Israelis' September Spending Hits Record High Driven by Holidays and Leisure

In September 2026, Israelis' spending via bank cards reached a record 53.252 billion shekels, marking a 6.2% increase compared to the same period last year. Daily average spending hit 1.775 billion shekels, surpassing the previous record set in August by 1.7%. This surge was partly attributed to the Jewish holidays, including Sukkot, which fell entirely within September, leading to increased expenditures on travel, entertainment, and dining out.

According to SHAVAV, the national card payment and ATM system operator, September was the fourth consecutive month where average daily card spending exceeded 1.7 billion shekels. Leisure and entertainment saw the most significant rise, with spending up 17.78% year-on-year to 319.2 million shekels. Hotel and guest room expenses in Israel increased by 17.59% to over 1.17 billion shekels, while spending at restaurants, cafes, and fast-food establishments rose 11% to 3.639 billion shekels.

Expenditures on groceries also increased, with card payments at smaller food shops, bakeries, and kiosks growing by 9.84% to nearly 1.99 billion shekels. Larger supermarket chains experienced a more modest growth of 2.72%, reaching 6.643 billion shekels. The report noted that increased spending in monetary terms doesn't necessarily mean more goods were purchased, as price changes also influence the statistics.

Online shopping also set a new record, with bank card purchases totaling 30.961 billion shekels in September, a 5.5% increase from the previous year. The average daily online turnover grew by 4.4% from August to 1.032 billion shekels. In contrast, average daily card payments in physical stores decreased by 2% from August to 743 million shekels, though they were still 7.2% higher than in September of the prior year. Meanwhile, cash withdrawals from ATMs declined by 1.8% year-on-year to 5.612 billion shekels.