99,000 Israelis Left in Two Years, Study Finds

99,000 is the number of Israelis who left the country between January 2023 and December 2024. A new study released in February by Itai Ater and colleagues at the Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University confirms this figure. It marks the highest rate of departure in recorded history.

The researchers used data from the Central Bureau of Statistics to compile the list. They defined emigrants as people who stayed away for at least three consecutive months. These individuals also spent more than 270 days outside the country during their first year of absence. The data shows the exodus accelerated in recent years. Approximately 50,000 people left in 2023. Another 49,000 departed in 2024. Ater stated that preliminary figures indicate this pattern continued through 2025.

The period covered by the study includes the Hamas attack on southern Israel in October 2023. That event killed roughly 1,200 people and resulted in 250 hostages being taken. Israel responded with a military campaign in the Gaza Strip. A ceasefire took effect in October 2025. However, Israel still controls about 60 per cent of the enclave and maintains regular military activity there.

Ater described the last three years as turbulent for a nation of about 10 million. He cited war, economic uncertainty, and a prime minister facing a corruption trial that began in 2020 without a verdict. He noted that many citizens are questioning whether they want to raise children in such an environment. He expressed sympathy for those who answer no.

The national election scheduled for next week adds to the uncertainty. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking power again. He has served as the country's leader for three decades. Current polls suggest his far-right bloc will not reach the 61 Knesset seats required to form a government. A rival bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot of the Yashar party is positioned to win the most seats. However, that group is also expected to fall short of a majority. Coalition building often determines the final outcome, a process in which Netanyahu is experienced.

Ater warned that the number of departures could climb sharply if the political situation does not change. He said the emigration numbers will go up dramatically. Avigail Ben-Porat, a 50-year-old single mother living in Kiryat Shmona near the Lebanese border, shared her perspective. She dreams of leaving but lacks the financial means. She still hears rocket fire regularly. Many of her friends have moved to countries including Portugal, Canada, Thailand, and India.

The study also identified a shift in who is leaving. There was a sharp rise in the departure of doctors, Ph.D. holders, and engineers in 2023 and 2024. The net departure count included 2,360 engineers and 509 doctors. Ater stated that Israel's economy depends on this human capital. He pointed to the tech industry, academia, and health care as sectors that rely on these professionals.

Corporate leaders are also weighing moves. Liam Schwartz heads the corporate immigration department at the Tel Aviv law firm Goldfarb, Gross, Seligman. He said some firms face pressure from non-Israeli shareholders and investors. These stakeholders worry about the viability of operating from Israel. Companies are more willing to shift parts of their workforce to North America or Europe. Schwartz traced this discontent to January 2023, when the government proposed judicial reforms that would have reduced the powers of the Supreme Court. He said investors feel the Israeli government is no longer meeting its part of the social contract. He called the October vote a potential watershed for whether emigration rises. Ater described the stakes as a strategic risk to Israel as a democracy and a liberal country.