99,000 Israelis left home in two years, and voters decide next

99,000 Israelis left their country between January 2023 and December 2024. That figure represents the highest number of departures in the nation's recorded history. Itai Ater, an economist at the Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University, says the national election scheduled for next week could make the situation worse. He notes that the past three years have been turbulent for a country of roughly 10 million people. War, economic instability, and a prime minister facing a corruption trial that began in 2020 have created a difficult environment. Ater said he sympathizes with those who ask if they want to raise children in such conditions.

Ater and his colleagues published a study in February based on data from the Central Bureau of Statistics. The researchers defined emigration as being away for at least three consecutive months and spending more than 270 days outside the country in the first year. About 50,000 people left in 2023, and 49,000 left in 2024. Ater added that preliminary figures indicate the trend continued through 2025. The year 2023 was particularly intense. It included the Hamas attack on southern Israel, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage. Israel responded with a major military campaign in the Gaza Strip. A fragile ceasefire took effect in October 2025. However, Israel still controls about 60 per cent of the enclave and conducts regular military activity there.

The upcoming election adds to the uncertainty for families. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking power again. He is the country's longest-serving leader and has dominated politics for three decades. Polls suggest his far-right bloc will not reach the 61 Knesset seats needed to govern alone. A rival bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot of the Yashar party is positioned to win the most seats. But that group is also expected to fall short of a majority. Coalitions are usually required to form a government. The real maneuvering often begins after the vote. Netanyahu has long been considered skilled at this process. Ater warned that without a change in leadership or policy, departure numbers could climb sharply. He stated that the emigration numbers will go up dramatically if the current trajectory holds.

Avigail Ben-Porat is a 50-year-old single mother living in Kiryat Shmona near the Lebanese border. She dreams of leaving but lacks the financial means. She still hears rocket fire regularly. Many of her friends have moved to countries including Portugal, Canada, Thailand and India. Her situation illustrates the personal cost of the national trend. The lack of savings prevents her from following the friends who have already departed. She remains in a region that frequently experiences conflict. This reality influences her daily decisions and long-term plans for her family.

Researchers are also concerned about the specific types of people leaving. The study points to a sharp rise in departures among professionals. Doctors, Ph.D. holders and engineers left in higher numbers in 2023 and 2024. The data shows net departures of 2,360 engineers and 509 doctors during that period. Ater said Israel's economy depends on this human capital. The tech industry, academia and health care sectors rely heavily on these skilled workers. Losing them creates a long-term risk for the national economy. The brain drain is a significant concern for policymakers. It affects innovation and service delivery in critical sectors.

Companies are also weighing moves to other locations. Liam Schwartz heads the corporate immigration department at the Tel Aviv law firm Goldfarb, Gross, Seligman. He said some firms face pressure from non-Israeli shareholders and investors. These stakeholders worry about the viability of operating from Israel. They are more willing to shift parts of their workforce to North America or Europe. Schwartz traces this discontent to January 2023. That was when the government proposed judicial reforms that would have reduced the Supreme Court's powers. He said people feel the Israeli government is no longer meeting its part of the social contract. This perception influences where businesses choose to place their key personnel.

Schwartz called the October vote a potential watershed moment. The election could determine whether emigration rises or stabilizes. Ater described the stakes as a strategic risk to Israel as a democracy and a liberal country. He said it is a concern for the Middle East and the wider world as well. The outcome of the next few weeks will shape the future of the nation's population and economic standing. Voters will choose between maintaining the current path or seeking a new direction. The results will have immediate and long-lasting effects on who stays and who goes.