The Central Bureau of Statistics on Monday released its 2024 report on gender gaps in quality-of-life indicators in Israel, aimed in part at enabling an examination and analysis of disparities and inequality.
Of the 58 quality-of-life indicators available by sex, women are better off in 15, men are better off in 25 and the remaining indicators show parity between the sexes.
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Women are better off in most education, skills and training indicators, while men report higher satisfaction with their income
(Photo: shutterstock, Jacob Lund)
The bureau examined areas including employment quality, personal security, health, housing and infrastructure, education, skills and training, personal and social well-being, environment, civic engagement and governance, material standard of living, leisure, culture and community, and information and communications technology. Some indicators are divided into sub-indicators to assess gaps more precisely.
In employment quality, men are in a better position than women in most measures. Among the sub-indicators, men report higher satisfaction with income, have a higher employment rate and are more likely to hold positions that allow for advancement. In long-term unemployment, however, women fare better, with an 18% gap in their favor.
In personal security, women are better off in measures of exposure to violence or threats of violence, the rate of those killed or seriously injured in road accidents, and the homicide rate, where the gap widened from 5.3% in 2022 to 9.8% in 2023. However, women report a lower sense of safety when walking alone in their neighborhoods after dark.
In health, women have an advantage in life expectancy, healthy lifestyle and self-reported smoking rates. Men fare better in measures of depressive symptoms, new cases of malignant tumors and self-assessed health.
In education, skills and training, women are better off in most indicators. There is parity in the share of students struggling in mathematics on the PISA exam; in 2018 there was a 19% gap in favor of women. The share of men eligible for a matriculation certificate with five units in mathematics is higher than that of women — 21.2% compared with 14.7%, respectively — though the gap narrowed slightly in 2024. The overall matriculation eligibility rate rose for both sexes.
In civic engagement and governance, men are better off in most indicators. The gap in trust in the government widened from 11% in 2023 to 21% in 2024, in favor of men. In the measure of Arab representation in the public sector, parity in 2023 shifted to a gap in favor of women, despite increases among both sexes. In the perceived ability to influence government policy, the gap in favor of men grew from 4% in 2023 to 17% in 2024. In civic involvement, the gap in favor of women narrowed from 14% in 2023 to 6% in 2024.
In the environment category — which showed parity the previous year — a gap emerged in favor of men. However, a slightly higher share of women reported disruptive external noise in their homes. In material standard of living, there is one comparable measure — satisfaction with financial situation — and it shows parity, compared with a gap in favor of men in 2023.
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An increase was recorded in the share of people engaged in volunteer activity, with a 7% gap in favor of men
(Photo: Ruach Tova)
In personal and social well-being, most indicators show parity between the sexes, with a slight advantage for men. Men fare better in measures of loneliness and the sense of being able to cope with problems. Women fare better in the measure of feeling that there is no one to rely on in times of crisis or distress. In perceived discrimination, the gap was 12% in favor of men in 2023, while parity was recorded in 2024.
In leisure, culture and community, men are better off. The share of people engaged in volunteer activity increased among both men and women, but there remains a 7% gap in favor of men.
Men also fare better in information and communications technology. There is a 46% gap in favor of men in the number employed in the ICT sector, and an 8% gap in favor of men in the use of online government services. No difference was found between the sexes in internet usage rates.
In housing and infrastructure, there is parity between the sexes across all indicators. However, satisfaction with public transportation increased among men.