West Bank Minimum Expenditure Basket report - West Bank Cash Working Group, August 2025

Introduction

This report outlines the process, methodology, and results of the review of the Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB) in the West Bank.

A Minimum Expenditure Basket identifies and quantifies “basic needs items and services that can be monetized and are accessible in adequate quality through local markets and services. Items and services included in an MEB are those that households in a given context are likely to prioritize, on a regular or seasonal basis. An MEB is inherently multisectoral and based on the average cost of the items composing the basket”.1 The adopted MEB definition corresponds to what a household needs for a dignified living, which is above and beyond life-saving needs.

The West Bank Cash Working Group (WB CWG) prioritized the need to review the 2023 MEB in its 2025 WorkPlan, and a dedicated task team (MEB TT) was created in April 2025 for the purpose.

The TT agreed to proceed with a light review approach, aiming at confirming or updating existing items and components. The final MEB, endorsed by the CWG in July 2025 stands at 2,508.15 NIS, for an average household (HH) of five. A single MPCA transfer value is calculated as 70% of the MEB at 1,755 NIS. The SMEB, used only for vulnerability targeting, is set at 1,981.44 NIS.