Israeli adults rank below average in literacy, mathematics and problem solving compared to other populations in developed countries and economies, according to the 2023 OECD Adult Skills Survey report. adults, published Tuesday.
On a scale of 230 to 300 points, Israeli adults scored an average of 244 in letters, 246 in numeracy (using math in daily life), and 236 in practical problem solving, which is below the national average. OECD, according to the report. The best results in the three categories were obtained, in order, by Finland, Japan, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands.
The survey covered adults aged 16 to 65 in 31 countries during 2022 and 2023, with 6,092 participants in Israel. Israel had already participated in the investigation for the period 2014 and 2015.
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When it comes to literacy, 36% of Israeli adults are at level 1 or below, while the OECD average is 26%, meaning they “can understand short texts and lists organized when their content is clearly indicated, find specific information and identify relevant links,” according to the report.
7% of Israeli adults, compared to 12% on average across OECD countries, were rated at level 4 or 5 in letters, indicating that they are “high achievers” and “can understand and evaluate long, dense texts of several pages, grasp complex or hidden meanings, and use prior knowledge to understand texts and accomplish tasks.”
When it comes to numeracy, 34% of Israeli adults are at level 1 or below, compared to the OECD average of 25%, meaning they can perform basic calculations with whole numbers or numbers. money, understand decimals and find single information in tables or graphs, but may have difficulty with tasks requiring several steps.
Illustrative photo of nightlife in Neve Shaanan, south of Tel Aviv, on November 20, 2024. (Dor Pazuelo/Flash90)
8% of Israeli adults, compared to 14% on average across OECD countries, were rated at level 4 or 5, indicating they can “calculate and understand rates and ratios, interpret complex graphs and critically evaluate statistics.
40% of Israeli adults scored at level 1 or below in adaptive problem solving, compared to the OECD average of 29%, indicating that they can “solve simple problems with few variables and little irrelevant information, which does not change as they progress in finding the solution. They also have difficulty solving problems that take several steps or require the monitoring of several variables.”
Only 3% of Israeli adults score at level 4 or above in adaptive problem solving, compared to the OECD average of 5%, meaning they demonstrate a “deeper understanding of problems and can adapt to unexpected changes, even if they require a major reevaluation of the problem.
The survey found that in Israel, “average scores between 2022 and 2023 declined compared to the period between 2014 and 2015 in letters and remained similar in calculus…The average drop in scores in letters is due, in particular , to an increase in the proportion of low-performing adults – having obtained a level 1 score or lower – between 2014-2015 and 2022-2023”.
The proportion of high-performing adults having remained stable during this period, “the gap between the highest-performing and lowest-performing adults in terms of literacy has therefore widened,” notes the survey.
The survey also highlighted correlations between the results obtained in these areas and the results obtained in a questionnaire relating to employment and feelings of well-being.
For example, people who scored level 1 or lower in numeracy reported an average gross hourly wage of about 46 shekels, while people who scored level 4 or higher reported an average hourly wage of 115 shekels. The Israeli minimum wage for full-time employment is 32 shekels per hour.
Additionally, the survey found that 77% of people ranked at level 4 or higher in numeracy reported themselves to be in “very good or excellent health,” compared to 56% of people ranked at level 1 or lower. People ranked at level 4 or above in numeracy also reported higher levels of life satisfaction and general trust in others, as well as a higher level of volunteer engagement.
Illustrative photo of Tel Aviv, November 20, 2022. (Credit: Miriam Alster/FLASH90)
As in other countries participating in the survey, Israeli participants with higher levels of education scored significantly higher in all three disciplines.
As in other OECD countries, Israeli women performed better in humanities than men, while the latter performed better in numeracy. In Israel, “no significant differences were observed in adaptive problem solving” between women and men.
The OECD survey “asked adults to complete a series of tasks that reflect how these skills are applied in a wide range of situations in an adult’s life. Many tasks involve complex, data-intensive digital environments, which are increasingly common in the workplace and daily life of modern societies.”
