Israel, record exodus: Switzerland attracts scientists and wealth
Keystone-SDA
Many Israelis are leaving their country, and quite a few are ending up in Switzerland.
According to a study by Tel Aviv University cited today by the Lausanne-based daily 24 Heures, 90,900 people left Israel in 2025, 91,500 in 2024 and 86,500 in 2023, compared with an average of around 60,000 for the period 2010–2019.
Migration trends, which had almost been Israel-bound since the state’s foundation in 1948, have reversed since 2023. Of particular concern is the exodus of high-earners in the technology and healthcare sectors.
According to the Israeli tax authority, this trend has almost doubled in five years and, if it continues, could cost up to $3.5 billion a year in tax revenue.
Against this backdrop, Switzerland is attracting a modest but growing share of these individuals. According to data from the Federal Statistical Office cited by the Vaud-based newspaper, immigration from Israel to Switzerland peaked in 2023, with 257 arrivals and only 85 departures, compared with 189 arrivals and 98 departures in 2022.
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In 2024, arrivals remained high at 244, whilst 212 people immigrated in 2025.
This trend is also reflected at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), a magnet for scientific and technological talent. The number of staff of Israeli nationality, in full-time equivalents, stood at 9.4 in 2021, 10.2 in 2022, 13.8 in 2023, 16 in 2024 and 16 in 2025, a spokesperson for the institute told the newspaper.
A scientist who has moved to Switzerland explains to 24 Heures that her decision was driven by her career, but also by the climate of instability in the Middle Eastern country. “I’d be lying if I said the situation in Israel had nothing to do with my decision,” she said.
In Switzerland, however, not speaking French makes integration more difficult and establishing contacts is harder than in Israel. “In terms of quality of life and peace of mind, though, I understand why families want to settle here,” the scientist added. Switzerland offers a precious sense of security, especially as a mother.
On the economic front, Sacha Guggenheim, a wealth manager in Geneva and an active member of the Swiss-Israeli Chamber of Commerce, does not observe a mass exodus of Israeli companies, but rather a shift in the way business is conducted.
“On the international stage, Israel’s image has deteriorated,” he said. Companies, particularly tech start-ups, are finding it harder to present themselves directly and are seeking neutral intermediaries.
A new phenomenon, however, concerns wealthy Israelis, who are rethinking their strategy by seeking a safe haven for their assets.
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Translated from Italian, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
