VITAL STATISTICS

SOURCES AND EXPLANATIONS

Marriages and divorces: data are based on the details appearing in marriage and
divorce certificates.

Marriage certificates of Jews are filled out by the persons authorised to perform
marriages and divorce certificates are filled out by the rabbinical courts. The data
do not include civil marriages performed abroad or "alternative marriages"
performed in Israel which are not part of the Orthodox Rabbinate, nor do they
include divorces in courts dealing with family matters.

Marriage and divorce certificates of Moslems and Druze are submitted by the
Sharia Courts, and of Christians by the authorised officiating ministers. As of
1997, data on marriages and divorces of Christians and Druze originate from the
Population Register.

Marriages of Israelis to persons from Arab localities in Judea, Samaria and the
Gaza Area were included in data on Israelis, if these marriages were registered in
Israel. Arab and other brides from Israel who married bridegrooms from those
areas were not included between 1967 and 1976.

In 1993-1995, the number of marriages of Moslems in which one partner comes
from Judea, Samaria or the Gaza Area, rose significantly.

During 1995, the procedure of issuing an Israeli marriage certificate to couples
who were married by a marriage registrar from Judea, Samaria and the Gaza areas
was discontinued. Consequently, there was a significant drop in the number of
marriages in Jerusalem, as well as in the number of Moslem marriages in which one
partner comes from Judea, Samaria or the Gaza area.

Data on marriages, divorces, births and deaths among the Druze population in the
Golan Sub-District may be incomplete.

Due to problems in the definition of the Bedouin population that is located in the
South, marriage rates for those living outside localities (among them Bedouins) are
not presented separately (see introduction to Chapter 2 Population).

Births and deaths. Data are based on personal data in the Population Register and
in the forms: "Notification of Live Birth", "Notification of Death" or "Notification of
Stillbirth". The Population Registration Ordinance 1965 requires that the person in
charge of the institution where the birth takes place, the parents of the child born
or the doctor or midwife if the birth occurred elsewhere, notify the Ministry of
Interior within 10 days of the birth. Notification of death must be made within 48
hours after the death by the person in charge of the institution in which the death
took place, the physician issuing the death certificate, or any person present when
there was no physician. Details on the sources were published in Vital Statistics:
Mortality 1996 (Special Publication No. 1108).

Data on births include the births in Israel (including the Judea, Samaria and Gaza
Areas), when one of the parents, at least, has an Israeli identity card. The data do
not include births which occurred abroad, to Israeli citizens.

Data on deaths include the deaths of permanent residents and potential immigrants,
but do not include deaths of Israelis abroad, of tourists or of foreign workers,
who died in Israel.

Prior to 1962, births and deaths among the Bedouins in the South were not included
in Table 3.1. The vital statistics rates were accordingly computed until then, after
deducting the number of Bedouins in the South from the total population. Bedouins in
the South are, however, included in the detailed breakdown of births in all years.

Due to a discrepancy between the Register's data and the population estimates for
Bedouin tribes, no birth rates were calculated for those living outside localities.

As of 1970, births and deaths in East Jerusalem are included; as of 1973, so are
marriages and divorces; and as of 1982, the Druze in the Golan are included.

The number of deaths, their rates and the life tables in 1967, 1973 and 1982 do
not include war casualties about 750 in June 1967, about 2,450 in
October-December 1973, and about 360 in June-September 1982 (but they were
accounted for in Table 2.2 in the sources of population increase).

Until 1962, data on births and deaths, infant deaths and stillbirths were recorded
according to the year of registration. Since 1963 data are recorded according to
the year of occurrence, with the addition of a few cases reported late which
occured in the previous two years.

Between 1957 and 1959, in 1975 and in the first half of 1976 the data on births
were computed from a sample of 50%.

Until 1984, each vital statistics event in which religion was unknown, was included
among "Druze and others" ("others" including adherents of other recognised
denominations, e.g., Bahais, Samaritans, etc). As of 1985, such events have been
included in the total only.

As of 1996 total births include births by unclassified religion.

Until 1990, the source of data on birth order was the Notification of Live Births.
Since 1991, the source has been the Population Register. According to this source,
it was possible to identify for the first time cases of unknown birth order , which
until 1990, had been included among first births.

For further explanations, see the Monthly Bulletin of Statistics, Supplement No. 11,
1991.

Termination of pregnancy is carried out according to the "Penal Law 1977,
termination of pregnancy", as follows:


1.	the woman is under marriage age (17) or over forty years;
2.	the pregnancy is a result of relations prohibited by criminal law or incestuous relations or extramarital relations;
3.	the foetus is likely to have a physical or mental defect;
4.	continuance of pregnancy is likely to endanger the woman's life or cause her physical or mental harm;
5.	continuance of pregnancy is not desirable due to personal reasons or because of family or social circumstances (this article was repealed by the Knesset in 1980)

The data appearing in Table 3.17 were taken from monthly summaries that were
submitted by commissions for termination of pregnancy, to the Department of Medical
Economy and Statistics in the Ministry of Health. These summaries also include
women who are not permanent residents of Israel.

Table 3.17 does not include data for 19841986, because they may include
duplicates.

Table 3.18 presents data for 1997 and is based on copies of applications for
termination of pregnancy which were received in the Central Bureau of Statistics
from the commissions for termination of pregnancy. These data refer to permanent
residents only.

In 1988, the difference between the total number of these forms and the total
number of summaries received in the Ministry of Health amounted to 0.3%, during
1989-1995 the average difference was about 6%. Part of this discrepancy is due
to the fact that the Ministry of Health registers all applications to the commissions,
including those of women who are not permanent residents in Israel.

Causes of death. The death notification form which, in addition to demographic data
on the deceased, contains a medical certificate specifying the cause of death, is
used as the source of the data on the cause of death. The causes of death were
signified according to the "International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision,
Clinical Modification". The ninth edition of the classification was first introduced in
1979. The causes of death were grouped according to the recommendations of the
World Health Organisation in the "Mortality List". Death rates for previous years
are given only for comparable groups.

DEFINITIONS

Live birth: birth of a foetus, that after being parted from the mother shows at
least one of the following signs of life (whether the umbilical cord has been cut or
not, whether the afterbirth (placenta) is still connected or not): respiration, heartbeat,
umbilical pulse or obvious movements of voluntary muscles.

Stillbirth: birth of a foetus after a pregnancy of 28 weeks at least or weighing
1,000 gr. and over, that does not show the above signs of life.

Infant: a new-born who has not yet completed one year of life.

Population group and religion: see introduction to Chapter 2 Population.

Type of locality: Vital statistics data were prepared according to the new
classification of type of locality which was determined in the 1995 Census see
introduction to Chapter 2, where details on the Vital Statistics of Bedouin in the
South can also be found.

METHOD OF COMPUTATION

The calculation of rates since 1969 is based on the population including potential
immigrants (see Chapter 4 - Migration and Tourism) Annual rates are based on
current population estimates, according to the last census.

Following the Census of Population and Housing 1995, the population's numbers
were revised and localities by type of locality were redivided. These changes
should be taken into account when comparing data and rates from 1996 onwards
with previous data.

Vital rates are per 1,000 persons of the average permanent population, unless
otherwise stated.

Rates of infant deaths and of stillbirths are per 1,000 live births, but until 1979,
the infant mortality rates of the Jewish population were calculated per 1,000 live
infants (including infants of immigrants) according to a monthly life table.

Specific fertility rates: The number of births for mothers of a given age,
divided by the average permanent population of females of the same age.

Total fertility represents the average number of children a woman is expected to
bear during her lifetime. The rate is based on the assumption that all the women in
a certain generation will bear children between the ages 15 and 49, according to
the specific birth rates of the women in the population in a given year (Synthetic
Cohort).

The gross reproduction rate represents the average number of female offspring
a woman is expected to bear in her lifetime (disregarding mortality). It is obtained by
multiplying the total fertility rate by 0.485, as females constitute on average 48.5%
of the total number of births.

The net reproduction rate, which derives from the gross reproduction rate, takes
into account the mortality of females up to age 49 and is therefore always lower
than the gross reproduction rate.

Life expectancy: The average number of years a person is expected to live from
a certain age, based on the mortality rates prevalent at the period of reference.

Mortality rates: the number of deaths at a certain age, divided by the average
population of the same age.

Due to the small number of deaths in some small populations (e.g., Arabs in the age
group 60 and over) random changes or discrepancies are possible in their mortality
rates.

Age computation: Age at marriage and divorce is computed according to month and
year of birth and month and year of marriage and divorce, respectively. Until
1990 the month of birth was not considered in computing the age at marriage. The
age at death is calculated according to date of birth and death (day, month and
year), and the age refers to years completed on the deceased's last birthday. For
births, age is calculated according to the year of the mother's birth and it is
assumed that the date of birth is July 1st. Hence, if the event took place in the
second half of the year, the age is equivalent to the difference between the year
of birth and the year of the event; if the event took place in the first half of the
year, the age is equivalent to the said difference less one.

The average age is:

where:

x=age

fx= number of cases at age x.

Since the age relates to the last birthday, i.e., the full number of years reached,
half a year should be added to the average age. For example, age 21 refers to all
those who reached the full age of 21 but have not yet reached the age of 22, so
that their average age is 21.5.

All rates, averages, etc., that are based on 510 cases, are given in brackets, while
those based on fewer than 5 cases, are marked by two dots (. .).

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS


1070	Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Infant Mortality Based on Data for 19901993
1083	Vital Statistics - Part A-B:
	Marriages and Divorces, 1994
	Vital Statistics - Part D : Mortality 1994-1995
1084	Causes of Death, 1995
1106	Stillbirths 1990-1996, Demographic & Health Characteristics
1108	Vital Statistics: Mortality 1996

CURRENT BRIEFINGS IN STATISTICS


28, 1998	Complete Life Tables of Israel, 1992-1996
35, 1998	Causes of Death, 1996

JUBILEE PUBLICATIONS (on the occasion of Israel's 50th year).


	Health (No. 7 in the series).