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How has the Jewish population changed worldwide over the last 100 years?
Executive summary
Worldwide Jewish numbers today are roughly 15.7–15.8 million, about 0.2% of the global population, with recent growth concentrated in Israel and relative stability or decline in many diaspora communities [1] [2]. Between 2010 and 2020 the global Jewish population rose by about 6% (fewer than one million people), driven mainly by natural increase and immigration to Israel; but worldwide totals remain below the 1939 pre‑Holocaust peak of about 16.6–16.7 million [3] [1].
1. The big picture: modest recovery after a historic low
The Jewish world population peaked before World War II at roughly 16.6–16.7 million, fell to about 11 million by 1945 because of the Holocaust, and then slowly recovered; by the 1970s it was around 13 million and has been inching upward since, reaching roughly 15.7–15.8 million in recent years [1] [4]. Reporting from multiple organizations — Pew, the Jewish Agency, and demographers cited in the American Jewish Year Book — now place global Jewish totals in the mid‑ to high‑15 million range [1] [4].
2. Where growth is happening: Israel as the engine
Most of the recent global increase has come from Israel. Israel’s Jewish population and total population have both grown substantially in recent decades; by early 2025 Israel’s overall population crossed about 10 million and its Jewish population alone is reported at roughly 7.2–7.7 million depending on the source and definition used [5] [6] [4]. Pew and other reports attribute the 2010–2020 6% global Jewish rise largely to natural increase and immigration concentrated in Israel [2] [3].
3. Diaspora dynamics: stability, decline, and definitional debates
Outside Israel, Jewish populations show mixed trends: the United States and some other communities remain large but face challenges of ageing, intermarriage and differing definitions of Jewish identity; Europe and Latin America saw declines from 2010–2020 [2] [3] [7]. Pew’s count focuses on those who identify Judaism as a religion; this methodological choice excludes people who identify as Jewish by ethnicity or family background, notably changing U.S. counts by about 1.8 million in Pew’s treatment, which illustrates how measurement decisions reshape perceived trends [2] [8].
4. How we measure “Jewish”: contested definitions matter
Demographers and institutions use different criteria — “core” Jews who identify exclusively, people who identify by religion, those with Jewish ancestry, or Israel’s halakhic registry — producing varying totals (e.g., 15.7–15.8 million overall but divergent figures for U.S. and Israeli subcounts) [1] [2] [8]. Sergio DellaPergola and other experts caution that Jewish population estimates are “permanently provisional” because counts change with definitions and data quality [8].
5. Long‑term trends and projections: shifting geographic center
Projections and recent analyses point to an ongoing geographic shift: a growing majority of world Jewry will live in Israel within the next decade or two, while Europe’s share continues to fall and North America remains significant but uncertain depending on measurement [9] [5]. Pew’s longer‑term modeling, and analyses reported by the Times of Israel and others, project Europe’s share declining substantially by mid‑century [9] [3].
6. Rapid subgroups and localized spikes: Haredi growth and regional change
Within Jewish demography there are internal contrasts: Haredi/Orthodox communities have higher fertility rates and are driving growth within certain Israeli and diaspora segments, while secular and mixed‑identity groups in some countries are stable or shrinking, producing divergent local dynamics [1]. Specialized studies also report fast increases in Israeli births over recent decades, though such claims come from country‑oriented analyses that reflect internal Israeli debates about fertility and migration [10].
7. What’s uncertain and where reporting diverges
Available sources document the overall totals and the 2010–2020 6% rise but disagree or vary on subcounts (U.S. totals differ by methodology) and on precise Israeli Jewish totals (differences stem from definition of residency, whether West Bank figures are included, and whether registry criteria are halakhic) [2] [4] [11]. Where a claim is not in these sources — for example, precise year‑by‑year birth series for all countries back a century — available sources do not mention that level of detail.
8. Bottom line for readers
Over the last 100 years Jewish numbers fell dramatically mid‑century, then recovered gradually: current totals near 15.7–15.8 million remain slightly below the 1939 peak, with recent growth concentrated in Israel and mixed fortunes elsewhere; differences in counting methods significantly affect national and regional pictures [1] [4] [2]. Readers should weigh both the numerical totals and the underlying definitions when interpreting headline figures.