Senior citizens enjoy a meal together
Senior citizens enjoy a meal togetheriStock

New statistics from Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics show that 87% of Israelis aged 65 and over are happy with their lives.

The numbers showed that 31% of seniors are "very happy" with their lives, while another 56% are "happy" with their lives.

In addition, 42% said their health is not good, and 43% (39% of men and 47% of women) reported a physical or health problem which prevents them from performing daily tasks.

Seventy-six percent of seniors have enough money to cover their expenses, while the remaining 23% do not. Approximately one-half (48%) of seniors do not work, living mostly off pension and savings, while 45% live mostly off National Insurance Institute pensions or funds from other government offices.

However, the statistics also showed that 17% of senior citizens "do not feel so safe" or "do not feel safe at all" walking alone at night, and an additional 12% do not leave their homes at all after dark.

A full 62% of seniors use the internet, compared to 89% of younger individuals. However, just 25% of seniors use the internet for banking and to pay bills, and just 21% use it for government paperwork.

FIfty-seven percent of Israelis aged 65 and above say their spoken Hebrew is "very good," and 18% say it is "good," while 25% say their Hebrew is "mdoerate," "weak," or that they do not speak the language at all.

Meanwhile, 46% of Jewish seniors say they define themselves as "Israeli" (42%) or "native Israeli" (4%), 20% define themselves as "Jewish," 9% say they are "Ashkenazi," and 16% define themselves according to their birth country.

Thirty-five percent of seniors drive 5-7 days each week, 14% say they drive less than five days a week, 10% say they have a license but do not drive, and 41% do not have a driver's license at all.