Average household income hits NIS 11,200

Average gross monthly income per household in 2004 was NIS 11,200, up 2.2 percent over 2003, according to figures published yesterday by the Central Bureau of statistics. According to the figures, average net household income after taxes and national insurance was NIS 8,953.

The CBS figures also indicate that the average monthly per capita income was NIS 3,267 in 2004. The average number of persons per household in 2004 was 3.3 and the average number of breadwinners per household was 1.2. About 77 percent of household income came from labor, while 12 percent came from state stipends and support.

The CBS figures are based on an income and spending survey conducted among 14,636 households. The data indicates that inequality between the various deciles increased dramatically in 2004.

According to the figures, gross income in households headed by a salaried employee was NIS 13,613 per month, up from 2003's NIS 13,377, or a 2.2-percent increase in real terms.

When that salaried employee was a member of the top decile, the monthly household income climbed to NIS 37,863 or 12.1 times higher than in the lowest decile, where it was NIS 3,127. The gap between income in the highest and lowest deciles widened by 5.2 percent in 2004 over 2003. Household income in the top decile increased by a real 2.5 percent in 2004, compared to contracting 2.6 percent in the lowest decile.