Israeli woman earns only 63% of man's salary

Data compiled by Central Bureau of Statistics shows Israeli women live 82.2 years on average, four years less than male counterparts. More women enter academia, but earn far less than men

Reuters | Published: 03.06.08, 07:08

What is the average Israeli woman like? She marries a little after the age of 24, has three children on average, lives roughly 82.2 years, and still earns far less money than her husband. This, at least according to recent data.

In honor on International Women’s Day, taking place March 8, Israel’s Central Bureau Of Statistics released some captivating new data revealing the current state of Israeli women.

According to the bureau, there were 2,616,400 women above the age of 15 residing in Israel at the end of 2007, constituting 51.3% of Israel’s population. Like their international counterparts, Israeli women live longer than men. Whereas an average Israeli male will live some 78.5 years on average, his wife will probably live an additional four years to the age of 82.

Good new for young single ladies, however. The bureau data revealed that there are younger bachelors out there than bachelorettes, at least until the age of 39 when single ladies begin to outnumber the men.

Jewish mothers take heed—Israeli women are getting married later these days. Where as in 1980 Israeli women wed at the age of 22.4 on average, in 2007 she is likely to march under the chupah at the age of 24.6. That is still far earlier than European women who marry at 28 on average. What would their mothers say?

Bureau data also indicated that Israeli women have more children than their European counterparts, bearing an average of 2.9 offspring as compared to 1.5 borne by European women.

More educated, but earn less

Israeli women also still earn far less money than their male counterparts, most likely because they are relegated to more traditionally ‘feminine’ profession, such as teaching, cleaning, and clerical work, which are lower paying. Women constitute 70% of the workforce in such professions, and so still earn wages equivalent to 63% of the average male salary. In the High-Tech industry, for instance, women only comprise 33.8% of the workforce.

Paradoxically, Israeli women tend to be far more highly educated than their male counterparts, with 15.1% of women 18 or older holding a Bachelor’s degree versus only 12.3% of men. This gender gap also carries through to the Master’s degree level, with 8.0% of Israeli women earning an MA versus 7.4% of men.

The bureau data also revealed that Israeli women tend to be far more law abiding than their male counterparts. Israeli women only comprise 9% of criminal offenders in Israel, although when it comes to fraud women constitute 19% of all perpetrators.

Finally, the female driver jokes may have some sort of basis in reality,. In 2006, only 1.3 million Israeli women had a driver’s license, as compared to 1.9 million men. Some 1,700 Israeli women currently hold a license to operate a cab.