The balance of assets held abroad by Israeli residents reached an all-time record high of about 627 billion U.S. dollars at the end of the first quarter in 2021, the state's central bank said in a report, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
In the first quarter, the asset balance increased by about 27 billion dollars, or 4 percent, from the end of 2020, the report said.
The Bank of Israel explained that the increase was derived mainly from a rise in the foreign securities portfolio as a result of investment in equities and growth in reserve assets.
Israeli outstanding liabilities increased by about 25 billion dollars, or 6 percent, in the first quarter to a record high of about 436 billion dollars.
Thus, Israel's surplus of assets over liabilities vis-a-vis abroad increased by about 0.8 percent in the first quarter to about 191 billion dollars at the end of March.
The ratio of gross external debt to GDP increased from 32.5 percent to 35 percent during the first quarter, it added.