Israeli household incomes declined in 2011, according to a survey the Central Bureau of Statistics
released on Wednesday.
The CBS numbers showed a decrease of 1.7 percent
in gross household income for that year. The most significant decline was in
households headed by self-employed individuals, where the average income was
recorded at NIS 19,434 a month – a drop of about 4% from 2010’s numbers. For
households headed by employees of companies, income declined by a little over
2%.
In addition, the survey showed a greater gap between the wealthiest
and poorest in society, stating that inequality in 2011 was higher than in other
developed countries.
The study also displayed a 1.5% increase in income
for households headed by unemployed individuals who receive national insurance
financial benefits, compared to 2010.
The data joins
the results of the
2011 Household Expenditures survey, published Tuesday, which showed that average
household expenditures in the country amounted to about NIS 14,000. Housing
expenses constituted a quarter of this.