Jerusalem, 15 May, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics reported that government debt in 2023 was 60.2% of gross domestic product (GDP) – a decrease after a significant increase in 2020 (70.8%). Household debt was on an upward trend from 41.3% of GDP in 2001 to 51.7% in 2022.

The percentage of the population living below the poverty line decreased from 19.8% in 2005 to 16.8% in 2022.

In the years 2015-2022, the highest incidence of poverty was among children (ages 0-17) – approximately 20%-25%.

In 2023, the upward trend in the number of startups reversed, and for the first time, the number of startups that closed (724) was higher than those that opened (335). In 2023, the stock of active startups fell to 4,582. The number of salaried jobs in them fell to 36,000, after an upward trend in previous years.

In the high-tech industry concentration index – the share of value added in the high-tech industry as a percentage of total gross value added in the business sector, was on a steady upward trend in 2015-2023 (from 16.8% to 20.8%), with moderation in 2020-2022.

Research and development spending as a percentage of gross domestic product in 2000-2023 was on an upward trend from 3.8% to 6.3%.

The percentage of businesses that survive in Israel has been declining over the years. Of all businesses born in 2018, 88.3% were still active in the second year of their birth, about 70% were still active in the third year, and only 56.8% were still active in the sixth year.

In 2023, the long-term unemployment rate was 18.1%. In the years 2000-2023, the percentage of men who were long-term unemployed was higher than the percentage of women.

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