Study Shows Connection Between Debt and Domestic Violence

Jerusalem, 30 July, 2025 (TPS-IL) — A new study from the Enforcement and Collection Authority, in collaboration with the Central Bureau of Statistics, revealed a link between domestic violence against married women and debt in Israel.

The study was designed to investigate the connections between economic hardship, welfare applications, and personal or family characteristics and the outbreak of intimate partner violence in order to understand the dynamics of intimate partner violence and reduce the phenomenon.

Main findings:

Of the approximately 2 million married women in Israel in 2022, approximately 174.7 thousand (9.7%) contacted social services.
Approximately 2,200 married women (1.3% of those referred to welfare) referred due to physical violence
Of the women who filed complaints regarding physical violence, 485 women (22.1%) are in “active debtor” status with the Enforcement and Collection Authority.

Characteristics of women suffering from violence and economic hardship:

Average age: 50 years
61% receive a salary from work
Average salary among female employees: 6,665 NIS
Most women (48%) are between the ages of 35-49

The study highlights the connection between economic violence – which includes control over a woman’s income, withholding financial information, and prohibition of working outside the home – and physical violence and economic hardship.