Opinion & Comment
Observations: Recreation Spending is 6 Percent of GDP

National expenditures on culture, entertainment and sport rose 11 percent in 2000 to NIS 27.8 billion, the Central Bureau of Statistics reported. The increase follows a 7 percent increase in both 1998 and 1999. Per capita expenditure on this item rose 5 percent in 2000, following increases of 10 percent a year in the preceding three years.

National expenditure on culture, entertainment and sport includes expenditure on television and radio services, purchases of televisions, VCRs, PCs, entertainment and sport products, tickets to the theater, cinema and community centers, and gambling. 24 percent of the overall national expenditure on culture, entertainment and sport last year was spent on radio and television services and the purchase of new televisions. 21 percent was spent on music and the theater arts, including concerts, shows, and nightclubs, and the purchase of musical instruments. 16 percent was spent on sports and games, including the purchase of subscriptions and tickets to fitness centers and swimming pools.

10 percent was spent on social-cultural activities, mostly at neighborhood community centers. 6 percent was spent on gambling, mostly for Mifal Hapayis and the "Toto" weekly football pools. 6 percent was spent on cinema tickets and the purchase of cameras and movie cameras. 5 percent was spent on literature and writing materials, and less than 4 percent was spent on heritage, such as visits to museums and antiquities sites.

Individuals and households accounted for 76 percent of the total national expenditure on culture, entertainment and sport, similar to the levels of previous years. The balance was spent by the State, local authorities, and NPOs.

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