OCDE - Data on homelessness and housing exclusion 2026 - Israel de 2026

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DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: ISRAEL © OECD 2026

Summary of key data and information Summary of key data and information Official statistical definition of homelessness (Table 1) People aged 18 and over who live and manage their lives on the streets, in open areas, public buildings, or abandoned structures, and who have difficulty taking action to change their situation. Latest national estimates of homelessness (Table 2, Table 3) 4 055 individuals, representing 0.04% of the total population (2025) 14% are women, 86% are men Flow count, based on the local authority data collection ETHOS Light groups included Included: • ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces • ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) • ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) • ETHOS Light 4: People in institutions • ETHOS Light 5: People in non-conventional dwellings (e.g. caravans, cars or tents) Not included: • ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing) Notes: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted. Legal framework to collect data on homelessness (Table 4) There is no legal obligation to collect data on homelessness in Israel. Social workers are required to record data on service recipients as part of case management within the Departments of Social Services, and this serves as our primary source of data. Homelessness Strategy (Table 5) • National Homelessness Strategy: Regulation to social workers providing services for people experiencing homelessness. • Regional and/or local homelessness strategies exist. Approaches to collect data on homelessness (Table 6)

Homelessness Strategy (Table 5) • National Homelessness Strategy: Regulation to social workers providing services for people experiencing homelessness. • Regional and/or local homelessness strategies exist. Approaches to collect data on homelessness (Table 6) • Local authority data collection: The Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs collects information from local authorities through a questionnaire (Table 6.1).

Data on homelessness and housing exclusion 2026: Israel2  DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: ISRAEL © OECD 2026

Table 1. Official statistical definition of homelessness Statistical definition Homelessness People aged 18 and over who live and manage their lives on the streets, in open areas, public buildings, or abandoned structures, and who have difficulty taking action to change their situation. They often cope with some or all of the following conditions: trauma; physical neglect and physical illness; psychological distress; misuse of or addiction to psychoactive substances and/or behavioural addictions; poverty; lack of family and social support systems; and social exclusion. Table 2. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by living situation Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology Year Headline estimate of homelessness (Individuals) % of total population ETHOS Light 1 People living rough ETHOS Light 2 People in emergency accommodation ETHOS Light 3 People in accommodation for the homeless ETHOS Light 4 People living in institutions ETHOS Light 5 People living in unconventional dwellings ETHOS Light 6 People staying with family/friends

2021 3 900 0.04% Included in headline estimate but not specified 687 281 Included in headline estimate but not specified Included in headline estimate but not specified

People staying with family/friends

2021 3 900 0.04% Included in headline estimate but not specified 687 281 Included in headline estimate but not specified Included in headline estimate but not specified Not included 2025 4 055 0.04% Included in headline estimate but not specified 746 513 Included in headline estimate but not specified Included in headline estimate but not specified Not included Metadata: • Type of count: Flow • Data are comparable across years: Yes

• Included in headline estimate:

o Children: No o Temporary accommodation for: ‒ Asylum seekers: No ‒ Refugees: No ‒ Victims/survivors of domestic violence: No Note: Data only cover Israeli citizens and only represent a sample of local jurisdictions. Data exclude children under 18 years old.

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, 2025, Local authority data collection.

Table 3. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by sub-group and living situation Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology, 2025 Single adults Men Women Youth (aged 18-29) Older people (aged 65 and over) Families with children (# of households)1 Headline estimate of homelessness 3 778 3 474 581 269 465 117 As percentage of total population experiencing homelessness 93.2% 85.70% 14.30% 6.60% 11.50% NA ETHOS Light 1: People living rough NA NA NA NA NA NA ETHOS Light 2: People in emergency accommodation NA NA NA NA NA NA ETHOS Light 3: People in accommodation for the homeless

ETHOS Light 1: People living rough NA NA NA NA NA NA ETHOS Light 2: People in emergency accommodation NA NA NA NA NA NA ETHOS Light 3: People in accommodation for the homeless 1 083 1 057 133 46 72 70 ETHOS Light 4: People living in institutions

NA NA NA NA NA NA 3

DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: ISRAEL © OECD 2026

ETHOS Light 5: People living in unconventional dwellings NA NA NA NA NA NA ETHOS Light 6: People staying with family/friends

NA NA NA NA NA NA Metadata: • Type of count: Flow

• Included in headline estimate:

o Children: No o Temporary accommodation for: ‒ Asylum seekers: No ‒ Refugees: No ‒ Victims/survivors of domestic violence: No Note: Sub-groups are not mutually exclusive. 1) The number of households figures only include adults, since children under 18 years old are excluded from the data.

Source: Ministry of Welfare data.

Table 4. Legal framework to collect data on homelessness Legal framework Law that governs data collection on homelessness None. Legal obligations None. Table 5. Homelessness strategy Homelessness strategies in place National Homelessness Strategy National Homelessness Strategy: Regulation to social workers providing services for people experiencing homelessness. Regional and/or local homelessness strategies exist Yes. Table 6. Approaches to collect data on homelessness 6.1. Local authority data collection Description The Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs circulates a questionnaire on homelessness to local authorities every year. Reported data is then cross-checked with the Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs’ information systems, which record information on homelessness service usage.

Type of count generated Flow (period) Methods Service-based method Lead authority(ies)

with the Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs’ information systems, which record information on homelessness service usage.

Type of count generated Flow (period) Methods Service-based method Lead authority(ies) Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs Source(s) of information Local authorities fill out a questionnaire on homelessness service usage. Scope National level Depth of data • Data disaggregated by: individuals making use of social services for the homeless that were registered and individuals making use of social services for the homeless that were not registered. Frequency Annual ETHOS Light groups included: • ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces • ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) • ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) • ETHOS Light 4: People in institutions • ETHOS Light 5: People in non-conventional dwellings (e.g. caravans, cars or tents)4  DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING EXCLUSION 2026: ISRAEL © OECD 2026

Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more subcategories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.

Notes and sources Knesset_ReportStreetDwellers_2022

Please refer to the OECD Affordable Housing Database, indicator HC3.1.Population experiencing homelessness, https://www.oecd.org/content/oecd/en/data/datasets/oecd-affordable-housingdatabase.html.

This work is issued under the responsibility of the Secretar y-General of the OECD, and does not necessarily reflect the official views of OECD Member countries. This document was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.

This work is issued under the responsibility of the Secretar y-General of the OECD, and does not necessarily reflect the official views of OECD Member countries. This document was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union. This document, as well as any data and map included here in, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area. The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use o f such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of international law.

© OECD 2026

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