Survey shows sharp increase of Israelis facing poverty

Data released on Wednesday as part of an Israeli Society Survey conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) revealed that the number of Israelis facing poverty has risen dramatically in the past decade. The data, which was sent to Xinhua, shows a sharpest increase in numbers of Israeli citizens facing poverty, from 27 percent in 2000 to 31 percent in 2011. The data also shows that the poverty risk rate for children in Israel is much higher compared with EU states - 40 percent in Israel and 20 percent in the EU. The data was released in light of the international day for battling poverty.