Top 10% of Israeli Earners Lift Emigration Rate Above 0.5%, Costing 1.2 Billion Shekels
Updated
Updated · i24NEWS · Aug 6
Top 10% of Israeli Earners Lift Emigration Rate Above 0.5%, Costing 1.2 Billion Shekels
1 articles · Updated · i24NEWS · Aug 6
Summary
1.2 billion shekels in annual tax revenue is now at risk as departures by Israel’s highest earners accelerated in 2023 and 2024, according to a new Israel Tax Authority study.
The top 10% earners’ emigration rate rose from 0.3% before the pandemic to more than 0.5% in 2024—about an 80% jump—and that group accounts for 67% of emigrant income and 86% of the tax loss.
High-tech workers drove much of the shift, with departures up about 150%, while healthcare exits more than doubled; the 40-50 age group also climbed from 13% to 20% of adult emigrants over the past decade.
Average emigrant income rose about 60% since 2020 to roughly 200,000 shekels in 2024, around 50% above the national average, showing the exodus is increasingly concentrated among peak earners.
Researchers said the trend may reflect pandemic labor-market changes or Israel’s political and security turmoil since 2023, and warned the annual tax hit could reach 3.5 billion shekels within five years.