Jerusalem
August 9, 2004
210/2004
Wellbeing of the Population in Israel
Preliminary Data from the Social Survey of 2003
In 2003:
 48% of all those aged 20 and over, were satisfied with their financial situation
 14% felt poor in the last year
 46% reported that they don’t manage to cover all their monthly household
expenditures
 39% estimated that in the coming years their economic situation would improve, 37%
estimated that it would not change, and 24% estimated that it would be worse
compared with today
Due to financial difficulties:
 14% responded that they gave up some food in the past year
 38% waived having sufficient heating or cooling in their home
 16% of those needing prescription drugs waived acquiring them
 45% of those requiring dental treatment waived the treatment
 15% of Israel’s population aged 20+ gave up their supplementary health insurance,
due to financial difficulties
 54% waived buying clothes or shoes
 27% of all smokers gave up buying cigarettes
 14% had their telephone lines or electricity cut off
The Social Survey
The wellbeing of the population in Israel is the special subject studied in 2003 as part of the
second social survey, which was commissioned by the Budgets Department of the Ministry of
Finance.
The social survey is an ongoing annual survey, which provides information on the living conditions
of the adult population in Israel, and its wellbeing. The subject of the wellbeing of the Israeli
population includes information regarding the public’s perception of personal economic situations
and its waivers in various fields due to financial difficulties.
Written by Mr. Michael Shpransky
For explanations and clarifications regarding the contents of this Press Release,
Please contact the Press Relations Unit, at 02-652 7845, 050-623 5124
The survey was conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics in January-December, 2003, during
the course of which approximately 7,200 people aged 20 and over from throughout the country,
representing approximately 4 million people in these age groups, were interviewed.
1. Public perception regarding personal economic situation
48% of all those aged 20 and over were satisfied 1 with their economic situation, as was
the case in 2002. Native-born and veteran immigrants were satisfied with their economic
situation at a higher rate than immigrants of 1990 and after (51% and 55% respectively,
compared with 29%). 70% of the people living in households in which the gross monthly
income per capita was over NIS 4,000 were satisfied with their economic situation,
compared with 30% of those living in households in which the gross monthly income per
capita was up to NIS 2,000. 55% of those with an academic education were satisfied with
their economic situation, compared with 42% of those with a low education.
14% of all those aged 20 and over felt poor in the past year: more immigrants of the
‘90’s (21%) than native-born (13%), and more Jews who define themselves as UltraOrthodox (16.5%) than Jews defining themselves as secular (11%). 24% of those living in
households in which the gross monthly income per capita is up to NIS 2,000 felt poor,
compared with 5% of those who live in households in which the gross monthly income per
capita is over NIS 4,000. 16% of all those aged 25-44 felt poor in the past year, compared
with 8% of all those aged 75 and over.
46% of all those aged 20 and over reported that they could not manage to cover all
their household expenses, compared with 47% in 2002. Among divorced people 60% did
not manage to cover all their expenses, compared with 48% among married people, and
37% among single people. 66% of those living in households in which the gross monthly
income per capita was up to NIS 2,000 did not succeed to cover all the expenses of the
household, compared with 24% of those living in households in which the gross monthly
income per capita was over NIS 4,000.
35% of all those aged 20 and over noted that in the last 5 years their economic
situation has grown worse. A deterioration of the economic situation was noted by 44% of
those with a low education, compared with 26% of those with an academic education; and
49% of those living in households in which the gross monthly income per capita was up
to NIS 2,000, compared with 22% of those living in households in which the gross monthly
income per capita was over NIS 4,000.
39% of all those aged 20 and over estimated that their economic situation would
improve (40% in 2002), 24% estimated that in the coming years their economic
situation would be worse (21% in 2002) and another 37% estimated that it would not
change (39% in 2002). Immigrants from 1990 and after expected an improvement in
their economic situation at a low rate, compared with the native-born and veteran
immigrants – 34% of the new immigrants estimated that their economic situation would
worsen in the coming years, compared with 19% of the native-born and 27% of the veteran
immigrants. The rate of those who estimate that their economic situation will improve in
the coming years is higher among the Arab population than among the Jewish population
(47% compared with 38%).
1
“Very Satisfied” and “Satisfied”
2. What is given up?
Food
14% of all those aged 20 and over (approximately 550,000 people), responded that they
made do without food during the past year due to financial difficulties. The rate of
giving up food is higher among women than among men (16% compared with 12%,
respectively); among those aged 45-64 than among those aged 20-24 (16% compared with
8%, respectively); and among those from households in which the gross monthly income
per capita is up to NIS 2,000, than among those from households in which the gross
monthly income per capita is over NIS 4,000 (27% compared with 4%, respectively). The
rate of giving up food among those who during the past year were mainly unemployed1,
reached 29%. 20% of the Arab population gave up food, compared with 13% of the Jewish
population.
Heating or cooling the home
38% of all those aged 20 and over gave up in the past year having sufficient heating or
cooling in their homes: 50% among the Arab population, compared with 36% among the
Jewish population; 54% of immigrants of 1990 and after, compared with 32% of the
native-born. 59% of those with a low education reported giving up having sufficient
heating or cooling in their home, compared with 24% of those with an academic education.
Prescription drugs
Approximately 70% of all those aged 20 and over (approximately 3 million people) required
prescription drugs during the past year, but 16% of them waived buying them due to
financial difficulties (approximately one-half million people). The rate of waiving the
purchase of prescription drugs is higher among the Arab population than among the
Jewish population (39% compared with 13%, respectively). 3% of the people whose
income from work is over NIS 7,000 per month waived buying prescription drugs in the
past year, compared with 19% of those whose income from work is up to NIS 4,000 per
month.
Dental treatment
65% of all those aged 20 and over required dental treatment during the past year
(approximately 2.5 million people), and close to 45% of them waived it due to financial
difficulties. The rate of waiving is higher among the Arab population (64%) than among
the Jewish population (42%). Dental treatment was waived by 69% of those who were
mainly unemployed in the past year, and 41% of those who were employed. 67% of those
who live in households in which the gross monthly income per capita is up to NIS 2,000
waived dental treatment, compared with 21% of those who live in households in which the
gross monthly income per capita is over NIS 4,000.
Supplementary Health Insurance
30% of all those aged 20 and over in Israel do not have supplementary health insurance
(approximately 1 million people). Of these, 50% waived it due to financial difficulties.
The percentage of those waiving supplementary health insurance is particularly high among
those who were mainly unemployed (71%) in the past year, those who have a low
education (64%) and among the Arab population (60%).
1
Is based on the question: “In the past 12 months, which of the following possibilities describes your main activity?”
Clothing and footwear
54% of all those aged 20 and over waived buying clothing or shoes in the past year, due
to financial difficulties: 61% of women, compared with 46% of men; 69% of those living
in households in which the gross monthly income per capita is up to NIS 2,000, compared
with 36% of those living in households in which the gross monthly income per capita is
over NIS 4,000. Among the Arab population the percentage of those waiving the purchase
of clothes or shoes due to financial difficulties is lower than that among the Jewish
population (49% compared with 55%, respectively).
Cigarettes
Approximately 32% of all those aged 20 or over (over 1 million people) smoked at least one
cigarette a day in the past year. 27% of them gave up buying cigarettes due to financial
difficulties; more young people aged 20-24 (35%) than those aged 45 and over (from 15%
to 24%); more among those who during the past year were mainly unemployed (48%), than
among the employed (20%); and more with a low education (36%) than those with an
academic education (14%).
Home repairs
45% of all those aged 20 and over (approximately 2 million people) had defects in their
homes which required repairs – e.g., cracks in the walls, damp, etc. Close to 59% of them
waived the repairs due to financial difficulties. Of these, 84% were among the Arab
population compared with 54% among the Jewish population; and 78% of those living in
households in which the gross monthly income per capita is up to NIS 2,000, compared
with 32% of those living in households in which the gross monthly income per capita is
over NIS 4,000.
Telephone and electricity
14% of all those aged 20 and over in Israel had their telephone line or electricity cut off
in the past year. Of these, 37% were among the Arab population and 11% were among
the Jewish population; and 27% were among those living in households in which the gross
monthly income per capita is up to NIS 2,000, compared with 3% of those living in
households in which the gross monthly income per capita is over NIS 4,000.