OECD Report: One in Five Israeli Youth Neither Study Nor Work

A new report from the OECD's "Education at a Glance 2026" reveals a concerning trend in Israel, where the percentage of young people aged 18-24 who are neither in education nor employment (NEET) has risen from 17% in 2015 to 20% in 2025. This increase is the highest among developed nations, while the OECD average has decreased to 13%. The report also highlights that the percentage of 25-34 year olds without a high school education has climbed to 11% in 2025, compared to a declining OECD average of 12%.

These figures have significant implications. Young adults in Israel without a high school education earn only 72% of the salary of high school graduates, compared to an OECD average of 87%. Prolonged periods of inactivity in youth can negatively impact long-term social and employment integration and increase the risk of crime.

The report further indicates that government spending on higher education in Israel is significantly lower than the OECD average. In 2023, government expenditure per student in Israel was approximately $7,885, less than half the OECD average of $16,405. Israeli government funding constituted only 38% of national higher education spending, compared to the OECD average of 68%.

Additionally, Israel ranks first in the OECD for classroom density in public elementary schools, with an average of 28 students per class, and third in middle schools with 30 students per class. The gap between the salaries of academics and teachers has also widened considerably, with Israeli teachers earning 73% of academic salaries in 2023, down from 86% in 2015, while the OECD average rose to 87%.

School administrators have called the data a "warning sign" and urged for greater decentralization of authority to school principals. The National Youth Council chairman emphasized the "acute need to invest in education" and called for a plan to empower every student emotionally, socially, and as citizens.