Some 1,370 Israeli physicians have left the country for at least 12 months between 2023 and 2025, according to a new Tel Aviv University study, raising the alarm over the deepening brain drain in the nation’s healthcare system.
Over the three-year period, the number is nearly double the 705 physicians who relocated abroad between 2013 and 2015.
The researchers recorded 416 departures in 2023, 530 in 2024, and an initial estimate of 419 in 2025. The total number of departures over these three years exceeds the entire medical staff of major facilities like Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Soroka Medical Center, or Shamir Medical Center, the researchers said.
Even after accounting for Israeli physicians who returned home after spending time abroad, the net loss reached 509 doctors between 2023 and 2024 alone. This annual net loss of approximately 255 doctors is nearly five times the average net loss of 54 doctors per year recorded between 2010 and 2019.
The researchers pointed out that a year spent abroad does not automatically mean permanent emigration. Many doctors travel for fellowships, research or training. However, the sharp rise in long-term stays abroad is a concerning indicator, the researchers said.
