Jerusalem residents among Israel's least satisfied, most likely to remain

Significant differences were identified among Jewish and Arab respondents, with 87% of Jewish inhabitants saying they were satisfied but only 49% of Arabs expressing the same reaction

By EYTAN HALON
HAVING JERUSALEM Gateway work vehicles and assorted construction materials taking up a large part of the Jerusalem International Convention Center parking lot doesn’t exactly help the situation. (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
HAVING JERUSALEM Gateway work vehicles and assorted construction materials taking up a large part of the Jerusalem International Convention Center parking lot doesn’t exactly help the situation.
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Residents of Kfar Saba and Tel Aviv are the most satisfied city dwellers in Israel, while inhabitants of Jerusalem and Bat Yam expressed the least satisfaction, a new survey by the Central Bureau of Statistics has revealed.
According to figures published on Sunday, 84% of Israeli citizens are satisfied with their hometowns (47% satisfied; 37% very satisfied), with Jewish inhabitants (87%) expressing greater satisfaction than the Arab population (69%).
Within Israel’s 16 cities exceeding 100,000 inhabitants, residents of Kfar Saba (96%) and Tel Aviv-Jaffa (91%) expressed the greatest level of satisfaction across the country. Residents of Jerusalem (73%) and Bat Yam (79%), however, recorded the lowest level of satisfaction.
In Jerusalem, significant differences were identified among Jewish and Arab respondents, with 87% of Jewish inhabitants saying they were satisfied but only 49% of Arabs expressing the same reaction.
Despite the low level of satisfaction recorded in the capital, 88% of Jerusalem residents aged 20 and above said they intended to remain in the city for the next five years. Only residents of Netanya expressed a higher degree of intention to remain in the city (89%).
A total of 83% of Israelis said they intend to continue living in their current locality for the next five years, in addition to 11% who do not intend to stay and a further 7% were said they were unsure.
Arab residents (90%) said they were more likely to stay in their current location than Jews (81%). The vast majority of married people (88%) said they intended to continue living in their current place of residence, compared to 65% of unmarried citizens.
Key factors affecting resident satisfaction included the presence of parks and other green spaces nearby, neighborhood cleanliness, public transportation and air pollution.
The survey also revealed that approximately one-third of Israelis aged 20 and above have lived in their current place of residence since their birth. Significant differences were found, however, among Jews (24%) and Arab citizens (80%). Among the Jewish population, 31% of ultra-Orthodox Jews have lived in the same city their entire lives, compared to just 17% of secular Jews.
Some 63% of Jerusalem residents, including 46% of Jewish inhabitants, have remained in the city since their birth. The next highest proportion is found in Bnei Brak (38%), followed by Beersheba (32%) and Ashkelon (28%).

Stay updated with the latest news!

Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter

Subscribe Now
Out of the two-thirds of adult Israelis who have opted to leave their place of birth, approximately 36% said they moved for family-related reasons, including marriage and for their children. A further 24% moved to improve their quality of life, 10% to live in their own apartment and 8% for work-related reasons.
Among employed Israelis, a total of 42% said they worked in their home town or city and 46% said they traveled to work in another locality. A further 9% work in a variety of localities or abroad, and 3% did not respond.
In the case of Israel’s 16 major cities, residents of Jerusalem (86%) and Beit Shemesh (70%) were most likely to be employed in their home city. In Bat Yam, only one in five residents work in the city.


Related Tags
israeli news