Israel’s National Insurance Institute on Friday released its official 2024 poverty report, showing a continued deterioration in the economic situation of Israel’s children against the backdrop of the war, rising living costs, and slowing economic growth. According to the report, about two million Israelis lived in poverty in 2024, including roughly 880,000 children-more than a quarter of all children in Israel.
The report also shows that Israel ranks second among OECD countries, after Costa Rica, in child poverty, with a rate of 28%, up from 27.6% in 2023.
Overall poverty levels remained largely unchanged compared to 2023. Poverty among individuals rose slightly from 20.6% to 20.7%, while poverty among families fell marginally from 20.2% to 20.0%. The poverty line in 2024 stood at NIS 3,547 per person, up NIS 229 from 2023. The poverty line for a couple was NIS 7,095, and NIS 13,303 for a couple with three children.
The report points to a persistent trend of child poverty, warning of long-term harm to children’s education, health, and future earning potential. Families with children were directly affected by the war, due to reserve duty, evacuations, layoffs, harm to small businesses, and reduced income among the self-employed. State benefits and grants helped prevent a sharp rise in poverty; without government intervention, poverty rates would have climbed to 31.5% among individuals and 34.5% among families.
Among senior citizens, about 158,700 people were living in poverty, with poverty rates higher than the OECD average. The report also notes that 28.1% of Israelis suffer from food insecurity for economic reasons, including about one million children, though this marks an improvement from 2023.
Social and regional gaps remain significant. Some 65.1% of those living in poverty come from the periphery and disadvantaged populations, including Arab and haredi families. Poverty rates are highest in the Jerusalem, northern, and southern districts, while Tel Aviv and central Israel report lower-than-average rates.
National Insurance officials stressed the importance of a strong social safety net, warning that without focused investment in children, young families, education, and employment, poverty in Israel will continue to pass from generation to generation.