How many Israelis don't want to study and work - alarming data

The share of Israeli youth (ages 18–24) who are neither working nor studying has risen from 17% to 20% over the past decade, while the OECD average declined from 16% to 13%. Israel showed the most notable increase among developed economies. The share of 25–34-year-olds without full secondary education also rose from 9% to 11%. In spending per university student, Israel ranks fifth from the bottom among 33 OECD countries.

The share of Israeli youth aged 18 to 24 who are neither working nor studying has risen from 17% to 20% over the past decade. In comparison, the OECD average over the same period declined from 16% to 13%. Thus, Israel demonstrated the most notable increase in the share of youth not in education or employment among developed economies. According to an OECD report, between 2015 and 2025, the share of young people aged 25 to 34 without full secondary education in Israel rose from 9% to 11%. The OECD average showed the opposite trend: the share of people without full secondary education fell from 17% to 12%. Only five developed countries recorded an increase in the share of young Israelis without full secondary education, with the most significant rise in Israel and Slovakia. Differences in education levels directly affect income: in Israel, 25–34-year-olds without full secondary education earn only 72% of the earnings of their peers with full secondary education (the OECD average is 87%). In terms of the share of youth classified as NEET, Israel ranks 3rd to 5th among 33 OECD countries. Israel spends significantly less on university students than the OECD average: in 2023, spending per student was $7,885 PPP compared to $16,405 PPP on average in the OECD (fifth from the bottom). The government's share in funding higher education is 38% versus 68% on average in the OECD (third from the bottom). In government spending on education and childcare for children from birth to age two, Israel ranks last among OECD countries: $1,482 per child per year versus $15,067 on average.