Israel's gross diamond exports represented 30.5% of the country's total exports of $67.8 billion in 2011. The figure, published on Sunday by the Central Bureau of Statistics, reveals the central role diamonds play in Israel's economy.



Rough and polished diamonds' share of exports increased in 2011 from 28.1% in 2010, when the country's exports totaled $58.4 billion.



In 2011, gross polished diamond exports was the largest single category of exports, $16.7 billion, or 24.6% of total exports, followed by chemicals and chemical products.



The U.S. is the leading destination of Israel's diamond exports, and in 2011 represented 41% of its total exports to the U.S.



Diamond exports of $3.5 billion worth of rough and polished diamonds represented 18.6% of Israel's exports to the European Union.



Israel exported another $8 billion worth of diamonds to Asian countries, mainly India and China. These exports accounted for 41.3% of Israel's exports to Asia.