Study: 1,370 Israeli doctors left the country between 2023 and 2025

A study by researchers at Tel Aviv University has revealed that 1,370 Israeli doctors left the country for at least a year between 2023 and 2025.

The study found that 416 doctors left in 2023, 530 in 2024, and an estimated 419 are expected to leave in 2025.

According to the study, the number of departing doctors over these three years exceeds the total medical staff at some of Israel’s largest health centers.

After accounting for those who returned, the net loss was 509 doctors in 2023 and 2024 alone—an annual average of about 255 doctors, five times the yearly average loss recorded between 2010 and 2019 (54 doctors).

Researchers noted that spending a year abroad does not necessarily mean permanent emigration, as some doctors travel for further training, fellowships, or research programs.

However, the increasing number of doctors spending extended periods abroad has raised concerns about a potential drain on medical staff, especially amid warnings that this could impact patients and the quality of healthcare.

The study showed that more than 20% of doctors who left between 2023 and 2025 were aged 45 or older (281 doctors), compared to 14% a decade ago.

Departures spanned all specialties, with higher rates among pediatricians, ophthalmologists, dermatologists, and ENT specialists (6.2%), surgeons (6%), and intensive care and emergency doctors (4.7%).

The trend was more pronounced among doctors under 60, with 9.4% of ophthalmologists, dermatologists, and ENT specialists, 8.8% of surgeons, and 6.4% of pediatricians leaving.

Geographically, Tel Aviv recorded the highest number of departures (429 doctors, 7.4% of doctors under 60), followed by the central region (290), Haifa (190), Jerusalem (132), and the southern region (125).

Researchers warned that the high proportion of experienced doctors among those leaving is difficult to explain as merely temporary training trips, stressing that if the trend continues, it could undermine Israel’s healthcare system’s ability to provide care and train new generations of doctors.

The study also noted that the sharp rise in departures began in 2023, coinciding with government moves for judicial reforms that sparked widespread protests.