GeoRealityMatch

The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to parts of the country, and all but essential travel to other areas. FCDO travel advice, read 29 October 2026.

Explore the historic landscape of Jerusalem under a clear blue sky with lush greenery and ancient architecture.Beautiful view of a historic church surrounded by rolling hills in Jerusalem.

Israel

Asia · Western Asia

Very low safetyExpensive cost of livingVery high development

Incomes are high, and people live long. It is among the least peaceful countries.

Safety

157th most peaceful of 161

Global Peace Index
3.124lower is more peacefulVery low safety
#157 of 161
IEP GPI · 2026
Homicides
1.6per 100,000 people a yearModerateUNODC / World Bank · 2022
Safety index
68.2Numbeo's safety index, higher is saferHighNumbeo · 2026
Money

Incomes above the median country

GNI per person
$56,180national income per person, US dollarsVery high
World Bank · 2025
Rent index
31.2New York = 100Very expensiveNumbeo · 2026
Property price to income
12.2years of median income to buy a median flatModerateNumbeo · 2026

Income and inflation over time

Income per person rose 168% in current dollars from 2006 to 2025, and rose 39% after inflation.

GDP per person, current US$At purchasing power parityInflation

$0$40K$80K$59,717 PPP$60,337Inflation, % a year5%0200620102015202020252006, $22,500 a person, $26,353 at PPP, inflation 2.1%2007, $25,689 a person, $28,272 at PPP, inflation 0.5%2008, $30,231 a person, $28,048 at PPP, inflation 4.5%2009, $28,470 a person, $28,049 at PPP, inflation 3.4%2010, $31,399 a person, $29,418 at PPP, inflation 2.7%2011, $34,477 a person, $31,272 at PPP, inflation 3.5%2012, $33,269 a person, $32,432 at PPP, inflation 1.7%2013, $36,981 a person, $34,777 at PPP, inflation 1.6%2014, $38,265 a person, $34,745 at PPP, inflation 0.5%2015, $36,138 a person, $35,797 at PPP, inflation -0.6%2016, $37,571 a person, $38,088 at PPP, inflation -0.5%2017, $41,013 a person, $39,351 at PPP, inflation 0.2%2018, $42,269 a person, $40,101 at PPP, inflation 0.8%2019, $44,092 a person, $41,177 at PPP, inflation 0.8%2020, $44,591 a person, $40,969 at PPP, inflation -0.6%2021, $52,258 a person, $46,151 at PPP, inflation 1.5%2022, $54,947 a person, $53,617 at PPP, inflation 4.4%2023, $52,126 a person, $55,301 at PPP, inflation 4.2%2024, $54,217 a person, $57,278 at PPP, inflation 3.1%2025, $60,337 a person, $59,717 at PPP, inflation 3%$0$40K$80KInflation, % a year5%0200620102015202020252006, $22,500 a person, $26,353 at PPP, inflation 2.1%2007, $25,689 a person, $28,272 at PPP, inflation 0.5%2008, $30,231 a person, $28,048 at PPP, inflation 4.5%2009, $28,470 a person, $28,049 at PPP, inflation 3.4%2010, $31,399 a person, $29,418 at PPP, inflation 2.7%2011, $34,477 a person, $31,272 at PPP, inflation 3.5%2012, $33,269 a person, $32,432 at PPP, inflation 1.7%2013, $36,981 a person, $34,777 at PPP, inflation 1.6%2014, $38,265 a person, $34,745 at PPP, inflation 0.5%2015, $36,138 a person, $35,797 at PPP, inflation -0.6%2016, $37,571 a person, $38,088 at PPP, inflation -0.5%2017, $41,013 a person, $39,351 at PPP, inflation 0.2%2018, $42,269 a person, $40,101 at PPP, inflation 0.8%2019, $44,092 a person, $41,177 at PPP, inflation 0.8%2020, $44,591 a person, $40,969 at PPP, inflation -0.6%2021, $52,258 a person, $46,151 at PPP, inflation 1.5%2022, $54,947 a person, $53,617 at PPP, inflation 4.4%2023, $52,126 a person, $55,301 at PPP, inflation 4.2%2024, $54,217 a person, $57,278 at PPP, inflation 3.1%2025, $60,337 a person, $59,717 at PPP, inflation 3%

World Bank: GDP per person in current US dollars and at PPP, real GDP per person, consumer price inflation. Observed years only.

Health

Among the longest-lived countries

Life expectancy
83.2years, at birthVery high
#13 of 195
World Bank · 2024
Health coverage
85WHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100Very highWHO · 2023
Air pollution
16.9PM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national averageModerateWHO · 2023
Work and internet

Very fast home internet

Unemployment rate
3.5%share of the labour force without a jobWorld Bank · 2025
Home internet
282 Mbpsmedian download speedVery fastOokla Speedtest · 2025
English proficiency
524EF English Proficiency Index scoreModerateEF EPI · 2025

Internet speeds

Home internet282 MbpsVery fast
Mobile67 MbpsSlow

Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median download speed, ranked among the countries Ookla lists.

Beautiful view of a historic church surrounded by rolling hills in Jerusalem.
How it changed

Israel's Human Development Index

0.919Very high human development

27th of 193 in UNDP's 2023 ranking, 5th of 43 in Asia.

UNDP builds the index from three dimensions: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and a decent standard of living. They are measured by life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling, and gross national income per capita. UNDP Human Development Report 2025.

Nearest countries by HDI

  1. #25Luxembourg0.922
  2. #26France0.920
  3. #27Israel0.919
  4. #28Spain0.918
  5. #29Czechia0.915
Full HDI ranking, all 193 countries

HDI since 1990

Year by year

Human development rose from 0.787 in 1990 to 0.919 in 2023.

0.750.850.950.91919902000201020231990: 0.7871991: 0.7911992: 0.7941993: 0.8011994: 0.8061995: 0.8101996: 0.8171997: 0.8241998: 0.8311999: 0.8392000: 0.8392001: 0.8412002: 0.8462003: 0.8472004: 0.8502005: 0.8582006: 0.8672007: 0.8782008: 0.8782009: 0.8842010: 0.8892011: 0.8922012: 0.8932013: 0.8992014: 0.9022015: 0.9022016: 0.9052017: 0.9082018: 0.9112019: 0.9132020: 0.9122021: 0.9182022: 0.9212023: 0.9190.750.850.9519902000201020231990: 0.7871991: 0.7911992: 0.7941993: 0.8011994: 0.8061995: 0.8101996: 0.8171997: 0.8241998: 0.8311999: 0.8392000: 0.8392001: 0.8412002: 0.8462003: 0.8472004: 0.8502005: 0.8582006: 0.8672007: 0.8782008: 0.8782009: 0.8842010: 0.8892011: 0.8922012: 0.8932013: 0.8992014: 0.9022015: 0.9022016: 0.9052017: 0.9082018: 0.9112019: 0.9132020: 0.9122021: 0.9182022: 0.9212023: 0.919

UNDP Human Development Report, 2025 edition. 34 annual values, none interpolated.

Twenty years here

Year by yearThe world report
Life expectancy at birth
83.2 years2024at birthUp 3 years from 80.2 years in 2005
Internet users
88%2024of people onlineUp 60 points from 28% in 2006
Urban population
92%2025of people in towns and citiesLevel with 2006
Births per woman
2.872024births per womanUp 0.03 from 2.84 in 2005
Renewable share of energy
6%2021of energy usedDown 1 point from 7% in 2004
Access to electricity
100%2024of people with electricityLevel with 2005
Infant mortality
32024deaths before age one, per 1,000 birthsDown 2 from 5 in 2005
CO2 emissions per person
5.8 t2024of CO2 per person a yearDown 3.2 t from 8.9 t in 2005
Forest area
6%2023of land under forestDown 1 point from 7% in 2004

World Bank, from the first to the last observed year of each indicator; each has its own window.

Our take

Thriving tech sector and strong culture, with a very high cost of living and complex geopolitics. The case for living here is high incomes, long lives and wide access to essential health services. The case against is a low peace ranking and a high cost of living.

About Israel

Israel is a small but intensely layered country where ancient history is alive in the stones of Jerusalem, the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee, and the desert fortress of Masada, alongside a modern culture of remarkable creative energy centred on Tel Aviv. The food is outstanding, the nature varies from desert to Mediterranean coast in the space of an hour, and the intensity of human experience concentrated here is unlike anywhere else. It is a place that rarely leaves people indifferent.

Practical facts

  • CapitalJerusalem
  • LanguagesArabic, Hebrew
  • CurrencyIsraeli new shekel (ILS)
  • Area21,640 km²
  • Plug typeType C/H
  • Drives on theright
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Quick answers

What is Israel's Human Development Index?

Israel's Human Development Index is 0.919 for 2023 (UNDP Human Development Report 2025), ranked #27 of 193 by UNDP.

Is Israel safe?

Israel scores 3.12 on the Global Peace Index (lower is more peaceful), ranked #157 of 161 countries by the Institute for Economics & Peace. That measures national-level peace, not street crime; both are covered below.

How expensive is Israel?

Numbeo's cost-of-living index puts Israel at 79.7 (New York = 100); that is #137 cheapest of 143 countries with data.

What is life expectancy in Israel?

Life expectancy at birth in Israel is 83.2 yrs (World Bank), ranked #13 of 195 countries.

What is the quality of life in Israel?

Numbeo's quality-of-life index scores Israel at 167.7, ranked #30 of 87 countries with data. It composites purchasing power, safety, healthcare, cost of living, commute and pollution from resident surveys, so it reflects what residents report rather than what an economy produces.