Yerida

Yerida (Hebrew: ירידה, "descent") is emigration by Jews from the State of Israel (or in religious texts, Land of Israel). Yerida is the opposite of aliyah (Hebrew: עליה, lit. "ascent"), which is immigration of Jews to Israel. Zionists are generally critical of the act of yerida and the term has traditionally carried a negative connotation. The term applies specifically to Jewish emigrants and does not include the emigration of non-Jewish Israeli citizens. According to a 2025 report by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research, 630,000 Israeli citizens live abroad, of whom roughly half were born abroad. Another 325,000 people outside Israel have at least one Israeli parent. Reasons commonly cited for emigration include the high cost of living, a desire to escape from the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, academic or professional opportunities abroad, and dissatisfaction with Israeli society. In 2024 and 2025, Israel experienced net negative migration: yerida was higher than aliyah.