The average income among Arab Israelis in 2021 was 35% lower than the average among Jewish Israelis, according to data published earlier this month by the Central Bureau of Statistics on quality of life indices in Israel. The report also found that Arab women live an average of five years fewer than Jewish women and that Arab men live an average of four years fewer than Jewish men. Across the board, the report found inequality among Israel’s Arab and Jewish sectors, affecting areas such as health, economics, education, employment, and personal security.
According to the data, the employment rate among the Arab population was 39% in 2021, compared to 63% for Jews. But the number of Arabs facing prolonged unemployment did decrease slightly: 27% of Arabs faced prolonged unemployment in 2020 compared to 28% in 2018. For Jewish Israelis, on the other hand, prolonged unemployment rates rose significantly during that time period, from 20% to 31%.
Both populations expressed fairly high satisfaction with their workplaces: 93% of Jews and 86% of Arabs were satisfied with their place of work. What they were less satisfied with was wages: only 68% of Jews and 64% of Arabs are satisfied with what they earn.
The median household income among Jews was 18,042 shekels ($5,300) per month, compared with 11,811 shekels ($3,470) per month among Arab Israelis — a disparity of 35%.
The 2021 average annual pre-tax income, excluding government assistance, for Arab Israelis was 61,997 shekels ($18,220); for Jewish Israelis, it was about twice that: 126,220 shekels ($37,090). That gap is reduced to 35% when considering average income after taxes and including government assistance. Using that metric, Arabs brought in an average of 67,198 ($19,750) shekels last year and Jews brought in an average of 103,633 shekels ($30,450). The Arab population relies to a greater extent on government assistance than the Jewish population, which also pays taxes at a higher rate.
Ten times more likely to be murdered
The 2020 murder rate was much higher among the Arab population than the Jewish population. Arab women were 7.5 times more likely to be murdered than Jewish women. Murders of Arab women occurred at a rate of 1.5 per 100,000 while murders of Jewish women occurred at a rate of 0.2 per 100,000. For men, the situation was even more drastic, with Arab men ten times more likely to be murdered than Jewish men (7.6 per 100,000 versus 0.7 per 100,000). Arabs were also at greater risk of dying or being seriously injured in road accidents. Almost six out of every 100,000 Arabs were killed in road accidents and 30.6 out of 100,000 were seriously injured in 2020, compared to 3.2 per 100,000 Jews killed in road accidents and 24.9 per 100,000 seriously injured.
The dynamic was reversed when it comes to property crime and violent behavior on the road. About 2% of Arabs were affected by property offenses compared to more than 5% of Jews. More than half of Jewish men were affected by violent behavior on the road, compared to 32% of Arab men.
Health disparities
Health disparities between Jewish and Arab Israelis extend beyond the gap in life expectancies.
While in first grade the proportion of overweight children was similar in both groups, by the seventh grade there was already a large gap, with 32% of Jewish seventh-graders and 43% of Arab seventh-graders categorized as overweight. There was also a gap in the healthy lifestyle index: 15% of Jews reported maintaining a healthy lifestyle compared to 13% of Arabs.
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, Arabs spent about 18% of their income on housing while Jews spent about 24% of their income on the same. Jewish households had an average of 0.8 people living in each room, while Arab households had an average of 1.3. Arabs were less likely than Jews to be satisfied with where they live. About 6% of Jews were unsatisfied with the cleanliness in their area of residence, compared to 48% of Arabs. More than 70% of Jews reported being satisfied with the parks in their area compared to only 23% of Arabs.
Unequal satisfaction with the school system
The Arab population was less satisfied with the school system than the Jewish population, with 58% of Arabs reporting satisfaction compared to 63% of Jews. For both groups, satisfaction with elementary schools was higher than satisfaction with middle and high schools.
Arabs were also less likely than Jews to earn a bagrut certificate marking satisfactory scores on Israel’s matriculation exams. Only 40% of Arab Israelis had completed a bagrut certificate, compared to 59% of Jewish Israelis. The gap was more severe in the field of higher education: 58% of Jews and only 30% of Arabs had completed a degree. Among Jews, almost everyone who earned a bagrut certificate went on to study in a university. For Arabs, on the other hand, about a quarter of those who earned a bagrut certificate did not go on to earn a degree.
Lower rates of technology access in the Arab community
Rates of technology access were higher among Jews than Arabs, with 91% of Jews reporting using the Internet and 83% reporting access to a computer, compared to 86% and 65% respectively among Arabs. These figures had an impact on the use of online government services, with 62% of Jews accessing online government services compared to about 35% of Arabs.
The data also showed that the populations differ in their use of leisure time. About 36% of Jews went to cultural and sporting events compared to 21% of Arabs. More than eight in ten Arabs have family meals in their free time compared to about seven in ten Jews. A similar percentage in both groups spent leisure time in nature (60%). Arabs were more likely than Jews to be satisfied with their balance between work and leisure time, with 71% of Arabs reporting satisfaction compared to 62% of Jews.
Differing opinions towards government
In 2021, 51% of Jews and 48% of Arabs reported confidence in the judicial system, which is currently at the center of public discourse. Among both groups, confidence in the government was lower than confidence in the judiciary (32% confidence for Jews and 24% confidence for Arabs). Jews were also more likely to vote and to be involved in civic life, with 72% of Jews voting compared to 44% of Arabs and 13% of Jews involved in civic life compared to 3% of Arabs.
Gaps in life satisfaction
General life satisfaction was higher among Jews than among Arabs, with 92% of Jews reporting satisfaction with their lives compared to 80% of Arabs. In both groups, expectations for a better future have decreased. Almost 60% of Jews expected a good future and 51% of Arabs did the same. Both groups report appreciating their families, at a rate of 85% for Jews and 83% for Arabs.
Arabs reported inability to deal with their problems at a higher rate than Jews: 32% compared to Jews’ 29%. More than a quarter of Arabs suffered from loneliness, which affected the Jewish community at a rate of only one in five. Compared to Jews, Arabs were four times more likely, at 16%, to feel that they have no one they can trust. Only 14% of Arabs felt trust in others compared to 49% of Jews. Arabs also felt discriminated against at a rate of 38% compared to 34% for Jews.
This article was translated from Hebrew by Leah Schwartz.
