Number of Jews in the world still 2 million fewer than before Holocaust
Despite a ten fold increase in the number of Jews in Israel since 1948, global population is still lower than pre-1939
Despite a tenfold increase in the number of Jews in Israel since 1948, there are still two million fewer Jews alive today than there were on the eve of the Second World War, according to new Israeli government figures.
Data published by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) on Holocaust Remembrance Day revealed that the number of Jews in the world is still much lower than in 1939, at 14.5 million compared to 16.6 million.
In the 70 years since 1948, the number of Jews in Israel has risen from 449,000 to 6.45 million today, but over the same period the Jewish population in total has grown by only 26 percent, while the global population has increased from 2.5 billion to about 7.5 billion people.
The findings are based on data from the Demographic and Statistics Section of the Jews, as well as on the data of the Avraham Hartman Institute of Contemporary Jewry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
It shows that the number of Jews alive today is similar to the number of Jews in 1922, at around 14 million Jews. Currently about 85 percent of Jews live in Israel or the United States, with significant numbers in France (456,000), Canada (390,000), Britain (290,000), Argentina (181,000), Russia (176,000) and Germany (117,000).
The CBS said their definition of a Jew included “persons who define themselves as Jewish, or persons of Jewish parentage with no current religious or ethnic identity”.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.