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Israeli Mortgage Market Heats Up Amid Rising Risks and Shifting Borrower Behavior

How 6 Israeli newsrooms covered this story — translated into English and compared side by side.

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First reported by Calcalist · Jul 12, 2026

What happened

Israel's mortgage market surged in June 2026 with a 24% increase from last year, reaching 11 billion shekels, despite a sluggish housing market. However, rising risks from balloon loans and high borrower leverage signal potential instability. Borrowers are shifting away from inflation-linked loans toward prime-rate options amid cautious financial behavior.

01Mortgage lending in Israel rose 24% in June 2026 to 11 billion shekels, the highest in years.
02First half of 2026 saw 57.1 billion shekels in mortgages, up 14% from 2025 but down 17% from 2022.
03About 15% of mortgages are risky balloon loans, up from less than 6% in 2022, increasing market vulnerability.
04Nearly half of borrowers pay over 30% of income on mortgages with loan-to-value ratios above 60%.
05Borrowers are moving away from inflation-linked loans, now only 13% of new mortgages, favoring prime-rate loans.
06All-purpose loans declined to 6.1% of mortgages, indicating easing household financial pressure.

Summary translated & synthesized from the sources below by baba. Read each original for the full report.

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