Tel Aviv University study: 99,000 Israelis departed since 2023

Israel has experienced its highest rate of emigration in recorded history, with nearly 100,000 residents leaving the country in the last two years. This trend is expected to intersect with a national election scheduled for next week, which could determine the political direction of the state of approximately 10 million people.

The data comes from a study published in February by Itai Ater, a professor at the Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University, and colleagues. Using Central Bureau of Statistics records, the researchers identified individuals who remained abroad for at least three consecutive months and spent more than 270 days outside during their first year of departure. The findings show 50,000 Israelis left in 2023 and 49,000 in 2024. Ater indicated that preliminary data suggests this pattern persisted through 2025.

The period of high emigration began with the Hamas attack on southern Israel in late 2023, which killed roughly 1,200 people and led to 250 hostages being taken. Israel responded with a major military campaign in the Gaza Strip. Although a ceasefire took effect in October 2025, Israeli forces still control about 60 percent of the territory and continue regular military operations there. Ater noted that the war, economic instability, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ongoing corruption trial, which began in 2020, have driven many to reconsider their living situation.

The upcoming vote adds to the uncertainty. Polls indicate that Netanyahu's far-right bloc will likely fail to secure the 61 Knesset seats required to form a government. A rival coalition led by Gadi Eisenkot of the Yashar party is expected to win the most seats but also fall short of a majority. Since governing coalitions are typically formed after elections, the post-vote negotiation phase may be decisive, a process in which Netanyahu is considered an experienced participant.

Ater warned that without political change, emigration numbers could rise sharply. He stated, "These [emigration] numbers will go up dramatically." The study also highlights a shift in who is leaving, noting net departures of 2,360 engineers and 509 doctors in the first two years. Ater described this loss of human capital as a strategic risk to Israel's tech industry, academia, and healthcare sectors.

Corporate leaders are also factoring in the political climate. Liam Schwartz, head of corporate immigration at the Tel Aviv law firm Goldfarb, Gross, Seligman, said some companies are moving parts of their workforce to North America or Europe. He attributed this move to pressure from non-Israeli shareholders concerned about operating conditions. Schwartz traced the discontent to January 2023, when the government proposed judicial reforms that would have reduced the powers of the Supreme Court.

Avigail Ben-Porat, a 50-year-old single mother in Kiryat Shmona near the Lebanese border, said she wants to leave but lacks the financial resources. She still hears rocket fire regularly and noted that many of her friends have relocated to Portugal, Canada, Thailand, and India. Schwartz called the October vote a potential turning point for whether emigration rates increase further.