Israel Loses Over 1,300 Doctors in Three Years Amid Rising Emigration

Between 2023 and 2025, Israel saw 1,365 doctors leave the country, primarily specialists in their prime working years and in high-demand fields. This data was presented at a parliamentary committee meeting focused on declining citizen returns to Israel and the obstacles they face. In 2023, 416 doctors departed, followed by 530 in 2024 and 419 in 2025. A significant trend is the increase in older doctors leaving; 20% of departing physicians were aged 45 and above, compared to 14% in the preceding decade. The majority of those who left had already completed their internships and specializations, making them experienced professionals.

Specific specialties heavily impacted include surgery, with 188 surgeons departing (6% of all surgeons), internal medicine (215 specialists, 3.9% of the total), ENT, dermatology, and ophthalmology (116 doctors, 6.2% of their total). Pediatricians, gynecologists, and psychiatrists also saw significant numbers leave. The Tel Aviv district experienced the highest number of departures, with 429 doctors leaving, representing 5.4% of the district's medical professionals.

Considering doctors who returned to Israel during the same period, the country experienced a net loss of 509 doctors in 2023-2024, averaging 255 per year. This is a stark increase from the 2010-2019 period, when the average annual loss was only 54 doctors. While not all departures are permanent, with many doctors leaving for temporary specialization or research, the sharp rise in those staying abroad is a concerning indicator of potential permanent emigration.

The study defined an "emigrant doctor" based on four criteria: continuous absence of at least three months, over 270 days abroad in the first year, at least three years residency in Israel before departure for former new immigrants, and being registered in the professional license registry. The latter three criteria were added to focus on established residents and exclude temporary migration phenomena, such as the influx of immigrants from Ukraine and Russia following the war.