Israeli emigration remained at record levels in 2025, study shows

A record-setting wave of emigration from Israel continued unabated through 2025, driven by ongoing political tensions, economic strain, and prolonged military conflict, according to a new report by researchers at Tel Aviv University.

Data from the Central Bureau of Statistics cited by the report, shows that 268,509 Israeli citizens departed the country for trips lasting at least three months between 2023 and 2025.

In 2025, 90,922 Israelis stayed abroad for three consecutive months or more. That followed 91,499 who left for extended periods in 2024 and 86,509 in 2023.

For comparison, annual departures averaged roughly 60,000 per year throughout the decade spanning 2010 to 2019. During the three-year span a decade prior, from 2013 to 2015, only 183,219 Israelis left for similar periods.

The research was conducted by Prof. Itai Ater of the Coller School of Management and head of the Economists’ Forum for Democracy, Prof. Nittai Bergman, head of the School of Economics, and doctoral candidate Doron Zamir.

“In 2025, we continue to see deeply concerning numbers of Israelis leaving the country for a significant period of time, adding to the exodus seen in 2023 and 2024,” Ater said. “These figures on their own do not yet pose a threat to Israel’s resilience. However, looking ahead — and if there is no change — there is growing concern that emigration will escalate in a manner that endangers Israel’s security and economy.”

During the past two years, Israel has been facing a rare and significant net migration deficit, with more people leaving the country than entering it. With the exception of certain periods in the 1950s and 1980s, Israel has always had more Jews moving to Israel than leaving it, according to Sergio Della Pergola, one of Israel’s most respected experts on Jewish demographics.

But in 2024 and 2025, almost 50,000 more people moved abroad than came to live in the country, according to CBS data.

Historically, much of Israel’s emigration has been framed around the pursuit of better economic opportunities abroad. However, many of those leaving Israel now attribute their decisions to dissatisfaction with the government, specifically policy changes it seeks that critics say will undermine democracy, or Israel’s current security situation, according to a recent study by Lilach Lev Ari, a professor of sociology at Oranim College.