Israel loses nearly 1,400 doctors over past 3 years as medical brain drain accelerate

Key Points:

• A Tel Aviv University study reveals that nearly 1,400 Israeli doctors emigrated between 2023 and 2025, marking a 94% increase compared to a decade earlier, with departures nearly doubling from 705 (2013-2015) to 1,369 (2023-2025).
• The emigration includes a significant number of senior doctors aged 45 and older, who comprised about 20% of departures recently, raising concerns about the loss of experienced physicians critical for patient care and training new doctors.
• Departures span nearly all medical specialties, with notable losses in internal medicine, surgery, ophthalmology, dermatology, pediatrics, and other key fields, impacting the active workforce under 60 years old across all regions, especially Tel Aviv.
• The net loss of doctors has accelerated due to fewer physicians returning to Israel, with an average annual net loss of about 255 doctors in 2023-2024, nearly five times higher than the 2010-2019 average.
• Researchers warn of a potential snowball effect where continued emigration of highly skilled professionals, influenced by political, economic, and security factors, could irreversibly harm Israel’s healthcare system and overall economic resilience.