Nearly one-fifth of citizens considered leaving Israel over past two years, KAN poll finds

Nearly one-fifth of Israelis have contemplated leaving their country in the last two years, according to a recent KAN News poll. The survey revealed that 18% of respondents considered emigration, and a significant one-third reported knowing someone who had departed Israel during that period.

The decision to leave appears to be influenced by political factors for some. Twelve percent of those polled stated that the results of upcoming elections would affect their choice to emigrate. This political divide was also evident in attitudes toward the emigration trend itself. While nearly half of respondents (46%) expressed no concern about the number of people leaving, 41% indicated worry.

Opinions on the emigration issue were sharply split between supporters of the ruling coalition and the opposition. A substantial 70% of coalition voters reported not being worried about the emigration numbers, compared to only 22% who expressed concern. Conversely, nearly 60% of opposition voters voiced their apprehension about the growing number of Israelis leaving the country.

This poll follows a recent warning from MK Gilad Kariv, chair of the Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs Committee. Kariv described Israel as facing a "tsunami" of emigration, citing a Tel Aviv University study. That study indicated that over 90,000 Israelis left the country in 2025 for three months or longer. The study also found that the total number of Israelis leaving for extended periods since 2023 significantly exceeds figures from a decade prior, with 268,930 departures recorded between 2023 and 2025, compared to 83,219 in the 2013-2015 period.

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Israel is facing a “tsunami” of emigration from the country