Israel Cities by Population 2024

Regarded by the major western religions as the Biblical Holy Land, Israel has many sacred sites, including the Western Wall, Mount Zion, and the Sea of Galilee. Many of its most famous sites are in the capital city of Jerusalem, which is located on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains. Jerusalem has a long and often troubled history; it has been destroyed twice, and attacked and captured many times. Today, it continues to be a politically contentious location, but it is also home to a population of 850,000, a popular tourist destination and a center of higher education.

Although Jerusalem is regarded as Israel's capital city, the country's economic center is Tel Aviv, located on the country's Mediterranean coast. Tel Aviv is also the second-largest city in Israel with a population of 438,818. It is known for its thriving culture and for being home to many technology companies – the area in which these are based is nicknamed Silicon Wadi. Tel Aviv University is also the largest university in Israel and has more than 30,000 students. Both Jerusalem and Tel Avic are also UNESCO World Heritage Sites.