As of the end of 2017, there are 131 government- sanctioned Israeli settlements in the West Bank (not including East Jerusalem and settlement enclaves within Hebron).
In addition, there were approximately 110 “settlement outposts” located throughout the West Bank. The outposts do not have official government recognition, although many of them were established with governmental assistance. Outposts are generally smaller than recognized settlements.
Eleven large Israeli neighborhoods were built in areas that Israel annexed to the Jerusalem Municipality after 1967. These neighborhoods are also considered settlements under international law. In addition, settler enclaves have been built in the heart of Palestinian neighborhoods in these annexed areas, with aid by the Israeli government and the Jerusalem Municipality.
There are an estimated 622,670 settlers in the West Bank. This figure is derived from two sources: According to data provided by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), at the end of 2017, 413,400 people were living in the settlements of the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem. According to data provided by the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies, the population of the Israeli neighborhoods in East Jerusalem numbered 209,270 people at the end of 2016.
According to the CBS, the annual growth rate of the settler population (excluding East Jerusalem) in 2017 was 1.75 times greater than that of the population in Israel: an annual increase of 3.5% in the settlements versus 2% in Israel. Approximately 60% of the increase in the settler population is accounted for by relocation by Israelis and the arrival of new immigrants to Israel who chose to live in settlements.
