Country information
The commercial relationship between the UK and Israel is flourishing. For the year 2008 two-way trade exceeded £2.3 billion. Israel is the UK's largest individual trading partner in the Near East & North Africa and ended 2008 as the UK's 29th largest export market world-wide.
Israel: the year 2008 in figures
| Gross Domestic Product GDP - per capita |
4.1% $26,900 |
| Inflation | 3.8% |
| Unemployment - % age | 6.6% |
| Budget for 2008 | NIS 314 billion |
| Israel bank rate - 12/08 | 1% |
| Population Population growth |
7,372,000 +2% |
| Immigration Immigration from the UK |
16,500 680 |
| Foreign workers (legal) Foreign workers (illegal) |
85,000 185,000 |
| Foreign currency reserves ($) | $37 billion |
| High tech capital raised (foreign and local) | $2.08 billion |
| Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (points) Tel Aviv Stock Exchange - %age |
568.1 -51% |
| Tourists | 3.1 million |
| Shekel/Sterling exchange (12/08) Shekel/Dollar exchange (12/08) |
5.548 3.802 |
| UK Exports to Israel | £1,283 million |
| UK Imports from Israel | £1,135 million |
(Percentage figures are in comparison with 2007).
Economic indictors and trade figures
UK-Israel trade is a key component of our bilateral relationship. Two-way trade has topped £2 billion for the last seven years.
Below are some details about Israel's economy and its trade with the UK since 2000.
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
| Inflation (Figures in %) |
0.0 | 1.3 | 6.8 | -1.7 | 1.2 | 2.4 | -0.1 | 3.3 | 3.8 |
| Unemployment (Figures in %) |
8.9 | 9.6 | 10.4 | 10.7 | 10.3 | 8.9 | 8.3 | 7.1 | 6.6 |
| GDP Growth (Changes by % year on year) |
5.9 | -0.9 | -0.8 | 1.3 | 4.3 | 5.2 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 4.1 |
| GDP Growth Per Capita (Figures in $ USA) |
17,000 | 16,800 | 15,900 | 16,300 | 17,300 | 18,100 | 19,900 | 23,900 | 26,900 |
| Tel Aviv Stock Exchange | 3.5 | -8.7 | -18.9 | 60 | 17.9 | 32.3 | 13.26 | 24.4 | -51 |
|
Imports |
15.0 | -6.4 | -3.0 | -1.9 | 12.0 | 7.1 | 2.0 | 12.3 | 2.8 |
|
Exports |
2.4 | -13.0 | -5.4 | 4.5 | 14.9 | 11.2 | 5.1 | 8.4 | 3.6 |
| UK Exports to Israel (In £ miilions) |
1,519 | 1,366 | 1,440 | 1,377 | 1,394 | 1,357 | 1,293 | 1,242 | 1,283 |
| UK Imports from Israel (In £ miilions) |
1,062 | 975 | 911 | 882 | 943 | 1,023 | 985.6 | 1,057 | 1,135 |
(Percentage figures are in comparison with previous year).
Contact us
UK Trade & Investment
British Embassy Tel Aviv
Tel: + 972 (0)3 725 1232
Fax: + 972 (0)3 524 3313
Email:
comrcl1@netvision.net.il
