JERUSALEM, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Israel's economy grew 6.5 percent in 2022, the Central Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday.
This is the second-highest annual gross domestic product (GDP) increase in 22 years, only second to 8.6 percent in 2021.
The outcome beats forecasts of the Finance Ministry and the Bank of Israel, which was respectively at 6.3 percent and 6 percent.
According to the bureau's report, Israel's population grew by 2 percent in 2022, while GDP per capita increased by 4.4 percent, compared to the 6.8 percent increase in 2021.
Israel's private consumption expenditure increased by 7.5 percent in 2022 after an increase of 11.1 percent in 2021, while the public consumption expenditure increased by 0.6 percent last year, compared with a 4.2 percent rise in the previous year.
The report also showed that Israel's goods and services exports rose by 7.9 percent in 2022, following a 14.6 percent rise in 2021, while imports rose by 11.2 percent in 2022 after a 20.6 percent increase in 2021.
Gad Lior, senior analyst for Yedioth Ahronoth daily newspaper told Xinhua that despite the high growth in 2022, there is a fear of a slowdown due to the global economic crisis and inflation increase in Israel, with a low growth of about 3 percent expected in 2023. ■
