According to figures from the Jewish Agency and the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, 2010 is expected to end with a 16% increase in the number of new immigrants. This is the second year in a row showing an increase in the number, following 10 years of declines. By the end of December, the total number of olim this year will have reached 19,130. The total number in 2009 was 16,465 and in 2008 was 15,452.

Around 7,700 new immigrants, making up 40% of the total number of olim this year, came from the FSU, eastern Europe and Germany, as opposed to 7,133 last year. From North America, the number stands at 3,980, as compared to 3,767. The number of olim from Latin America is to reach 1,470, compared to 1,200 last year – a significant rise of 19%; France: 2,040 (as opposed to 1,894 last year); Great Britain: 760 (down from 853 last year). From Ethiopia the number stands at 1,650, the rate of immigration from that country set by the government; the number last year stood at 240.

By the end of 2010 there will have been 7,300 new immigrants from the FSU as opposed to 6,820 last year and 5,880 in 2008. There will be more than 1,000 new immigrants from Moscow this year, the 7th year in a row there is such a level of aliyah from the Russian capital.

A clear rise this year is seen in the numbers of olim from: Australia and New Zealand – 260 as opposed to 175 last year; Belgium – 250 compared to 152 last year; Switzerland – 120 as opposed to 94 last year; Italy – 110 compared to 89; India – 48 compared to 30 last year.

The country where we can see the most significant increase in aliyah numbers for 2010 is Venezuela: 150 new immigrants came this year as opposed to 38 in 2009 – an increase of 280%. Increased aliyah is also seen from Argentina (380 this year, 313 last year), Mexico (180 this year as opposed to 140 last year) and Peru (140 this year compared to 105 in 2009).

New immigrants also came this year from: China (10), Monaco (4), Japan (3), Hong Kong (3), Honduras (93), Malawi (2) and Guadeloupe (2). Only one new immigrant came from the group of countries Malta, Singapore, Korea, Kenya and Rwanda.

Also emerging from the statistics of the Absorption Ministry and the Jewish Agency is that 52.3% of the new immigrants are male and 47.7% female. Jerusalem is the leading city of absorption, with 2,397 new immigrants.

The average age of the immigrants stands at 29.75. The age of the oldest new immigrant to Israel in the year 2010 is 99.