A new report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ranks Israel as the country with the highest rates of poverty among its members.
According to the report, about 21 percent of Israelis are living under the poverty line - more than in countries such as Mexico, Turkey, and Chile.
Israel is also ranked high as far as its pay gap is concerned - third place, behind only the US and Mexico.
In the mid-1990s, Israel's poverty rate stood at just 14 percent.
The United States is in fourth place, with about 17 percent of its population under the poverty line.
The lowest rates were recorded in the Czech Republic and Denmark – about six percent.
The OECD average is a poverty rate of 11 percent The report also indicates that men in Israel make, on average, 22 percent more than women, which places Israel fourth among OECD member states, behind Japan, Estonia, and South Korea.