Israelis are changing direction: The surprising revolution in purchasing habits is revealed
Official import data for July show sharp increases in the purchase of vehicles and certain electrical appliances, alongside particularly surprising data in the cigarette and fuel market in Israel.
The Tax Authority published on Monday the data on the import of durable goods in July 2026, in which the import of private vehicles totaled 21,219 compared to 19,691 vehicles in July 2025, an increase of 7.8%.
The increase is attributed to the relatively low import volume in July of the previous year. The import of commercial vehicles totaled 882 units compared to 1,141 in July 2025, a decrease of 22.7%.
In the period from January to July 2026, the import of vehicles totaled 173,919 compared to 118,321 in the same period last year, a sharp increase of 47.0%. This rise is explained on the one hand by high imports between February and June 2026 following a low dollar exchange rate, and on the other hand by low imports at the beginning of 2025 due to massive advance imports in December 2024 on the eve of a purchase tax increase and an update to the green taxation formula. Trend data indicate a moderate increase in the import of passenger vehicles starting from the second half of 2025.
In July 2026, compared to July 2025, a mixed trend was recorded in the import of white goods. The import of washing machines and tumble dryers increased by 26.8% and 4.1% respectively, while a decrease of 32.7% and 1.9% was recorded in the import of refrigerators and dishwashers respectively.
In cumulative data for the months of January to July 2026, an increase was recorded in the import of washing machines by 15.5% and dishwashers by 10.2%, alongside a decrease in the import of refrigerators by 14.4% and tumble dryers by 55.8%. The import of televisions in July 2026 increased by 20.4% compared to July 2025, and cumulatively from the beginning of the year, an increase of 14.4% was recorded.
The quantity of cigarette imports decreased in July 2026 by 6.5% compared to the same period last year, but the import value in dollars increased by 16.2%, apparently due to the import of more expensive cigarettes. In the period January-July 2026, the import quantity hardly changed, while the import value increased by 18.3%. The import value of other tobacco, including tobacco for hookahs, cigars, and heating products, decreased in July by 8.3% compared to July 2025.
The total value of all imports in July 2026 amounted to 9.7 billion dollars, an increase of 6.0% compared to the import value in July 2025. Trend data indicate an increase in import value.
Marketing of gasoline and diesel in June 2026 increased by 19% and 16% respectively compared to June 2025. The high increase in gasoline marketing is partly explained by low mileage in June 2025 during the Im-Klavia war. Cumulatively from the beginning of the year, gasoline marketing decreased by 1% as a result of low mileage during the Roar of the Lion war, while diesel marketing increased by 5%.
