Northern Frontline Lags Behind: Below-Average Salaries and Fewer Children and Teens

A 2026 Interior Ministry report reveals economic and demographic gaps between the northern frontline and the Gaza envelope: the average salary in the north is about 1,000 NIS lower than the national average, the proportion of children is lower, and the proportion of adults is higher. The gap between Kiryat Shmona and Sderot has widened, with a decline in natural increase in the north since 2020.

A 2026 situation report by the Interior Ministry, published last week, points to significant gaps between communities on the northern frontline (Lebanon border) and the Gaza envelope and the national average. The average salary in the north stands at about 11,260 NIS, about 1,000 NIS lower than the national average (12,250 NIS) and less than a similar salary in the Gaza envelope. In the northern regional councils, the salary is about 12,000 NIS, compared to over 13,000 NIS in the envelope. The gap is prominent between cities: in Kiryat Shmona, the average salary is about 9,300 NIS, compared to about 10,700 NIS in Sderot. A 2025 Knesset Research Center report shows that in 2016, the salary in Kiryat Shmona was about 200 NIS higher than in Sderot, but during the COVID-19 period a turnaround occurred: in 2022, the salary in Sderot rose by 46% to 11,146 NIS, while in Kiryat Shmona a decrease was recorded. Demographically, only 21% of northern residents are children and teens (up to age 19), compared to 27% nationwide and in the envelope. The proportion of those aged 65 and over in the north is about 15%, compared to less than 10% nationwide. Natural increase in the north has declined from about 2,200 residents per year to about 1,950 since 2020, while in the envelope it has steadily risen. The internal migration balance peaked in 2021 with about 1,300 new residents in the north, but most growth was concentrated in councils; between 2019 and 2025, only about 1,000 residents were added to Kiryat Shmona, compared to about 11,000 in Sderot. The report notes that during the war and evacuations, about 3,900 residents entered the north, but some may have registered to receive benefits.