Full coverage· Health· Updated 18:47

Record Number of Medical Students in Israel Shows 82% Growth in Five Years

A record 1,649 students began their medical studies in Israel for the 2026-2027 academic year, representing an 82% increase over the past five years. This figure surpasses the government's target of 1,522 students by 127 individuals, and marks a 14% rise from the 1,448 students who enrolled the previous year.

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What happened

01A record 1,649 students began medical studies in Israel this academic year, an 82% increase over five years.
02The current intake of medical students exceeded the government's target of 1,522 by 127 individuals.
03Approximately 204 million shekels are being invested in expanding university medical training infrastructure and faculty development.
04Physiotherapy and occupational therapy programs saw significant enrollment increases of 63% and 72% respectively over five years.
05The total number of physicians in Israel is projected to grow by 42% by the year 2035.
06The number of specialist physicians in Israel is expected to increase by approximately 57% by 2035.
07The Ministry of Health projects that the annual intake of new medical students will reach 2,000 by 2030.

The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Council for Higher Education, the Planning and Budgeting Committee, the Ministry of Finance, medical schools, academic institutions, and hospitals, has worked to expand training programs. Approximately 204 million shekels are being invested in university infrastructure and faculty development to support this growth.

Other health professions also saw significant enrollment increases. This year, 408 students began studying physiotherapy, 541 started occupational therapy, and 442 enrolled in speech-language pathology. These figures represent growth rates of 63%, 72%, and 28% respectively, compared to the 2021-2022 academic year.

Projections indicate continued growth, with medical student numbers expected to reach 1,700 by 2027 and 2,000 by 2030. By 2035, the total number of physicians in Israel is projected to grow by 42%, with the number of specialist physicians expected to increase by approximately 57%.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated 18:57

Latest report: Ministry of Health. Read Ministry of Health’s original