297 −0.399
Rehovot Center Gush Dan 1890 153,416 150,471 +2% 23.76 6,457 0.601
Rishon LeZion[cbs 36] Center Gush Dan 1882 258,680 252,413 +2% 61.91 4,178 0.727
Rosh HaAyin Center Gush Dan 1949 77,104 74,572 +3% 15.86 4,862 0.781
Safed[cbs 37] North — Bronze Age 39,179 37,801 +4% 29.94 1,309 −1.351
Sakhnin North — Bronze Age 33,201 32,355 +3% 11.53 2,880 −0.511
Sderot[cbs 38] South — 1951 35,477 31,108 +14% 10.66 3,328 −0.132
Shefa-Amr[cbs 39] North Haifa Bronze Age 43,408 42,713 +2% 19.63 2,211 −0.712
Tamra North Haifa ? 36,251 35,349 +3% 29.77 1,218 −0.773
Tayibe Center Gush Dan ? 46,194 45,071 +2% 18.91 2,443 −0.680
Tel Aviv-Yafo Tel Aviv Gush Dan Neolithic
(Jaffa)
1887
(Neve Tzedek) 		495,230 492,872 0% 57.1 8,673 1.293
Tiberias North — 20 51,476 48,509 +6% 16.19 3,179 −0.779
Tira[cbs 40] Center Gush Dan ? 27,228 26,567 +2% 11.85 2,298 −0.275
Tirat Carmel[cbs 41] Haifa Haifa ? 31,896 29,069 +10% 6.71 4,754 0.108
Umm al-Fahm Haifa — ? 59,319 57,560 +3% 26.03 2,279 −1.266
Yavne Center Gush Dan Bronze Age 57,725 54,981 +5% 29.18 1,978 0.514
Yehud-Monosson[cbs 42] Center Gush Dan ? 32,071 30,977 +4% 5.73 5,597 0.963
Yokneam Illit[cbs 43] North Haifa 1950 24,910 23,729 +5% 8.31 2,998 0.795

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
General
  1. ^ Tel Ashdod, remains of the ancient town, lies east of the modern city.
  2. ^ Tel Be'er Sheva, remains of the ancient town, lies east of the modern city.
Official spellings
  1. ^ Akko
  2. ^ Arrabe
  3. ^ Ashqelon
  4. ^ Be'er Ya'aqov
  5. ^ Be'er Sheva
  6. ^ Bet She'an
  7. ^ Bet Shemesh
  8. ^ Bene Beraq
  9. ^ Elat
  10. ^ Ganne Tiqwa
  11. ^ Giv'at Shemu'el
  12. ^ Giv'atayim
  13. ^ Herzliyya
  14. ^ Kafar Qara
  15. ^ Kafar Qasem
  16. ^ Karmi'el
  17. ^ Kefar Sava
  18. ^ Kefar Yona
  19. ^ Qiryat Atta
  20. ^ Qiryat Bialik
  21. ^ Qiryat Gat
  22. ^ Qiryat Mal'akhi
  23. ^ Qiryat Motzkin
  24. ^ Qiryat Ono
  25. ^ Qiryat Shemona
  26. ^ Qiryat Yam
  27. ^ Mughar
  28. ^ Migdal HaEmeq
  29. ^ Modi'in-Makkabbim-Re'ut
  30. ^ Nahariyya
  31. ^ Nes Ziyyona
  32. ^ Ofaqim
  33. ^ Or Aqiva
  34. ^ Petah Tiqwa
  35. ^ Ra'annana
  36. ^ Rishon LeZiyyon
  37. ^ Zefat
  38. ^ Sederot
  39. ^ Shefar'am
  40. ^ Tire
  41. ^ Tirat Karmel
  42. ^ Yehud-Monoson
  43. ^ Yoqne'am Illit

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Israeli Democracy: How Does It Work?". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 22 June 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  2. ^ "Localities and Population, by Municipal Status and District" (PDF). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 19 January 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  3. ^ Symon, Fiona (4 December 2001). "Jerusalem: Crucible of the conflict". BBC News Online. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  4. ^ "Background on East Jerusalem". B'Tselem. 8 July 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  5. ^ Regional Statistics (Report). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  6. ^ "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  7. ^ Local Authorities, in Alphabetical Order of Hebrew Names: Socio-Economic Index Value 2021, Rank and Cluster, and Variables Used in the Computation of the Index (PDF). Characterization and Classification of Geographical Units by the Socio-Economic Level of the Population (Report). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
  8. ^ "Regional Statistics". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  9. ^ "Population Census". Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
[edit]