Gov't stats show drop in 2011 household incomes

Central Bureau of Statistics survey shows bigger gap between wealthiest and poorest in society.

By DANIELLE ZIRI
Money cash Shekels currency 521 (photo credit: Reuters)
Money cash Shekels currency 521
(photo credit: Reuters)
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.