Record Israeli emigration continued for third consecutive year in 2025, study finds

A Tel Aviv University report finds that record Israeli emigration continued in 2025, with an estimated 45,000-50,000 Israelis leaving for over a year, marking the third consecutive year of high emigration. The study, based on CBS data, cites prolonged conflict and political tensions as contributing factors, warning of potential long-term strategic threats.

A Tel Aviv University report published Monday estimates that between 45,000 and 50,000 Israelis left the country for more than a year in 2025, marking the third consecutive year of record emigration. The study, led by Itai Ater of the Coller School of Management, analyzed Central Bureau of Statistics data on three-month departures, finding 90,922 Israelis stayed abroad for at least three months in 2025, compared to 91,499 in 2024 and 86,509 in 2023. The report argues that Israel's prolonged military conflict and political tensions have contributed to elevated emigration, warning that it could threaten the country's long-term strategic interests. Opposition politicians, including Gilad Kariv of the Democrats party, said the report was a sign of government failures. The researchers excluded new immigrants, mainly Russians and Ukrainians, from their estimate, responding to government claims that emigration numbers were inflated. The report notes that official data for 2025 will not be available until 2027.