Israel's National Education Spending Declines for Second Consecutive Year
Translated & summarized from Israel Hayom by baba
Israel's national spending on education has declined for two consecutive years, with a 2.2% drop in real terms in 2025. Per capita spending also fell by 3.5% in 2025, following a 2.6% decrease in 2024. The government sector funded 78.5% of the total expenditure, which exceeded 160 billion shekels. Investment in educational infrastructure saw a significant 5.7% decrease.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israel's national education spending decreased by 2.2% in 2025, marking the second consecutive year of decline.
- Per capita education spending fell by 3.5% in 2025, continuing a downward trend from 2024.
- Total national education expenditure exceeded 160 billion shekels in 2025.
- The government sector funded 78.5% of national education spending in 2025.
- Investment in fixed assets for education dropped by 5.7% in 2025.
- Yoav Kisch seeks to continue as Minister of Education in the next government.
Israel's national expenditure on education has decreased for the second year in a row, according to new data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics. In 2025, national education spending, which covers schools, kindergartens, and higher education institutions, saw a 2.2% decline in real terms, following a 1.2% drop in 2024. This trend is particularly concerning when factoring in population growth, as per capita spending has also fallen significantly.
Overall national education expenditure in 2025 amounted to over 160 billion shekels. The government sector, including local authorities and non-profit institutions, funded 78.5% of this spending, a slight increase from 78.2% in 2024. The remaining 21.5% was financed by households, non-profits serving households, donations, and grants, covering tuition fees, textbooks, and contributions to educational institutions.
Expenditure per capita on education decreased by 3.5% in 2025, building on a 2.6% decline in 2024. Current spending per capita on education fell by 3.3%. Investment in fixed assets, such as new school construction and equipment, saw a sharper decline of 5.7% in 2025, contrasting with a 1.3% increase in 2024.
The majority of educational services in 2025, 82.3%, were provided by government, local authority, and non-profit institutions like universities and vocational networks. Business-based services, including private tutoring and adult education courses, accounted for 10.9% of the total expenditure.
Government funding was highest for pre-primary education (79.5%) and primary education (93.3%), while its contribution to universities was 67.4% and to academic and non-academic colleges was 40.8%. The article also notes that in the 2023-2024 academic year, universities allocated 81.4% of their expenses to current spending on goods and services, with 8.8% for investments in buildings and equipment.
