Israeli Consumer Spending Hits Record 54.9 Billion Shekels in July 2026

In July 2026, Israeli consumer spending surged to a record 54.857 billion shekels, marking a 5.8% increase compared to July 2025, according to data from Shva, the company managing Israel's national payment systems. The daily average expenditure reached 1.771 billion shekels, up 3.1% from June 2026, making July the second consecutive month with daily spending above 1.7 billion shekels. This rise coincides with the start of the summer vacation period, boosting public spending across various sectors.

Online transactions also saw significant growth, surpassing 1 billion shekels daily for the second month in a row, totaling 31.916 billion shekels in July 2026, a 4.5% increase from the previous year. Physical store transactions rose by 7.6% to 22.942 billion shekels, with daily averages increasing by 3.3% compared to June 2026.

Sector analysis revealed notable spending increases in leisure and entertainment (up 14.86% to 410 million shekels), food-related businesses including delis and bakeries (up 13.48% to 1.818 billion shekels), and restaurants and cafes (up 11.64% to 4.018 billion shekels). Other sectors with growth included pharmaceuticals, fuel, food chains, hospitality, clothing, and electronics. Conversely, the aviation sector experienced a sharp decline of 12.34%, and travel agencies saw a slight drop of 1.64%.

Cash withdrawals from ATMs reached their highest level since August 2023, totaling 6.057 billion shekels in July 2026, a 1.1% increase year-over-year. The daily average cash withdrawal was 195.391 million shekels, up 2% from June 2026 and slightly above the pre-war peak in August 2023.

Shva noted that July 2025's figures were unusually high due to economic restrictions during the "Im Clavia" operation against Iran in June 2026, making this year's growth particularly significant. The data reflects a robust consumer market as Israelis engage more in leisure and retail activities during the summer season.