Government expenditure on education in Israel 2013-2020

Government spending on education in Israel reached over 99.12 billion Israeli shekels in 2020 (around 30.97 billion U.S. dollars). This was a slight decrease compared to the previous year. However, from 2013 to 2019, government expenditure on education increased gradually. In addition, estimates show that the  education sector's revenue   will increase progressively by 2024. Despite the centrality of the education sector in Israel, there are often protests by teachers' organizations in the country regarding their wages and benefits. 

The importance of the education sector

  In 2020, over 463 thousand people  worked in the education industry in Israel, making this sector the largest employer in the country. Teachers in primary schools constituted the  largest group of educators   that year, with 91.5 thousand employees in elementary schools. Moreover, education is an important issue in the Israeli society, especially investment in secondary and higher education. According to projections, the   total consumer spending on education will rise to over 8.15 billion U.S. dollars in 2026. 

 Demand for improved terms of employment 

  There is a broad consensus regarding the importance of education in Israel. However, teachers' organizations in Israel have been protesting for several years about their terms of employment, especially the wages. In July 2022, the  average monthly salary in the education sector  amounted to over 9.7 thousand Israeli shekels (around 2.8 thousand U.S. dollars).. In addition, in the academic year of 2019/20, universities paid the highest compensation for their teaching staff among the educational institutions in the country- 11.3 thousand Israeli shekels (roughly 3.3 thousand U.S dollars).