Over the last decade, interest in young adults (aged 18-34 years old) has increased in Israel, a trend that characterizes many countries in the world. This interest is due to the recognition that while young adults are a social and economic growth engine, the period of transition to adult life presents many challenges. Two government decisions reflect the growing interest in young adults and the value that the State of Israel sees in the realization of their full potential: Government Resolution 2014, passed on October 30, 2016, on the establishment of ‘Yated’ – a national program to promote young adults at risk; and Government Resolution 2880, passed on July 23, 2017 (further to Section 12 of Government Resolution 36, passed on May 26, 2015) on the establishment of a Youth Authority in the Ministry of Social Equality, with the aim of integrating the government’s activities regarding the young adult population and advancing practical steps in this field.
Despite the discussion and discourse regarding young adults, and this issue’s wide-ranging effects on the individual and society at large, there is currently no database in Israel which provides information on the characteristics of this population and their needs in various areas of life that can form a basis both for the development and improvement of services and for their participation in decision-making and policy formulation. The Young Adults in Israel Abstract was designed to fill this need. The abstract will establish a database that will serve as a stable and reliable source of data and will also make it possible to examine long-term trends. Representatives of the Youth Authority (which was established by the Ministry of Social Equality and was later transferred to the Ministry of the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience), commissioned the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute to produce this abstract.
The abstract brings together, for the first time, a broad range of data on various characteristics and aspects of the lives of young adults in Israel, a population which at the end of 2021 was approximately 2,232,100, constituting 23.6% of the population of the State of Israel. The tables in the abstract present the most recent data available today, alongside data on selected years, enabling us to learn about the current situation as well as trends over time. The first chapter presents the demographic characteristics of young adults in Israel and includes data on the size of the population, its geographic distribution, young adults’ marital status and their living arrangements. The second chapter deals with the human capital of young adults and includes data on four areas: education, employment, military and national-civilian service, and skills. This chapter also presents data on the percentage of “NEET” young adults (“not in employment, education, or training”). The third chapter presents data on the fields of health and welfare and on the standard of living of young adults in Israel. The fourth chapter presents data on young adults’ involvement with law enforcement agencies and in road accidents. The fifth chapter discusses issues of personal and social well-being and provides data on social and political involvement and on how they view the functioning of state institutions.
The abstract is based on data from population estimates; the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) Statistical Yearbook of Israel; ongoing CBS surveys including labor force surveys, household expenditure surveys, the social survey, surveys of personal safety and a survey of adult competencies (PIAAC); administrative files of data on crime and violence; and data regarding those who take the psychometric tests and the “Yael” test for Hebrew proficiency.