For the first time in the history of the occupation, the number of immigrant academics is greater than the number of newcomers

Data revealed by the “Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics” The brain drain has worsened significantly since the outbreak of the war on Gaza, and has reached an extent that constitutes a strategic threat to academic institutions. For the first time in the history of Israel, the proportion of academic immigrants exceeds the number of arrivals.

The official statistics also revealed that about a quarter of the number of academics who hold doctorates moved to work and live outside Israel during the past three years, and most of them immigrated after the outbreak of the war on Gaza.

According to the data, one of the most important The characteristics of this brain drain are that the majority of academics emigrating from Israel are young men and from settled towns, especially from the Tel Aviv region and central Israel, and there has been an increase in the migration of researchers in general who can develop the economy and the field of research in Israel, and have moved to work and live outside the country.

What are the sectors that migrate the most?

The department’s detailed report stated that the highest percentage of immigrants (25.4 percent) was among those holding a doctorate degree in mathematics, and 21.7 percent of those holding a doctorate degree in computer science also immigrated, 19.4 percent of those specializing in genetics, 17.3 percent of microbiology, 17 percent of physics, 14 percent of chemistry, and 14 percent of those holding a doctorate degree migrated. in electrical engineering and biology, and they currently live and work outside Israel.

Statistics revealed that those who moved to live and work outside the country included 23 percent of doctoral graduates from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, 18.2 percent of doctoral graduates from the Institute of Applied Engineering (Technion) in Haifa, 15 percent of doctoral graduates in the field of science from Tel Aviv University, and 10 percent of doctoral graduates from Settlement University. “Ariel” and 7 percent of doctoral graduates from Bar-Ilan University.

In general, statistics indicate that 11.9 percent of doctoral degree holders live and work outside Israel, and 8.1 percent of Israeli master’s degree holders who graduated in the years 1990 – 2018 are likely to have moved outside the country permanently.

When did the decline begin?

The data indicated that there was an increase in the number of new immigrant academics who moved to live and work outside the country, and there was also a decrease in the number of returnees to the country, who remained abroad for more than three years, and returned more than two years ago.

Since 2022, there has been a decline in the number of academics who have returned to Israel, and on the other hand, there has been a decline in 2023. (At the end of which the Gaza War witnessed) an increase in the number of academics who moved to live and work outside the country for a long period.

The data also indicate an increase in the percentage of young researchers holding a doctorate degree, who completed their studies in the years 2014 – 2018, and moved to live and work outside the country.

According to 2024 data, 14.9 percent of young researchers who hold a doctorate degree in exact sciences and engineering live and work abroad, compared to 13.4 percent of those who graduated in the years 2011 – 2013.

The percentage of total doctoral holders who completed their studies in the years 2015 also increased; 2018, who are abroad, to 11.7 percent in 2024, while this percentage among graduates of the years 2011 – 2014 was about 11.4 percent in 2020, and about 10.7 percent among graduates of the years 2007 – 2010 in 2016.

 

War is not the only reason

It is likely that another reason for the brain drain and the decline in the number of returnees to the country, other than the war and the government’s plan to overthrow the government and the judiciary, is related to the conditions in the field of research and dealing with academies during the term of the current Netanyahu government, which since its formation has been attacking academies and research institutions.

Another reason for the migration of academics is related to the decline in higher education budgets in Israel. On the one hand, the government of Benjamin Netanyahu By reducing it, even though it allocates huge budgets to the factional interests of the coalition parties, and on the other hand, the European Research Fund, which is the main funder of research in Israel, is reducing its support due to the war.

In addition to the above, universities abroad offer Israeli researchers better salaries and richer support budgets for research, and so they prefer to move to live and work abroad and not return to the country.

What is the Israeli higher education budget?

It is noteworthy that the budget for higher education in Israel in the current year, 2025, amounted to 14 billion shekels (one dollar equals 3.2 shekels), and it is expected to be similar in 2026, despite the decrease in income from external research grants, as a result of the increase in the academic boycott of Israel.

In the last five years, the higher education budget was reduced by 700 million shekels, due to the reduction of items Other.

Just recently, at the opening of the academic educational year less than two months ago, the government approved a 40 million shekel reduction in the higher education budget to fund an increase for the Ministry of National Security, and a month before that, the government reduced the higher education budget by about 150 million shekels to finance the propaganda expenses of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  

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