The prevailing opinion is that there is indeed a brain drain from Israel out. Some talk about it on a critical note and in the other part of the barricade agree with the move of the outgoings. This week, the Central Bureau of Statistics in Israel published figures for the 2016 summary on the subject, and they are very interesting.
The main conclusion that stems from the disclosure of the Central Bureau of Statistics data is that in 2016, 5.6% of academic degree recipients from Israel stayed abroad for at least three years. We’re talking about just over 30,000 Israelis. Most of them come from the fields of exact sciences and engineering and more specifically, 24.1% of them have a PhD in mathematics and 19.3% have a PhD in computer science. The exceptions in this equation are the musicians with a master’s degree, who make up 21.1% of Israelis who have stayed abroad for at least three years.
More interesting data that emerges from the report:
- The percentage of those staying abroad for three years or more, who received their bachelor’s degree from universities, was significantly higher than that of undergraduate recipients from academic colleges, academic colleges of education, and the Open University.
- The percentage of men staying abroad (6.7%) three years is higher than the percentage of women (4.8%).
- The percentage of people staying abroad for three years or more was relatively high among those born abroad, especially among natives of the former Soviet Union, Uruguay and Argentina, who received a PhD in Israel, and a native of the United States and Canada who received a master’s degree in medicine in Israel.
- The balance between newcomers abroad (from 2011 onwards) and returnees is negative but stable.
University VS College
The highest percentage of undergraduate and master’s degree recipients who have been abroad for three years or more is among those receiving a degree in music. Among those receiving a bachelor’s degree, there is also a high percentage in English and French language studies and international relations studies. Among those receiving a master’s and ph.D. degrees, there is a high percentage in computer science, biology, physics and chemistry, as well as in international relations and electrical and genetic engineering.
As mentioned above, undergraduate recipients from universities in Israel constitute a significantly higher percentage than those who receive degrees from the various colleges (7.4%). Among these universities, a high percentage of graduates from the Weizmann Institute of Science (20.1%) and a low percentage of graduates of Bar-Ilan University (3.2%), were enrolled. Among the colleges, the Academy of Music and Dance (15%) and Bezalel (9.5%).
Gender, also in relocation
In 2016, the percentage of men who received a degree in Israel between 2009 and 2010 and who were abroad for three years or more was 1.4 times higher than the percentage of women. The PhD in exact sciences recorded the largest gap between men and women.
