Yesha building
Yesha buildingDavid Yoel

The government's announcements of a 2017 building boom in Judea and Samaria are not reflected in figures on the ground, according to data published this morning in Israel Hayom.

The population growth rate of Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria declined by 0.5% in 2017 compared to 2016.

At the beginning of 2018, the population of Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley numbered 435,708 residents in 150 communities. In the decade between 2006 and 2016 the population growth rate in those communities averaged 4.6% per year.

In 2016, the annual rate of growth fell by 0.1% compared to 2015 and stood at 3.9%, while in 2017 the growth rate was only 3.4%.

Despite the decline, the population in Judea and Samaria and in the Jordan Valley maintains a growth rate higher than the national average, which stands at 2% per year.

A real building boom would allow those who wish to live in the region to move there and raise the figures for population growth. At this point, there are few residences available to meet the demand for housing.