Poverty

Israel's economic future at risk as productivity falls behind G7 nations, report warns

Israel went from outperforming G7 economies to lagging behind them, as a new Shoresh report warns that education gaps, demographic shifts, and brain drain threaten its economic future.

A nighttime view of the Haifa Port and the surrounding area in the northern Israeli city of Haifa, September 17, 2026.
Displaced Lebanese children play in the playground of a public school that has been converted into a shelter in the town of Dekwaneh, north of Beirut on March 25, 2026.

UNICEF warns of severe child deprivation in Lebanon as displacement, economic tolls mount

Pakistani girl helps make bricks at a kiln during World Day Against Child Labour on the outskirts of Islamabad on June 12, 2014.

Pakistani girl, 3, sold into marriage for $9,000 under 'walwar' custom, sparking int'l outrage

People walk past a banner with a picture of the late Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Mohammad Pakpour, in Tehran Bazaar, Iran, April 21, 2026

Poverty, child labor, and child marriage partially behind Iran’s unfilled classrooms


Millions of Israelis, including 900,000 children, live in poverty, NII report for 2024 shows

Poverty rates remain especially high among Arab and haredi populations, who together account for 65.1% of people in poverty, nearly double their share of the population.

 ABOUT 41% of Jerusalem families suffer from poverty, compared to about 20% in the rest of the country.

Iran’s rial hits historic low: Over 1.5 million rials to a dollar

Essentials such as food, medicine, and clothing have become increasingly unaffordable, while the minimum monthly wage has fallen to roughly $100.

People walk past a sign at a currency exchange as the value of the Iranian Rial drops, in Tehran, Iran, February 9, 2025

‘Refrigerators are empty’: Iran protests spark civilian cries for regime collapse - interview

“Refrigerators are empty. Pockets are empty. Every day, people see themselves becoming poorer," one protester told The Jerusalem Post.

People walk past stores as the value of the Iranian Rial drops, in Tehran, Iran, December 30, 2025.

Growing class of 'war poor' Israelis pushed into poverty post-October 7, report warns

The report depicts a deepening social emergency in which hunger and chronic financial stress are spreading from Israel’s weakest populations into the lower middle class.

 ABOUT 41% of Jerusalem families suffer from poverty, compared to about 20% in the rest of the country.

A symptom of adult failure: Why 40% of Israeli teens exhibit violent, aggressive behavior - opinion

Teen violence is a wake-up call. It invites us to rebuild the social fabric that has unraveled. The choice of what the coming years will look like for this generation rests in our hands.

An illustrative image of a teenager with the word "HATE" written on their hand.

Nearly three million Israelis face food insecurity, including one million children, report finds

A report from the National Insurance Institute (NII) shows a slight improvement in access to food across Israel, but it also shows that geographical and economic food inequality persist.

'THERE IS such a big supply of food and so many hungry people; the problem is in the distribution and in the method of getting it out there.’

Our communal definition of Jewish security is too limited. We need a wider one - opinion

Jewish security means that every person in our community can live with healthcare, access to a thriving Jewish life, and someone to call when things get hard.

Security guards stand watch in front of a synagogue on Oct. 9, 2023 in Los Angeles.

Strong on defense, weak on welfare: Israel neglects the social front - opinion

The social front has been neglected in Israel during the two years of war.

THE MASAH IM HALEV project: Pitchon Lev goes around different cities across the country and, together with hundreds of volunteers, distributes basics to families who receive support from the organization.

Rabbi Pinto Reveals: Why Do the Rich Spend More Time with Me than the Poor?


NGOs see dramatic increase in financial assistance requests from young people

"The sharp rise we are seeing in the number of aid recipients ahead of Passover is a clear and stark expression of the deepening distress in Israeli society," Pitchon Lev CEO Eli Cohen said.

 IFCJ PRESIDENT Yael Eckstein (center) visits a shelter in Kiryat Shmona. ‘I think it’s a very incorrect assumption to feel or think that we, in the rest of Israel, are not connected to what’s happening there.’