What makes Israelis happy despite all of their daily, as well as existential, challenges? Compared to most members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Israel ranks relatively low in terms of public satisfaction on housing, employment, and security. But when asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Israelis gave it a 7.4 grade, higher than the OECD average of 6.7. So, while many indicators point to a general dissatisfaction with the cost of housing, rising income inequality, gender inequality, and a very low level of trust in political institutions, Israelis still seem stoic and happy. According to the OECD Better Life Index, which was conducted in 2011, happiness can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are useful to compare the quality of life across countries. Out of 36 countries measured in the report, Israel ranked 8th in terms of life satisfaction, with Denmark ranking first and Hungary coming in last. Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their lives as a whole rather than their current feelings. It captures a reflective assessment of which life circumstances and conditions are important for subjective well-being. There is little difference in life satisfaction levels between men and women across OECD countries. This is true in Israel, where men gave their lives a 7.4 grade and women 7.3. Social status does, however, strongly influence subjective well-being. Whereas the bottom 20 percent of the Israeli population have a life satisfaction level of 6.6, this score reaches 8.0 for the top 20%. Happiness, or subjective well-being, is also defined as the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and/or the absence of negative experiences and feelings. In Israel, 70% of people reported having more positive experiences in an average day (feelings of rest, pride in accomplishment, enjoyment, etc.) than negative ones (pain, worry, sadness, boredom, etc.). This figure is lower than the OECD average of 80%. Helping others can also make you happier. In Israel, nearly 56% reported having helped a stranger in the last month more than the OECD average of 47%. A strong social network, or community, can provide emotional support during both good and bad times as well as provide access to jobs, services and other material opportunities. In Israel, 88% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in a time of need lower than the OECD average of 91%. There is some difference between men and women, as 84% of men believe they have this kind of social support, compared with 92% of women. There is also a clear relationship between the availability of social support on the one hand, and peoples education and income on the other. In Israel, around 80% of the bottom 20% report having someone to count on for help in times of need, compared to over 89% for the top 20%. In Israel, 70% of people feel safe walking alone at night, slightly higher than the OECD average of 67%. People in Israel work 1,889 hours a year, which is higher than the OECD average of 1,749 hours. The share of employees working more than 50 hours per week is not very large across OECD countries. In Israel, however, some 19% of employees work very long hours one of the highest in the OECD where the average is 9%. Overall, men spend more hours in paid work: In Israel 29% of men work very long hours, compared with 9% for women. When asked, "How is your health in general-" 81% of people in Israel reported being in good health higher than the OECD average of 70%. Despite the subjective nature of this question, the answers have been found to be a good predictor of peoples future health care use. Gender, age and social status may affect the answer to this question. On average in OECD countries, good health is more likely to be reported by men (72%) than women (67%). In Israel, the figures are 84% for men and 79% for women. Not surprisingly, older people report poorer health, as do those who are unemployed, or who have less education or income.
