Alarming Trend: Over 1,300 Doctors Left Israel in Three Years

A new study from Tel Aviv University reveals a significant increase in Israeli doctors emigrating, with 1,369 physicians leaving the country between 2023 and 2025. This represents approximately 3.25% of Israel's current physician workforce, a stark rise from the 705 doctors (2% of the workforce) who left between 2013 and 2015. The number of emigrating doctors has nearly doubled in absolute terms.

The research, conducted by Professor Itai Ater, highlights that about 20% of those who left in recent years were aged 45 and above, meaning they departed at the peak of their careers. This contrasts with only 14% in the earlier period. High emigration rates were observed in surgery, with 6% of surgeons leaving, alongside significant numbers in internal medicine (3.9%), ENT, dermatology, and ophthalmology (6.2%), intensive care (4.7%), pediatrics (4.3%), gynecology (4%), and psychiatry (3.2%).

Geographically, Tel Aviv saw the highest number of departing doctors, with 429 (5.4% of the city's physicians). Other areas affected include Haifa (190 doctors, 3.7%), the Jerusalem district (132 doctors, 3.3%), the Central district (290 doctors, 3.1%), the Southern district (125 doctors, 3%), and Judea and Samaria (11 doctors, 1.5%). The study excluded short-term Ukrainian medical professionals from its definition of emigration.

An "emigrating doctor" was defined as someone absent from Israel for at least 275 days a year, including at least 90 consecutive days. While some doctors do return to Israel annually, the net emigration remains negative. Between 2023 and 2024, a net total of 509 doctors left, averaging 255 per year, or about 0.63% of the current physician population. This is a substantial increase from a decade ago when the net emigration was only 54 doctors (0.16%). Full data for 2025 is still being compiled, but preliminary estimates suggest 80% of those absent for three consecutive months will meet the emigration criteria.