Nicknames for Jerusalem include The Holy City and House of the Holiness.
Jerusalem’s national memorial Yad Vashem houses the world’s largest library of Holocaust-related books, articles and exhibits.
Research website numbeo ranks Jerusalem in the bottom 45% compared to the 250 cities evaluated on its overall quality of life index at June 2020. Jerusalem scored poorly on index factors such as cost of living (most expensive 10%), property price to income ratio (highest 22%) and pollution (worst 37%). On the positive side, Jerusalem rate relatively well for climate (top 17%), safety (best 37%) and health care (upper 44%).
Jerusalem was recognized by the Guinness World Records for the world’s biggest and most expensive mezuzahs. A mezuzah is a piece of parchment called a klaf contained in a decorative case and inscribed with specific Hebrew verses. The costliest mezuzah sold via private sale was for US$51,361 by Hebrew scribe and calligraphy artist Avraham Borshevsky in Jerusalem. The biggest mezuzah was achieved on April 10, 2019 in Jerusalem. It measured 12 square feet 55 square inches (1.15 square meters) with a container 5 feet (153 centimeters) long.
Popular tourist landmarks in Jerusalem include the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where most Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead; the Wailing Wall also called the Western Wall; and the Temple Mount reputedly Judaism’s holiest site.
From an international trade perspective, Israel exported an estimated US$58.4 billion worth of goods in 2019. Its most valuable exports include unmounted diamonds (19.3% of Israel’s global total), heterocyclic compounds (5.8%), drugs and medicines (4.5%), aircraft and spacecraft parts (3.8%), electronic integrated circuits (3.5%), medical, dental or veterinarian instruments and appliances (3.1%), mobile phones (3%), and refined petroleum oils according to the International Trade Centre.
Capital Facts for Jerusalem, Israel: Quick Reference
Geography
Capital landmarks: Dome of the Rock, Western Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Mount of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, Yad Vashem memorial and the Tower of David museum
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Jerusalem, Israel.
- Natalie Portman, Academy Award actress (born Jun. 9, 1981)
- Asaf Avidan, singer-songwriter (born Mar. 23, 1980)
- Jenny Jones, talk show host (born Jun. 7, 1946)
- Leigh Bardugo, author (born Apr. 6, 1975)
- Avishai Cohen, jazz bassist & record label founder (born Apr. 20, 1970)
- Mili Avital, Academy Award actress (born Mar. 30, 1972)
- Afif Safieh, Palestinian diplomat (born May 4, 1950)
- Munib Younan, religious leader (born Sep. 18, 1950)
- Stephanie Abu-Sbeih, fashion blogger (born May 13, 1993)
- Nehemiah Persoff, actor (born Aug. 2, 1919)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches mostly targeting published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for a Jerusalem resident: Jerusalemite, Yerushalmi
Population: 931,756 (Jerusalem) at August 20, 2020
Density: 19,282 people per square mile (7,445 per square kilometer)
Population: 8,674,884 (Israel) at August 20, 2020
Density: 1,036 people per square mile (400 per square kilometer)
Median age for all Israel: 30.5 years old
Financial
GDP: US$354.2 billion for 2019 (Israel)
GDP per person: $39,121
Note: The above country-level GDP metrics are on a Purchasing Power Parity basis and are in U.S. dollars. Credible city GDP statistics for Jerusalem were unavailable.
Official currency used in Jerusalem: New shekel
Research
Research Sources:
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data).
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Field Listing: Major Urban Areas.
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Middle East: Israel.
CityMetric, Where are largest cities in the world? 2015 edition.
Demographia, World Urban Area, 12th Annual Edition.
Euromonitor International, Top 100 City Destinations Rankings 2017.
Guinness World Records, Largest mezuzah.
Guinness World Records, Most expensive mezuzah.
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Databases.
International Trade Centre, Trade Map.
Numbeo, Quality of Life Index by City.
Official Government Website, Jerusalem Municipality–The Official Website.
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags. Accessed on December 13, 2016
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, Israel.
Wikipedia, Jerusalem.
Wikipedia, Jerusalem District.
Wikipedia, Capital Districts and Territories.
Wikipedia, Israel.
WorldOMeter, Israel Population.
World Population Review, Jerusalem Population.
On May 14, 1948, Israel gained its freedom from British-administered League of Nations mandate. Israelis celebrate Independence Day as a public holiday either April 14 or May 14 based on the lunar-based Jewish calendar.
Jerusalem’s land area measures 48.323 square miles (125.156 square kilometers), home to an estimated 931,756 residents at August 20, 2020.
At the country level, Israel’s land area covers 8,355 square miles (21,640 square kilometers). The nation’s population count was 8.7 million inhabitants in August 2020.
Population density is more concentrated for Jerusalem, averaging 19,282 Jerusalemites per square mile (7,445 per square kilometer).
Zooming out to Israel’s overall land boundaries, population density dilutes to an average 1,036 people per square mile (400 per square kilometer).
