The standard of living in Israel dropped six percent in the last quarter of 1979, according to figures released by the Central Bureau of Statistics. Private consumption was down one percent at the end of 1979, compared to the end of 1978. Economists believe this trend continued through the first quarter of 1980 but there are no complete figures yet to confirm it. The evidence is seen in the drop of imports of consumer goods.
Last year a family of four had a monthly average expense of 23,712 Pounds. Of this 25 percent was spent of food, 20 percent on housing, 6.7 percent on clothing, 3.5 percent on petrol and electricity, 5.5 percent for housing equipment, and the rest for various services.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.