JERUSALEM, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Housing prices in Israel decreased for the first time since 2020, according to data issued by Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics on Friday.
Home prices in the first two months this year decreased by 0.2 percent compared to the period of December to January, the figures show.
The previous decrease in housing prices in Israel was recorded in the period of April to May 2020, with 0.7 percent.
Meanwhile, housing prices in Israel rose annually by 12.7 percent in the first two months this year, reflecting a slowdown of the price increase pace after an annual rise of 20 percent registered in the period of September to October last year.
Housing prices in Israel have been increasing sharply in the last 15 years, despite successive governments trying to curb the spikes.
The bureau's data shows that the average price of a residential apartment in Israel was 1.9 million shekels (about 520,000 U.S. dollars) in 2022, compared to 1.73 million shekels in 2021, 1.46 million shekels in 2016 and 746,000 shekels in 2007. ■
