Israeli Consumer Spending Hits Record 54.8 Billion Shekels in July Amid Summer Vacation Surge

In July 2026, Israeli consumer spending reached a new peak, with credit card expenditures totaling 54.857 billion shekels, marking a 5.8% increase compared to July 2025. This surge, driven by the summer vacation period, represents nearly 3 billion shekels more than the previous year. The daily average spending also set a record at 1.771 billion shekels, up 3.1% from June, marking the second consecutive month with daily spending above 1.7 billion shekels.

Online shopping continued to dominate consumer behavior, with transactions amounting to 31.916 billion shekels in July, a 4.5% rise from the previous year, averaging over 1.03 billion shekels daily. Physical retail outlets, including stores and restaurants, also saw increased activity, with spending reaching 22.942 billion shekels, a 7.6% increase year-over-year and a daily average of 740 million shekels.

Cash withdrawals from ATMs rose to 6.057 billion shekels, the highest since August 2023 before the outbreak of Operation Iron Swords, reflecting a 1.1% increase from July 2025. The daily average cash withdrawal hit a new high of approximately 195 million shekels.

Shva (Automated Banking Services) attributed the spending rise to the start of the summer vacation, which boosted consumer activity following a slowdown in June due to security concerns and restrictions during Operation "With the Lion." As normalcy returned, vacation travel, shopping, and leisure activities fueled private consumption to new heights.