Economy - overview:
Israel has a technologically advanced free market economy. Cut diamonds, high-technology equipment, and pharmaceuticals are among its leading exports. Its major imports include crude oil, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Israel usually posts sizable trade deficits, which are offset by tourism and other service exports, as well as significant foreign investment inflows.Between 2004 and 2013, growth averaged nearly 5% per year, led by exports. The global financial crisis of 2008-09 spurred a brief recession in Israel, but the country entered the crisis with solid fundamentals, following years of prudent fiscal policy and a resilient banking sector. Israel's economy also weathered the 2011 Arab Spring because strong trade ties outside the Middle East insulated the economy from spillover effects.Slowing domestic and international demand and decreased investment resulting from Israel’s uncertain security situation reduced GDP growth to an average of roughly 2.8% per year during the period 2014-17. Natural gas fields discovered off Israel's coast since 2009 have brightened Israel's energy security outlook. The Tamar and Leviathan fields were some of the world's largest offshore natural gas finds in the last decade. Political and regulatory issues have delayed the development of the massive Leviathan field, but production from Tamar provided a 0.8% boost to Israel's GDP in 2013 and a 0.3% boost in 2014. One of the most carbon intense OECD countries, Israel generates about 57% of its power from coal and only 2.6% from renewable sources.Income inequality and high housing and commodity prices continue to be a concern for many Israelis. Israel's income inequality and poverty rates are among the highest of OECD countries, and there is a broad perception among the public that a small number of "tycoons" have a cartel-like grip over the major parts of the economy. Government officials have called for reforms to boost the housing supply and to increase competition in the banking sector to address these public grievances. Despite calls for reforms, the restricted housing supply continues to impact the well-being of younger Israelis seeking to purchase homes. Tariffs and non-tariff barriers, coupled with guaranteed prices and customs tariffs for farmers kept food prices high in 2016. Private consumption is expected to drive growth through 2018 with consumers benefitting from low inflation and a strong currency.In the long term, Israel faces structural issues, including low labor participation rates for its fastest growing social segments - the ultraorthodox and Arab-Israeli communities. Also, Israel's progressive, globally competitive, knowledge-based technology sector employs only about 8% of the workforce, with the rest mostly employed in manufacturing and services - sectors which face downward wage pressures from global competition. Expenditures on educational institutions remain low compared to most other OECD countries with similar GDP per capita.
GDP (purchasing power parity): GDP (official exchange rate): GDP - real growth rate: GDP - per capita (PPP): Gross national saving: GDP - composition, by end use: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: Agriculture - products: Industries: Industrial production growth rate: Labor force: Labor force - by occupation: Unemployment rate: Population below poverty line: Household income or consumption by percentage share: Distribution of family income - Gini index: Budget: Taxes and other revenues: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): Public debt: Fiscal year: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Central bank discount rate: Commercial bank prime lending rate: Stock of narrow money: Stock of broad money: Stock of domestic credit: Market value of publicly traded shares: Current account balance: Exports: Exports - commodities: Exports - partners: Imports: Imports - commodities: Imports - partners: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Debt - external: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: Exchange rates:
$315.6 billion (2017 est.)
$306.1 billion (2016 est.)
$294.5 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 55
$348 billion (2016 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
3.1% (2017 est.)
4% (2016 est.)
2.6% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
$36,200 (2017 est.)
$35,800 (2016 est.)
$35,200 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 53
24.2% of GDP (2017 est.)
24.1% of GDP (2016 est.)
24.6% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
[see also: Gross national saving country ranks ]
household consumption: 55.4%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - household consumption country ranks ]
government consumption: 22%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - government consumption country ranks ]
investment in fixed capital: 20.5%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in fixed capital country ranks ]
investment in inventories: 0.2%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - investment in inventories country ranks ]
exports of goods and services: 29.8%
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - exports of goods and services country ranks ]
imports of goods and services: -27.9% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by end use - imports of goods and services country ranks ]
agriculture: 2.3%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 26.6%
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - industry country ranks ]
services: 69.5% (2017 est.)
[see also: GDP - composition, by sector of origin - services country ranks ]
citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products
high-technology products (including aviation, communications, computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics, fiber optics), wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages, and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, pharmaceuticals, construction, metal products, chemical products, plastics, cut diamonds, textiles, footwear
4% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
4.021 million (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
agriculture: 1.1%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 17.3%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 81.6% (2015)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]
4.3% (2017 est.)
4.8% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
22%
note: Israel's poverty line is $7.30 per person per day (2014 est.)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
lowest 10%: 1.7%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: 31.3% (2010)
42.8 (2013)
39.2 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 47
[see also: Distribution of family income - Gini index country ranks ]
revenues: $92.82 billion
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $102.1 billion (2017 est.)
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]
26.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
[see also: Taxes and other revenues country ranks ]
-2.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
[see also: Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) country ranks ]
59.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
60.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
[see also: Public debt country ranks ]
calendar year
0.2% (2017 est.)
-0.5% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
0.1% (15 December 2015)
0.25% (31 December 2014)
country comparison to the world: 144
[see also: Central bank discount rate country ranks ]
3.3% (31 December 2017 est.)
3.42% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]
$98.28 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$79.58 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
$223.1 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$189 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 37
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
$280.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$257.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
$243.9 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$200.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$203.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]
$14.28 billion (2017 est.)
$11.57 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]
$60.6 billion (2017 est.)
$56.17 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
US 29.3%, Hong Kong 7.4%, UK 6.5%, China 5.5%, Belgium 4.2% (2016)
$66.76 billion (2017 est.)
$63.54 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 44
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, fuels, grain, consumer goods
US 12.2%, China 8.9%, Switzerland 6.4%, Germany 6.1%, Belgium 5.9%, UK 5.5%, Netherlands 4.1%, Italy 4% (2016)
$113 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$95.45 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24
[see also: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold country ranks ]
$93.02 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$87.96 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
$119.4 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$107.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home country ranks ]
$106.9 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$98.11 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
[see also: Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad country ranks ]
new Israeli shekels (ILS) per US dollar -
3.606 (2017 est.)
3.8406 (2016 est.)
3.8406 (2015 est.)
3.8869 (2014 est.)
3.5779 (2013 est.)