Political Turmoil, Gaza War, and Economic Strain Drive Record Emigration
Israel has witnessed an unprecedented outflow of citizens over the past three years, with more than 125,000 Israelis moving abroad between early 2022 and mid-2024 — the country’s largest-ever loss of human capital in such a short span, according to a report presented to the Knesset’s Immigration and Absorption Committee on Monday.
The report, prepared by the Knesset Research and Information Center, attributes the surge in emigration to multiple crises: the ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza, deep political polarization following the 2023 judicial overhaul protests, and the global economic repercussions of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Committee chairman MK Gilad Kariv described the trend as “a tsunami of Israelis choosing to leave the country,” warning that the government lacks a concrete plan to stem the growing exodus.
The report shows that 59,400 Israelis left in 2022, an all-time high of 82,800 departed in 2023, and nearly 50,000 left between January and August 2024. For comparison, the annual average of long-term emigrants between 2009 and 2021 was about 40,500.
Return Migration Declines Sharply Amid Political and Security Concerns
The number of Israelis returning home has fallen sharply. Around 29,600 citizens returned in 2022, 24,200 in 2023, and just 12,100 in the first eight months of 2024. According to sociologist Prof. Lilach Lev Ari of Oranim College, earlier waves of emigration were driven by opportunities for career advancement and education, but today’s departures are fueled mainly by political instability and security fears.
The data, compiled by Dr. Ayala Eliyahu, defines emigrants as those who spend at least 275 days abroad within a year of departure. Meanwhile, requests to cancel Israeli residency have tripled — from an average of 2,500 before 2021 to 8,400 in 2024, according to attorney Danny Zaken from the National Insurance Institute.
The report’s negative migration figure does not include new immigrants. Despite the outflow, Israel welcomed 74,000 new immigrants in 2022, 46,000 in 2023, and about 24,000 between January and August 2024, according to Central Bureau of Statistics data.
