Israelis Spend 30% More on Shopping During Knesset Elections

On Tuesday, October 27, the day of the 26th Knesset elections, Israelis spent 1.752 billion shekels using payment cards, according to data from "Chava," the company managing the national payment system. This represents a 30.2% increase compared to the previous Knesset elections on November 1, 2022, when spending reached 1.346 billion shekels. Spending also saw a 10.2% rise from the municipal elections on January 30, 2024, totaling 1.591 billion shekels.

The peak spending period occurred between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, with Israelis spending 1.149 billion shekels during these hours. This is significantly higher than the 808.5 million shekels spent during the same hours on election day in 2022 and 1.011 billion shekels during the municipal elections.

Israelis utilized the election day holiday primarily for dining out, shopping, and entertainment. Spending on leisure and entertainment saw the largest increase, jumping 72.3% to 19.1 million shekels compared to 2022. Restaurant and cafe spending rose by 53.9% to 181.4 million shekels. Purchases at grocery stores and kiosks increased by 49% to 60 million shekels, while pharmacy expenses grew by 33.5% to 51 million shekels.

Spending on clothing and footwear increased by 26.3% to 168.4 million shekels. Major grocery chains, which account for the largest turnover, saw a 24.2% increase in spending, reaching 238.2 million shekels. The hotel sector, gas stations, and electronics stores experienced growth ranging from 11% to 16%.