Registering a domain name under Israel’s country-code domain (ccTLD) spaces — .il and .ישראל — is not restricted to Israelis; it is open and available to anyone around the world.
Most domains in Israel’s ccTLDs registries are registered to entities based in Israel: according to ISOC-IL data as of the end of 2025, 94% of .il domains and 95% of ישראל. domains are registered to Israeli entities. The remaining domains are registered to various entities from foreign countries. The leading countries outside Israel in which holders of Israeli domains reside are the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Russia.
The map below shows the distribution of domains across Israel’s districts*. The majority of domains are registered to holders located in central Israel, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all domains (62%). The Central District leads (33%), followed by the Tel Aviv District (30%). Haifa District ranks third, followed by the Jerusalem District in fourth place.
When examining the distribution of domains across districts relative to each district’s population size, a high correlation emerges between population size and representation in the Israeli domain space, (r = 0.78). Nevertheless, as shown in the chart and table below, some districts have relatively large populations but comparatively low representation in the Israeli domain space, and vice versa.
For example, compare the Northern and Southern Districts with the Tel Aviv District, which leads in the number of domains per 1000 residents. The population size in all three districts is similar (between 1.4 and 1.6 million residents in each of the Tel Aviv, Northern, and Southern districts). Nevertheless, more than three times as many domains are registered from the Tel Aviv District as from either the Northern or Southern Districts. Likewise, the Haifa District has greater representation than the Jerusalem District, despite having a smaller population.
In contrast, when examining the relationship between domain distribution across districts and the number of active businesses, a much stronger correlation is found (r = 0.96), as shown in the chart below. In other words, 92% of the variation in domain volume between districts can be explained by the number of active businesses in each district. This finding reinforces the claim that a domain name is an essential asset for business owners.
The notable exception is the Northern District: despite having the third-largest number of active businesses among the districts, the total number of registered domains there is relatively low. The Southern District is also underrepresented relative to expectations, while the Jerusalem District — despite having fewer businesses — is more strongly represented in the domain space. Additionally, when examining the relationship between these two factors, the Tel Aviv District ranks first with the highest number of domains per 100 businesses.
Other possible explanations for differences between districts may include factors such as: levels of digital literacy, socio-economic status, religious and cultural characteristics, and more.
Comparison Between the .il Namespace and the .ישראל Namespace
The geographic distribution of domain holders across districts differs between the .il and ישראל. namespaces. The chart below shows the distribution for each ccTLD. The most notable differences between the two spaces relate to the Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Northern Districts.
The Jerusalem District is more strongly represented in the Hebrew-language .ישראל space, while the Tel Aviv and Northern Districts are more strongly represented in the .il space.
In other words, the percentage of domains registered to holders from the Jerusalem District is higher in the .ישראל space, whereas the percentage of domains registered to holders from the Tel Aviv and Northern Districts is higher in the .il space. This may suggest something about the adoption of Hebrew-language domain names in the Jerusalem District.
These percentages do not reflect the absolute number of domains, since the .ישראל space is several times smaller than the long-established .il space.
* District divisions were determined according to the definitions of Israel’s Ministry of Interior. The map data refers to the distribution of domains across both spaces combined — .il and .ישראל.