A new study conducted at Tel Aviv University by Prof. Itai Ater, Prof. Nitai Bergman, and Doron Zamir reveals an accelerating trend of doctors leaving Israel.
According to data published today (Sunday), and based on cross-referencing data from the Central Bureau of Statistics, the Population Registry, and the file of professional licenses, in the last three years - 2023-2025, approximately 1,370 doctors left Israel for a period of at least one year.
This is a jump of 941% compared to the corresponding period a decade ago - 2013-2015, when only 705 doctors left.
According to the breakdown of the data, in 2023, 416 doctors left, in 2024 the number increased to 530, and in 2025 the initial estimate is about 419 doctors.
The study indicates that the negative balance - the number of doctors leaving minus the number of doctors returning to Israel - stood at an average of about 255 doctors per year in 2023-2024, a figure five times higher than the annual average in the previous decade.
A key finding in the study concerns the professional experience of those leaving: the proportion of veteran doctors, aged 45 and over, among all those leaving increased to 20%, compared to 14% in the previous decade.
According to the researchers, this figure reinforces the concern that this is not just a departure for professional training that characterizes young doctors, but rather an emigration of skilled and qualified personnel.
The departure is evident in all branches of medicine, but is particularly prominent in the following areas:
Pediatricians, ophthalmologists, dermatologists, and electrophysiologists: Approximately 6.21% of all doctors in these fields left Israel;
Surgery: 6% of the physicians (188 surgeons);
Intensive care and emergency medicine: 4.7% from physicians;
Internal medicine: 3.9% from physicians (215 physicians).
In geographical distribution, the Tel Aviv District leads the list with 429 doctors who left (5.41% of the district's doctors), followed by the Central District (290) and Haifa (190).
The researchers emphasized that a year's stay abroad does not necessarily constitute a permanent departure, and many of the doctors may return to Israel. However, they warn that the current trend could lead to a deterioration in the quality of medical service, longer waiting times, and a weakening of the training system for young doctors.
