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  • In the fourth quarter of 2023, the balance of assets held abroad by Israeliresidents increased by approximately $39.5 billion (about 6 percent), to about $702 billion at the end of December. The increase was mainly due to an increase in the prices of foreign securities held by Israeli residents, and by net investments abroad by Israeli residents.
  • Outstanding liabilities to abroad increased by approximately $15 billion (about 3.1 percent) in the fourth quarter, to about $497 billion at the end of the quarter. The increase was primarily due to an increase in the prices of Israeli securities traded abroad and held by nonresidents. In parallel, in view of the Swords of Iron War, nonresidents realized about $6.2 billion of their investments in the tradable securities portfolio. Most of the realizations were of bonds (including  makam). In addition, there was a slowdown in the scope of direct investments in Israel.
  • For the year overall[1], there was a marked decline in the scope of investments in Israel by nonresidents, mainly in direct investments. In the tradable securities portfolio, nonresidents even realized government bonds and makam.
  • Israel’s surplus of assets over liabilities vis-à-vis abroad increased by approximately $24.5 billion (13.6 percent) in the fourth quarter, to about $205 billion at the end of the quarter.
  • The surplus of assets over liabilities vis-à-vis abroad in debt instruments alone (negative net external debt) increased by about $20.6 billion (9.3 percent) during the fourth quarter, to approximately $242 billion at the end of December.
  • The ratio of gross external debt to GDP increased by about 0.3 percentage points in the fourth quarter, to about 30.5 percent at the end of December.

 

[1] For an expanded discussion, see the “Statistical Bulletin” for 2023:

 https://boi.org.il/publications/pressreleases/14-3-24. (Currently in Hebrew, the English translation will be available in several months.