The Jewish Agency data summarizing the last decade in Aliyah (immigration) to Israel, was provided this week to Jewish Agency Chairman of the Executive Isaac Herzog. It shows that from the beginning of 2010 through the end of 2019* more than 255,000 new immigrants moved to Israel, from 150 different countries.

The countries of origin of the largest numbers of immigrants this decade include Russia, Ukraine, France, the United States and Ethiopia. The year with the largest number of Olim was 2019, when about 34,000 immigrants arrived, according to Jewish Agency reports.

According to Jewish Agency data, more than half of the immigrants arriving over the last decade (approx. 130,000 people) came from the former Soviet Union; more than 55,000 from Europe (with more than 38,000 coming from France); around 36,000 from North America, according to data from The Jewish Agency and Nefesh B’Nefesh (of which over 32,000 were from the United States and more than 3,800 from Canada); around 13,420 from Latin America (with around 4,320 from Brazil and around 3,150 from Argentina); nearly 10,500 from Ethiopia; more than 2,560 from South Africa; more than 1,950 from Oceania, the majority of whom were from Australia; and around 1,700 came from the rest of Africa and Asia (among them around 1,180 from India and more than 190 from Hong Kong and China). The report also shows that over 3,040 new immigrants moved from other Middle Eastern states and other countries with which Israel does not have diplomatic relations.

“You came here from the four corners of the Earth in order to fulfill the Zionist dream and strengthen the State of Israel,” Herzog said at an event for immigrants who arrived over the last decade from a variety of countries, along with their young Israeli-born children who wore MADE IN ISRAEL t-shirts.  He added that, “It is always moving to meet the next generation.”

The Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency stated that, “Over the last 10 years, more than a quarter million immigrants made Aliyah with assistance from The Jewish Agency. They chose to live in Israel out of a sense of deep connection and a desire to build their futures and the future of their children in this country.”

Major trends of the decade: Aliyah from France peaked this decade, with the arrival of around 38,000 immigrants, comprising about a third of total immigration from France since the establishment of the State of Israel. 2015 was the record-breaking year for French Aliyah since the founding of the State in 1948, with the arrival of 7,892 immigrants, after which the numbers stabilized. The flow of Aliyah from the United States continues and stands at over 3,000 immigrants per year (according The Jewish Agency and Nefesh B’Nefesh).  Aliyah from Brazil has also been breaking records: in the first half of the decade around 200 people arrived annually, on average; but in the second half of the decade, the average jumped to over 600 annually. Similarly, there is a renewed increase in Aliyah from the former Soviet Union, especially from Russia and Ukraine. According to The Jewish Agency, around 60% of the immigrants during this decade were under the age of 45.

Among the major Aliyah operations of the decade: Operation Dove’s Wings, which was completed in August of 2013 and brought around 7,800 immigrants from Ethoipia, and Operation Yemen’s Edge, which The Jewish Agency performed in March 2016, and through which the Jews of Raydah moved to Israel at the height of the war raging in Yemen.

Over the course of the decade, and in partnership with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and Ofek Israeli, The Jewish Agency opened programs designed to encourage Aliyah and to integrate immigrants into Israeli society, with assistance from the Jewish Federations of North America and Keren Hayesod.

Some examples include opening vocational training and professional licensing programs such as a program to help doctors join the health sector and to help engineers find employment in at technology companies. Other programs include those designed to integrate young adults and college graduates from around the world, programs to assist lone soldiers, educational enrichment programs for newly arrived children and teens, and more.

According to Jewish Agency estimates, 2019 will conclude with around 34,000 immigrants — the peak number of immigrants per year for the decade. Through the end of November 2019, more than 32,600 immigrants arrived to Israel from across the globe, compared to 27,627 during the same period last year (an increase of 18%). From the former Soviet Union, around 22,750 immigrants arrived through the end of November (an increase of 31% over the same period last year); from Western Europe more than 3,420 (a decrease of 9%); from North America 3,200, which is roughly the same as last year (according to The Jewish Agency and Nefesh B’Nefesh); from Latin America around 1,600 (an increase of 3%) and around 650 from Ethiopia (compared to 31 in the same period of 2018).

These are the top ten countries of origin from which the most immigrants arrived over the last 10 years* (through November 2019) (numbers are rounded):

1. Russia, with around 66,800 immigrants
2. Ukraine: 45,670
3. France: 38,000
4. United States: 32,000
5. Ethiopia: 10,500
6. Great Britain: 6,320
7. Belarus: 5,530
8. Brazil: 4,320
9. Canada: 3,640
10. Argentina 3,150

Aliyah to Israel by year:

• 2010: 19,297
• 2011: 19,151
• 2012: 18,771
• 2013: 19,023
• 2014: 26,508
• 2015: 31,229
• 2016: 27,629
• 2017: 29,509
• 2018: 30,403
• 2019: approximately 34,000

*The data includes those who immigrated during the period of January-November 2019 and the expected number of immigrants for December 2019.
* The data is based on reports by the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, including those who changed their status and others handled by The Jewish Agency.