Five percent of Israeli academic degree holders living abroad in 2011 had been there for three or more years, according to a survey conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics for the Science and Technology Ministry's National Council for Research and Development.

Israelis with Ph.D.s in mathematics were the group with the highest percentage of those living abroad.

Israeli academic degree holders living abroad were more likely to be male and single than their counterparts back in Israel.

The survey was conducted among Israelis who received academic degrees between 1985 and 2005.

"In recent years, the government has taken a number of steps to encourage Israeli academic degree holders to return to Israel, for example the centers for excellence that are being established and the special programs that the Immigrant Absorption Ministry and Science Ministry are putting into place," Science and Technology Minister Daniel Hershkowitz said. "Therefore, in the coming years I think we'll start to see a decrease in the number of Israeli academic degree holders living abroad."

According to the survey, 10.5% of Israelis with Ph.D.s were living abroad.

Israelis with science and engineering degrees were nearly four times more likely to be living abroad than Israelis with humanities and social science degrees.