Israel gives birth to its own 'boomer' generation amid war

Defying conventional trends, Israel is experiencing a baby boom bang in the middle of wartime. 

While Western countries saw an observable spike in births directly once the Second World War was over and the economy re-stabilized, Israel’s war with the Hamas terror group and the Iranian proxies on every side seems to have produced a baby boom, even as the fighting continues.

Most baby booms happen after a crisis, when economies are buoyant and confidence is high. There was a clear rise in birth rates following the collapse of the Soviet Union once the dust had settled. A similar phenomenon was observed in Ireland after a period of recession at the turn of the millennium. Most famous is the post-war baby boom seen in the allied countries producing an entire generation known as “boomers.”

Yet, in the face of all the death and destruction, the economic devastation of a collapsed tourist industry and the instability of the entire region, Israel is seeing a surge in birth rates and hospitals are struggling to cope.

Overcrowding is being reported in overflowing maternity wards as the number of babies born continues to rise.

According to Ynet News, a Knesset Research and Information Center report revealed a significant increase in births between August and October 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

While there were 14,878 births recorded in September 2023, before the war broke out, there was a 7% increase the following year, with 15,968 births in September 2024.

Over the whole year, the contrast is even more stark: 172,500 births were recorded throughout 2023, compared with 181,000 in 2024.

Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics also shows the numbers have continued to rise from November 2024 up to February 2025.

Israel is unique when it comes to birth rates, in any case. Ever since it was established in 1948, Israel has been in a continuous state of “baby boom” and has never had a sub-replacement fertility rate in contrast with most developed countries.

Of all 36 countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Israel has the highest fertility rate at 3.1 children per woman, according to Globes.

It’s possible to see the phenomenon as a response to the Holocaust and the decimation of the Jewish people, and certainly the love of life in the face of death has become a cultural norm, even an expectation.

“Lately I find myself more and more urging young couples, who have gone out for a long time, to get married and have kids,” the former prime minister, Naftali Bennett, said just 10 days after the war broke out.

“Our victory against our enemies will not just be through the hell we will unleash on them in the battlefield, but also by starting new lives of the Jewish people here in the Land of Israel. With optimism, with building a new generation, with faith, and with growth from the horrible pain,” he added.

It seems the people of Israel responded to Bennett's encouragement or were thinking in a similar way. The report initiated by Knesset Member Pnina Tamano-Shata indicates that many new babies were likely conceived right in the first few months following the outbreak of war, between November 2023 and January 2024.

"Despite the unimaginable hardship of the past year, we see how the people of Israel choose to grow from grief," Tamano-Shata said, commenting on the data. "The rise in births is proof of our inner strength and our ability to create new life even in the most difficult times."

The surge in birth rates is no accident, nor is it simply a matter of continuing with life despite the war. Rather, it is a deliberate decision on the part of many Israelis to cherish life in every conceivable way as the country is locked in battle with terror groups that have openly declared their love of death.

Israel’s unwavering love of life is a way of waging war, and many have decided that bringing more life into the world is a good way to do it.

Moran Bouzaglo (40) and her husband, Shimi (35) from Tel Aviv deliberately decided to have a baby shortly after the war began.

"It gave us some light and sanity in a dark time," Moran told Ynet. "At the same time, there were fears. I kept asking myself: What will happen when he reaches the age of military service? It was terrifying, but we decided to go for it anyway. After October 7 took so many lives from us, bringing a life into the world felt like the right thing to do."

Bouzaglo described the crowding in the maternity wards the night she gave birth.

"At Lis Maternity Hospital alone, there were more than 50 births that night, and they had to open an additional ward," she said.

She also shared some of the stark realities involved in choosing to have children in a war.

"Just minutes after I gave birth, a siren went off. Luckily, the hospital was fortified. But yes, this is what it means to have a baby during wartime – running to shelters with a newborn."

Another couple from Rehovot, Hanan and Rotem Sasson, had not long given birth when Hanan was called up to reserve duty on Oct. 7, 2023. Despite months of separation, they chose to have another baby when Hanan was back on leave. "Strangely enough, during the war, we felt an even stronger urge to expand our family," Rotem said. 

Similarly, Shir Noy Feiner (34) of Ramat Gan, talked to Ynet about the decision she and her husband, Hadar Raphael (34) made to welcome a third child into their family at this time.

"We believe Israel will get through this, and our children will know a life without war. That is our strength as a people – we have endured wars, loss and sorrow, yet we continue to build families."