• In the second quarter of 2017, Israel’s surplus of assets over liabilities vis-à-vis abroad declined by about $1.8 billion (about 1.5 percent), in contrast with an increase of about $7.1 billion (6.5 percent) in the first quarter of the year. Outstanding liabilities to abroad increased by a greater amount than Israel’s assets vis-à-vis abroad.
  • The increase in the value of the portfolio of Israelis’ assets held abroad in the second quarter ($9.4 billion, 2.4 percent) was a mainly result of an increase in the prices of foreign stocks and bonds ($3.1 billion, 0.8 percent) and an increase in Israel’s reserve assets ($5.5 billion, 5.4 percent).
  • The increase in the gross balance of liabilities to abroad in the second quarter ($11.1 billion, 4 percent) was mainly a result of the flow of financial investments in stocks and bonds ($2.8 billion, 1 percent) and direct investments in shares ($2 billion, 0.7 percent), in parallel with an increase in the prices of Israeli shares held by nonresidents ($3.1 billion, 1.1 percent).
  • The surplus of assets over liabilities vis-à-vis abroad in debt instruments alone (negative net external debt) increased in the second quarter of 2017 by about $1.6 billion (1.1 percent), to about $142 billion at the end of the quarter.
  • The gross external debt to GDP ratio declined in the second quarter, to 26 percent at the end of June, the result of a negligible increase in the shekel value of gross external debt due to the appreciation of the shekel, in parallel with an increase in GDP.​


            Graphs and data​