What every visitor should know about Israel:

Money
The currency is the Israeli new sheqel (ILS). 1 ILS is worth about US$0.26, or €0.19.
Crime
CrimeSafe Travel Score™: 3.5 out of 5 (Safe)

Areas of concern:

  • Pick-pocketing / bag-snatching
  • Significant risk of terrorism or politically-motivated attacks
Capital
Jerusalem
Tap water
Excellent. Water from the tap is safe to drink.

Israel facts and figures:

People

Population
7,233,701
Language
Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English most commonly used foreign language
Ethnicity
Jewish 76.4% (of which Israel-born 67.1%, Europe/America-born 22.6%, Africa-born 5.9%, Asia-born 4.2%), non-Jewish 23.6% (mostly Arab)

Economy

GDP
US$28,900 (per capita)
Income equality
High
Copyright © 2025. All rights reserved. More guides: ►Africa ►Americas ►Asia ►Europe ►Middle East ►Pacific