Knesset report shows 53% drop in Israelis returning home

Migration trends reversed

Israel's parliament has documented a 53% decrease in returning residents over a three-year period, with the number of returnees plummeting from roughly 8,000 in 2020 to approximately 3,800 in 2024 — the lowest figure in recent years, according to Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth. Citing the study, the newspaper said "the wave of hostility towards Israel in the world and the sense of belonging could have led to an increase in the number of Israelis returning, despite the war," as Israel faces mounting isolation over its US-backed military campaign in Gaza, where authorities say more than 73,000 people have been killed since October 2023.

Barriers to return

The research identified bureaucratic, economic and social obstacles discouraging citizens from coming back, including lengthy waits for state health insurance, fewer benefits than those granted to new immigrants, employment difficulties and challenges integrating children into schools. "In the years 2022-2024, there was a drastic 53% decrease in the number of returning residents," the report stated, noting that the steepest decline occurred in 2023.

Demographic shifts

North America has historically supplied the largest share of returnees, with the United States accounting for roughly half of all returnees between 2005 and 2024, though numbers dropped from 3,700 in 2020 to just 1,500 last year, according to the newspaper. Historical data shows the average annual number of returning Israelis stood at roughly 9,300 between 2008 and 2012, before falling to around 7,400 between 2013 and 2020, while the proportion of returnees from Russia and Ukraine rose significantly to 9% and 8% respectively in 2022, apparently due to the war between those countries. Israel recorded a migration deficit of approximately 140,000 people between 2022 and 2024, according to Central Bureau of Statistics data cited in the report.