Survey shows severity of Food insecurity in Israel

A new report from the National Insurance Institute (bituah leumi) states that 522,000 families in Israel are currently living with food insecurity, half of them severely so, despite a slight decrease in poverty and income inequality. The survey was conducted in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic and a return to economic growth.

The survey showed improvement in food security and the economy, despite the high number of families living with food insecurity. Israel’s GDP decreased by 1.9% in 2020 but rose by 8.3% in 2021, a high growth rate compared to other developed countries. This was due to people returning to work after leaving during the pandemic.

The unemployment rate also dropped sharply from 35% at the height of the pandemic to just 5% in 2021, and wages rose. Additionally, the percentage of families living with food insecurity decreased from 18.1% in 2016 to 16.2% in 2021.

However, despite the improvement, Israeli welfare spending is still significantly lower than in other countries. Many government benefits provided during the pandemic have since been discontinued, such as financial support to families and businesses. Unemployment benefits were also reduced to encourage a return to work. Incentive grants were also given to those who received unemployment benefits but had to return to work at a lower salary than before COVID.

The report also found that food insecurity is concentrated among the residents of the periphery and the Jerusalem area, with 20% of all children in Jerusalem and Israel’s North living with persistent food insecurity.

The population most affected are Arab-Israelis, who experience nearly three times more food insecurity than the national average. Single parents are also more likely to live with food insecurity than families with multiple income earners.