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According to the ministry, immigration from the United States is up 15%, but the total is declining, penalized by the continued drop in Russian immigration
Some 20,000 olim hadashim – or new immigrants – have arrived in Israel in the past twelve months, the Immigration and Integration Ministry said Monday, ahead of Rosh Hashanah, which marks the Jewish New Year.
The ministry declined to provide more precise figures, with a spokesperson stating that the final number was still subject to change. If confirmed, the number reported for the Hebrew year 5786, which runs from September 23, 2025, to September 3, 2026, represents a decrease of approximately 6% compared to the 21,244 arrivals recorded the previous year. It is also the lowest annual figure since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021, and, excluding that period, the lowest figure in over a decade.
Immigration, or “aliyah” in Hebrew, has certainly increased in most Western countries, but this rise has been offset by a sharp decline in the number of Russian immigrants. Some 5,685 new immigrants arrived from Russia in the past year, compared to 9,282 in 2024-2025 and 19,407 in 2023-2024. This decline was expected, as Russian immigration peaked after the country declared war on Ukraine in 2022 and has since stabilized.
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The ministry argued that the increase in arrivals from Western countries showed that the rise of anti-Semitism around the world, coupled with a resurgence of Zionist fervor and Jewish identity following the pogrom perpetrated by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas on October 7, 2023, was prompting more Jews to settle in Israel.
Aliyah from France increased by 65%, from 2,649 people the previous year to 4,364. Immigration from the United States rose by 15% to 3,333 people, while immigration from the United Kingdom reached its highest level in 40 years, with 975 people.
In addition, 797 immigrants came from Ukraine, 491 from Belarus, 440 from Canada, 247 from Australia, 243 from Argentina, 241 from Georgia, 210 from South Africa, 210 from Germany and 200 from Brazil.
Among the new immigrants, 35% are between 18 and 35 years old and 24% are under 18. 18% are between 36 and 50 years old, 9% between 51 and 60 years old, 5% between 61 and 65 years old, and 10% are 66 years old and over.
“Especially during a complex and difficult year, the choice to immigrate to Israel and build a future there is a strong Zionist and national act,” said Ofir Sofer, Minister of Immigration and Integration.
“The trend towards immigration from Western countries is expected to strengthen, and this is a national opportunity that the State of Israel cannot afford to miss.”
This increase in immigration comes as Israelis continue to leave the country in record numbers. According to a report published last month by researchers at Tel Aviv University, based on data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), nearly 50,000 Israelis left the country for a period exceeding twelve months for the third consecutive year in 2025.
The report highlights that the prolonged military conflict and internal political turmoil in Israel have contributed to increased emigration, which could threaten the country’s long-term strategic interests.
The Ministry of Immigration and Integration has recently launched several new initiatives aimed at promoting successful immigration, including programs designed to facilitate the integration of immigrants into the Israeli labor market.
In the past year, 414 doctors from around the world have immigrated to Israel, helping to alleviate the labor shortage in this sector, while approximately 1,370 Israeli doctors have left the country in the past three years.
The two oldest new immigrants to Israel this year are 102 years old: one from Russia and the other from France. The youngest immigrant is a two-week-old infant who arrived in Israel with his family from Mexico .
Tel Aviv was the most popular city for newcomers, with 2,762 olim hadashim . Next came Netanya (2,224), Jerusalem (2,134), Haifa (1,504), Raanana (1,042), Bat Yam (957), Ashdod (846), Beit Shemesh (680), Ashkelon (534) and Rishon Lezion (450).
Interest in future immigration is also on the rise, the ministry said, with more than 28,000 Jews worldwide having opened an aliyah application through the Jewish Agency. France saw a 32% increase in new aliyah applications , while the United States experienced a 17% rise, the United Kingdom a 68% increase, Canada an 11% increase, and Australia a 90% jump.