Israel’s Poverty Rates Still Near Worst Among Developed Nations

A report from earlier this year indicates Israel’s poverty rating is still among the highest of developed nations across the world.

Israel ranked dead last in rankings by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), with 21 percent of all Israelis living under the poverty line. This is more than such impoverished OECD countries as Mexico, Turkey and Chile, and significantly more than where Israel stood 20 years ago, when rates hovered around 14 percent.

The United States is also surprisingly high on the list, coming in with the fourth largest percentage below the poverty line (17 percent). The lowest poverty ratings were recorded in Denmark and the Czech Republic, at approximately six percent in each. The average in the OECD is 11 percent.

Israel also ranks extremely poorly in pay gap statistics. It has the third largest pay gap between rich and poor, behind only the United States and Mexico. This gap has been steadily increasing. 25 years ago, the top 10 percent of people in Israel had incomes that were approximately seven times higher than the bottom ten percent. That number is now 9.5 times. The lowest income inequality rates were recorded in Denmark, Norway, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Finally, Israel has a very substandard income inequality rating comparing men and women. Men make, on average, 22 percent more than women, which places it fourth-worst in the OECD behind Japan, Estonia and South Korea.

A time for giving

With Israel facing such challenging economic strife, it is truly a time for those of us who are more fortunate, to bestow gifts upon the region. Poverty hits the children of Israel especially hard, as many of them grow-up without a stable home environment and are forced to live in dangerous situations every day.

One of the humanitarian opportunities we provide at Curt Landry Ministries is a safe house ministry. We support safe houses in Jerusalem that assist impoverished and underprivileged children who need a safe place to live, study and enjoy life. These safe houses literally save and change lives on a daily basis, and they are made possible thanks to the continued support of people like you.

For more information about how you can support our safe house program, reach out to us today at Curt Landry Ministries.