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More Israelis Fall Below Poverty Line

(April 2021)

According to Bituach Leumi (National Insurance), as of January 2021, the poverty rate is in Israel was 23%, with 1,980,309 Israelis living below the poverty line, 37% of whom are children. Nearly 36% are Israeli Arabs. In the Jewish population, the proportion of the poor is 17.7%, but in the ultra-Orthodox sector alone, it is 49%. More than 150,000 senior citizens (8% of the total) live below the poverty line.

A report by the Israel National Council for the Child found that close to 900,000 children are living in poverty – 57% of whom are ultra-Orthodox and 46% Israeli Arabs.

Unemployment benefits rescued 23.6% of families from poverty, compared to 2% in 2019.


Sources: Alon Ben-Meir, “Israel’s stigma: A country of prosperity suffers from poverty,” Jerusalem Post, (May 3, 2021).
“About two million Israelis live below the poverty line – report,” Jerusalem Post, (January 22, 2021).