Israeli Doctor Exodus Surges 94% in Three Years, Study Finds

A new study from Tel Aviv University reveals a dramatic increase in the number of Israeli doctors leaving the country for extended periods. Between 2023 and 2025, approximately 1,370 doctors departed Israel for at least one year, a 94% surge compared to the 705 who left between 2013 and 2015. The study, conducted by researchers from Tel Aviv University's business and economics schools, analyzed data from the Central Bureau of Statistics, population registries, and licensing records.

The research indicates that in 2023, 416 doctors left, followed by 530 in 2024, and an estimated 419 in 2025. Notably, the proportion of senior doctors, aged 45 and above, among those leaving has also risen to about 20% in the recent period, up from 14% a decade prior. Specific specialties show significant departures, including 215 internal medicine physicians (3.9% of the total), 188 surgeons (6%), and 116 ophthalmologists, dermatologists, and ENT specialists (6.2%).

Geographically, the Tel Aviv district saw the highest number of departing doctors, with 429 leaving between 2023 and 2025. The Central district followed with 290, then Haifa with 190, Jerusalem with 132, and the South with 125. Even after accounting for doctors returning to Israel, the country experienced a net loss of 509 physicians in 2023-2024, averaging about 255 per year. This is nearly five times the annual average net loss of 54 doctors seen between 2010 and 2019.

While acknowledging that some doctors leave for specialized training and may return, the researchers express concern over the escalating trend and the increasing number of experienced physicians departing. Professor Itai Atter, one of the study's authors, warned that this exodus directly translates to longer waiting times for medical treatments and a potential decline in the quality of healthcare, posing a risk to Israel's resilience.