The statistics refer to 444,900 families and 776,500 children living in poverty in Israel. Photo: Leket.org.il

JNS.org – An annual report released Wednesday by Israel’s National Insurance Institute shows that 776,500 Israeli children were living in poverty in 2014, indicating a slight increase from 2013.

The number of Israeli families below the poverty line rose from 18.6 percent to 18.8 percent, with one in five Israeli citizens and one in three children living in poverty. Individuals earning less than NIS 3,077 ($797) a month and families with a monthly income of less than NIS 9,230 ($2,390) are considered poor, according to the report.

Researchers suggested that the increase in the number of Israel’s poor families came due to a decrease in employment levels.