Reverse migration: More than 80,000 left Israel in one year news

A new report prepared by the Knesset Research and Information Center (MMM), ahead of the session of the Immigration and Absorption Committee scheduled for Monday, revealed a worrying picture regarding the increasing phenomenon of Israeli migration abroad during the last two years due to the Israeli war on Gaza, as Israel records a negative balance in the migration movement, amid the absence of any clear government plan to contain the phenomenon or address its causes.

According to the report, the results of which were published by Yedioth Ahronoth and Maariv newspapers, the number of Israelis leaving the country in the long term (reverse migration) has risen sharply since the outbreak of war in October 2023, reaching levels that Israel has not witnessed in years.

Data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), on which the Knesset report was based, indicate that between 2009 and 2021, about 36,000 people left Israel annually, but in 2022 the number rose to 55,300 departures, an increase of 44% over the previous year, while 2023 witnessed an additional jump of 33%, as 82,700 people left the country.

Rapid increase

The report shows that this increase accelerated, especially after the attack launched by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on October 7, 2023, which represented a social, economic, and psychological turning point within Israel.

As the war continued and the security and political crisis worsened, the number of Israelis who decided to leave the country for long periods increased, especially in light of a growing feeling of insecurity and weak confidence in state institutions.

On the other hand, the number of Israelis returning after a long stay abroad decreased. While about 29,600 people returned in 2022, the number decreased in 2023 to 24,200 people, and the decline continued during 2024, as only 12,100 people returned between January and August, compared to 15,600 people during the same period last year. Thus, the gap between the numbers of departures and returnees doubled, reaching about 58,600 people, in a trend that reflects a growing demographic imbalance.

The report indicates that young people are the group leaving the most, as those between the ages of 20 and 39 make up about 40% of those leaving and 38% of those returning, which is a much higher percentage than their share in the total population (27%).

Effects and repercussions

The report believes that the departure of this group, which is described as the most productive and efficient in the labor market, may leave long-term negative economic effects on Israel, especially in the technology, education and medical sectors.

The report also shows that approximately half of those leaving in 2022 were former new immigrants, that is, those who settled in Israel in recent years and then decided to leave again. The number of these people is about 27,500 people, which reflects the failure of the immigration policies on which the Zionist project, which is based on assimilation and integration into Israel, was based.

The report also reveals that the majority of those leaving are more educated than the average population, and details indicate that 54% of them have 13 years of education or more, compared to 44% of the general population, and 26% have a full academic education.

Numbers and meanings

Israeli experts believe that these numbers express an important change in the general mood within Israeli society, where feelings of frustration with the security and political conditions are increasing, in addition to the rising costs of living and a decline in confidence in the leadership.

The report adds that the absence of a comprehensive national plan to confront the brain drain makes it difficult for Israel to stop this demographic drain, which is expected to continue unless political and economic conditions change in the coming years.

Thus, it seems that Israel today is facing an unprecedented immigration crisis, which reflects the loss of a sense of stability at home, and raises serious questions about the country’s future if the flow of young talents abroad continues without return.