Israelis perceive themselves as very healthy. But in practice they are less healthy than they think, according to a survey published today by the Maccabi Health Fund. The survey of a representative sample of 1,100 people aged 20-75, was conducted immediately after the Gaza ceasefire in October-November 2025 and is a continuation of a series of surveys conducted by Maccabi over the years, which examine the changes in the public’s perception of health before, during and after the war.
62% of Israelis now indicate that their health is very good or excellent, the best result measured so far. In June, only 59% of respondents reported that their health was very good to excellent, and at the start of the war, the figure dropped dramatically to 42%. Since then, it has been gradually climbing, reaching 60%. With the end of the war, two additional percentage points were added.
The picture is different when it comes to mental health. Only 53% of respondents defined their mental state as good or excellent – a significantly lower rate than their assessment of their physical condition. Before the war, the figure was 62%, and in November 2023 it fell to 34%. Since then, there has been only a partial recovery, and the figure has not yet returned to its previous level.
32% of respondents indicated that they need psychological help, 20% testified that they experience psychological distress most of the time or all the time, and 40% said that their ability to cope with daily life is average or below (it is unclear how much overlap between the items). Meanwhile, there was a 30% increase in diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared with 2023, and a 14% increase in the use of over-the-counter sedatives and sleeping pills.
Gap between declarations and behavior
47% of those surveyed say they have a healthy lifestyle, an indication given according to their personal understanding of this definition and not on the basis of a questionnaire that examines specific behaviors. 34% said that they do not perform aerobic activity, and 15% smoke, and of these, 30% say they smoke more today than in the past.
61% reported they consume sugary drinks, about 25% of them drink two to four cups a day, and 26% drink three to four glasses a week.
The number of those reporting that their lifestyle is healthy also changed as the war developed. Before the war, 40% of the survey’s participants said their lifestyle was healthy, but by November 2023, this figure had fallen to 30%. Since then, the number of people maintaining a healthy lifestyle has increased, and by mid-2024 it had returned to its original level, even during the campaign against Iran in June 2025.
About 100,000 members of the Maccabi Health Fund used weight-loss jabs during 2025, which is about 4% of all members, although it is not known how many persisted with the treatment and how many just tried it. Not surprisingly, there was a 17% decrease in the number of weight management surgeries performed among members of the fund.
Chatbot set to overtake the doctor?
The average Israeli sleeps seven hours a night. 38% of the survey’s participants report that they do not sleep enough to function during the day (the average hours of sleep in this group was not reported). 37% claimed to have suffered from insomnia at least twice in the previous week. The average Israeli sits for 8.2 hours a day, with 20% sit for at least 11 hours a day.
A 4% decrease in births was recorded in 2025 compared with 2024. Did Israelis despair, or, on the contrary, enjoy a temporary baby boom during the war? The data indicate that the second answer is probably the correct one, because the figure in 2023 was similar to 2025..
55% of those surveyed reported that they turn first and foremost to a general search on the Internet. Doctors and medical staff came in second place with 50%, followed by health fund websites and family and friends. 32% of respondents use AI tools to obtain medical information – a rate that is already higher than that of those who turn to social media (27%). No less than 21% stated that they trust medical recommendations provided by AI to a very high degree. 40% trust them to a moderate degree. Maccabi Health Services Deputy CEO and Head of the Health Division Dr. Eran Rotman says, “The index data presents a complex picture of the Israeli public after a long period of stress and crisis, alongside a certain improvement in the sense of health, ongoing mental distress is evident, expressed in a growing need for assistance, sleep problems and even an increase in smoking. These findings indicate that the struggle is not over yet and emphasize the need to expand mental health services and invest resources and listen to the signs of stress that appear on the ground.”
Maccabi Health Services VP communications and government relations Shir Cohen said, “The past two years have sharpened the need to examine in depth the state of public health in Israel, not only through medical data, but also through the way the public perceives its health.”
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on December 31, 2025.
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2025.
