More than 1,300 doctors left Israel for periods of at least a year between 2023 and 2025, according to new research from Tel Aviv University based on data from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics.

The study found that approximately 1,370 physicians departed the country during those three years, nearly twice the number recorded during the preceding decade.

Researchers analyzed information from population registries alongside medical licensing records, according to reports in Hebrew-language media.

The data shows that 416 doctors left Israel in 2023, followed by another 530 in 2024. Preliminary figures for 2025 suggest that roughly 419 physicians departed the country during that year.

The trend was reported across every major medical specialty, including pediatrics, ophthalmology and dermatology, as well as among physicians from different regions throughout Israel.

According to Ynet, the number of doctors who left the country is comparable to the entire medical workforce of a large hospital.

The researchers cautioned that spending at least a year overseas does not necessarily mean that a doctor has permanently emigrated. However, they noted that temporary periods abroad can often develop into long-term relocation. The study was conducted by Prof. Itai Ater, Prof. Nitzan Bergman and Doron Zamir.

“Israel is losing its best people,” Ater says. “The departure of nearly 1,400 doctors translates directly into longer wait times, less effective medical care, and ultimately severe harm to our quality of life.”