Data from the Adult Skills Survey (PIAAC) published by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) reveals a worrying picture: Israel lags behind the OECD average in three critical areas – reading literacy, mathematical literacy, and adaptive problem-solving.
The data refers to the years 2022-2023 and indicates an overall decline in the achievements of the Israeli population compared to the previous round.
Reading literacy: Israel's average score stands at only 244 points compared to the OECD average of 260, placing it 27th out of 31 countries.
36% of the adult population in Israel are at the lower levels of this skill, compared to only 26% on average in the OECD.
Among the Haredi sector, the average score is 251, lower than the score of non-Haredi Jews. (261). While in the previous cohort there was no gap between the groups, the current gap highlights the growing disparity.
It is interesting to note that among the Haredim, there is a noticeable advantage for women, who achieved a higher score than the men by a margin of 12 points.
Mathematical literacy: Israel's average score in this area stands at 246 points, far from the OECD average of 263 points.
34% of the adult population in Israel are at low levels in this area, compared to only 25% on average in the OECD.
In the Haredi sector, the gaps are pronounced: the average score of the Haredim stands at 246, compared to 258 among non-Haredi Jews.
The gap in mathematical literacy is particularly pronounced among men: Haredi men lag 21 points behind non-Haredi Jewish men. In contrast, among women, no significant gap was found between Haredi women and non-Haredi Jewish women.
Adaptive problem-solving: For the first time, the survey examined the population's ability to solve adaptive problems, meaning dealing with new and changing situations.
Israel's average score stands at 236 points, lower compared to the OECD average of 251 points.
The low scores in this area indicate difficulty in adapting to the changing reality, which is an essential skill in the modern job market.
Among the Haredi sector, the average score is even lower – only 206 points.
The survey findings reveal significant gaps in the basic skills of the adult population in Israel compared to the OECD average.
While in the previous round (2014-2015) there were no such large gaps, in the current round the gaps have widened.
The biggest differences are evident in mathematical literacy and adaptive problem-solving – skills considered essential for integration into the modern workforce.
