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- In the first quarter of 2024, the balance of assets held abroad by Israeli residents increased by approximately $19.4 billion (about 2.8 percent), to about $720 billion at the end of March. The increase was mainly due to an increase in the prices of foreign securities held by Israeli residents, and to net investments abroad by Israeli residents.
- Outstanding liabilities to abroad increased by approximately $18.8 billion (about 3.8 percent) in the first quarter, to about $508 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. Furthermore, the slowdown in the volume of nonresidents’ investments in Israel continued, both in direct investments and in investments in the securities portfolio.
- Israel’s surplus of assets over liabilities vis-à-vis abroad increased by approximately $0.6 billion (0.1 percent) in the first quarter, to about $212 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 $5.3 billion (2.1 percent) during the first quarter, to approximately $256 billion at the end of March.
- The ratio of gross external debt to GDP increased by about 1.5 percentage points in the first quarter, to about 30.1 percent at the end of March.