Israel’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell 0.1% in October 2026 compared with September, lowering annual inflation to 1.1%, according to data released Sunday by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).
The index declined to 105.2 points, based on the 2024 annual average of 100 points.
The decline was driven primarily by lower prices for fresh fruit and transportation, which fell by 2.8% and 1.4%, respectively. The cost of owner-occupied housing services also decreased by 0.5%.
Other categories recorded price increases. Clothing and footwear rose by 4.1%, while fresh vegetable prices increased by 3.5%. Home maintenance costs and furniture and household products rose by 0.4% and 0.3%, respectively.
Consumer prices up 1.5% since beginning of 2026
Despite October's decline, consumer prices have risen by 1.5% since the beginning of 2026.
The CPI excluding vegetables and fruits increased by 1.4% during that period, while the index excluding energy rose by 1.3%. Excluding housing, prices increased by a more modest 0.8%.
Over the past 12 months, both the overall CPI and the index excluding vegetables and fruits rose by 1.1%, while the index excluding energy increased by 1%. The CPI excluding housing fell by 0.1% compared with October 2025.
Seasonally adjusted inflation shows a decrease in consumer prices
Seasonally adjusted data, which accounts for predictable fluctuations throughout the year, showed a stronger monthly decline. The adjusted CPI fell by 0.3% in October, while the index excluding housing dropped by 0.5%.
Longer-term figures also pointed to price changes. Between July and October, consumer prices rose at an annualized rate of 0.9%, meaning they would increase by that amount over a full year if the trend continued.
Excluding housing, the annualized rate showed a decline of 0.3%, while the index excluding vegetables, fruits and housing recorded a 0.6% decrease.
Job vacancies decline across Israel
The number of job openings across Israel fell from 146,000 in September to 143,000 in October, Globes reported Sunday, citing CBS data.
The job vacancy rate also fell from 4.4% to 4.32%, although demand for workers remained relatively high compared with pre-pandemic levels.
In 2019, the vacancy rate stood at approximately 3.5%, compared with around 4.5% since mid-2024. The rate initially fell following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war before stabilizing, with modest declines recorded in recent months.
Demand for employees has also dropped from the peak following the COVID-19 pandemic, when the vacancy rate reached 5%.
The latest numbers also revealed differences across industries.
Job openings for software developers and network technicians fell by 6% when comparing the August-October average with the July-September average.
Openings for contractors declined by 7%, while vacant positions for waiters and bartenders dropped by 10%. In contrast, demand for practical engineers and technicians increased by 5%.
The share of technology sector employees in Israel's total workforce has also declined to 9.5%, compared with 10% several years ago, Globes reported.