JERUSALEM

Nearly two million people in Israel are living below the poverty line, including around 880,000 children, according to official data released Friday, highlighting a deepening social crisis amid war, rising living costs, and slowing economic growth.

The figures were published in Israel’s 2024 Poverty Report by the National Insurance Institute, which said the country’s population exceeds 10 million, with Palestinians accounting for about 21%.

“There are approximately two million poor people in Israel, among them around 880,000 children, more than one in four children nationwide,” the report said.

Child poverty is projected at 28%, up from 27.6% in 2023, while nearly one million children are experiencing food insecurity due to economic hardship, it added.

The institute warned that children’s economic conditions continue to deteriorate, driven by the impact of the war, persistently high living costs, and sluggish economic growth.

According to the report, the poverty line for an individual in Israel is set at 3,547 shekels ($1,145) per month, based on indicators used by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). For a couple, the threshold rises to 7,095 shekels ($2,290), while a family of five is considered poor if its income falls below 13,303 shekels ($4,295).

Overall poverty rates showed little change from 2023, with a slight increase among individuals from 20.6% to 20.7%, while the rate among families edged down marginally from 20.2% to 20%.

Among senior citizens, the report recorded around 158,000 people living in poverty, a level higher than the OECD average.

Israel ranked second among OECD countries in child poverty rates, after Costa Rica, a position the report linked to low public spending on social welfare, which stands at 16.7% of gross domestic product, well below the OECD average.

The highest poverty rates were recorded among Palestinians and ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Jewish communities. According to the data, 37.6% of Palestinian families and 32.8% of Haredi families live below the poverty line, together accounting for 65.1% of Israel’s poor population.

The report comes as Israel remains engaged in prolonged regional conflicts, including its ongoing war in Gaza and military operations on multiple fronts, developments that have placed additional strain on the country’s economy and social fabric.

*Writing by Tarek Chouiref