Main Points:
  • The basic skills level of the Israeli population in 2022 was about 0.3 standard deviations lower than the OECD average in all skill domains—literacy, numeracy, and adaptive problem solving. The gap was particularly prominent in Arab society—roughly one full standard deviation relative to the OECD average.
  • The skills gap between Israel and the OECD is marked, even though the composition of the Israeli population is young, educated, and oriented toward academic occupations—characteristics that are correlated with relatively high skill levels.
  • Alongside the general decline in reading achievements globally in the past decade, the literacy gaps between Israel and the OECD average widened due to a marked decline in literacy skills among the Arab population. Numeracy skills remained virtually unchanged, and the gaps between Israel and the OECD average remained steady.
  • A significant part of the skills differences between Israel and the OECD average are due to large gaps during childhood and adolescence, as shown by PISA test scores in secondary school. The high rate of those with post-secondary education in Israel is not reflected in closing the skills gaps relative to the OECD average.
  • The skills of Israeli workers are lower than the OECD average, particularly in low-skill industries and occupations.

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