Data shows economic gap in Israel grew in 2018 for 1st time in 5 years

Data published by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) shows that economic inequality in Israel grew in 2018 for the first time in five years.

The top decile of Israeli families had a net income of NIS 42,500 ($12,278), 8.4 times higher than that of the bottom decile — NIS 4,786 — the data shows. The top decile’s expenses were just 2.4 times higher than the bottom decile — NIS 21,200 compared with NIS 9,000.

The data, however, also shows that the average gross income of an Israeli household in 2018 was NIS 21,063 ($6,085) per month — a 4.3% increase in real income compared with the previous year.

The average gross monthly expenses totaled NIS 16,475, a 0.5% increase.

Yesterday, the CBS released data showing unemployment in October fell to 3.4%, a 40-year low.