According to the Interior Ministry’s population registry, Bnei Brak’s population reached 193,900 this year, ten thousand more than the number reported three years ago. Newcomers and young couples contributed towards the town’s growth, but the main factor was natural increase. The average family Bnei Brak family has 4.2 children, more than any large or average sized town in Israel.
The large family size is reflected in a breakup of the population into age-groups which shows that while Bnei Brak has 35,227 children aged 0 to 5, it only has 25,336 people aged 41 to 60.
City spokesman Avrohom Tenenbaum said that Bnei Brak’s rapid increase has caused a critical housing shortage, noting that it was designed for only 10,000 residents at the time of its founding ninety-two years ago. Plans are afoot to build 5,700 new apartments in various locations.
{Matzav.com Israel News Bureau}
It also has 193,905 cars. The driving and pedestrian safety issue there merits attention.