What can we learn from the most recent Socioeconomic Index?

• Author: YAIR ASSAF-SHAPIRA
• Published date: 08 October 2021
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

The variables compromising the Socioeconomic Index provide a unique perspective on the populations of the different areas and on the differences between them. In this column we focus on an area about which there is generally a lack of information – the Arab neighborhoods in east Jerusalem.

We have ranked the 19 neighborhoods (or statistical areas) in accordance with the Socioeconomic Index, and contrasted them with the ranking of their components. The following are several prominent examples of cases where we found discrepancies.

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Regarding the demographic variables (median age, dependency ratio, and percentage of families with four or more children), there was a surprising finding in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. The median age there is higher than expected, considering the index, the dependency ratio is low, and so is the percentage of large families. Another surprise was found in the Armenian Quarter, where the percentage of large families is high, relative to the high socioeconomic index in the area.

In the employment sphere we found a...