Jewish population

See related articles: Jewish ethnic divisions and Who is a Jew?.

Jewish population refers to the number of Jews in the world, something that is difficult to calculate, given the constant debates of the definition of Jew. All demographic numbers given in this article will be estimates, from sources noted below.

See also the histories of specific Jewish population centers, as well as Jews by country for more detailed numbers.

Total population

According to the World Jewish Population Survey of 2002World Jewish Population Survey of 2002, "The size of world Jewry at the beginning of 2002 is assessed at 13,296,100." According to a 2002 study by the Jewish AgencyNumber of Jews dropping, Israeli agency warns 4 December 2002, "There are 12.9 million Jews in the world..."

Estimates for 2006 usually place the world population of Jews around 14 million. Adherents.comJudaism, continued... citations at Adherents.com] cites sources stating that there are 14 million Jews in the world in 1970, 1977, 1983, 1992, and 1995. Additional sources cite the population at numbers ranging from 12.8 million to 18.2 million.

Largest populations

The countries with the largest estimated Jewish population are, in order:# Israel# United States of America# France# Russia# Canada# Argentina# United Kingdom# Ukraine# Germany# Australia# South Africa

Note: The list above does not match the list below.

Top 50

Top 50 by population Rank Country Jews % Jewish % of Total 1 United States 5,914,682 2% 40.5% 2 Israel 5,021,506 80% 34.4% 3 Russia 717,101 0.5% 4.91% 4 France 606,561 1% 4.16% 5 Argentina 395,379 1% 2.71% 6 Canada 393,660 1.2% 2.70% 7 United Kingdom 302,207 0.5% 2.07% 8 Ukraine 142,276 0.3% 0.975% 9 Germany 107,160 0.13% 0.734% 10 Brazil 95,125 0.051% 0.652% 11 Australia 90,406 0.45% 0.619% 12 South Africa 88,688 0.2% 0.608% 13 Belarus 72,103 0.7% <0.5% 14 Hungary 60,041 0.6% <0.5% 15 Mexico 53,101 0.05% <0.5% 16 Belgium 51,821 0.5% <0.5% 17 Spain 48,409 0.12% <0.5% 18 Netherlands 32,814 0.2% <0.5% 19 Moldova 31,187 0.7% <0.5% 20 Uruguay 30,743 0.9% <0.5% 21 Italy 30,213 0.052% <0.5% 22 Venezuela 25,375 0.1% <0.5% 23 Poland 24,999 0.065% <0.5% 24 Chile 20,900 0.131% <0.5% 25 Iran 20,405 0.03% <0.5% 26 Ethiopia 20,000 0.027% <0.5% 27 Sweden 18,003 0.2% <0.5% 28 Uzbekistan 17,453 0.065% <0.5% 29 Turkey 17,415 0.025% <0.5% 30 India 15,405 0.005% <0.5% 31 Switzerland 14,649 0.2% <0.5% 32 Panama 10,029 0.33% <0.5% 33 Latvia 9,092 0.397% <0.5% 34 Austria 8,184 0.1% <0.5% 35 Georgia 7,951 0.17% <0.5% 36 Azerbaijan 7,911 0.1% <0.5% 37 Denmark 7,062 0.13% <0.5% 38 Romania 6,029 0.027% <0.5% 39 New Zealand 5,447 0.135% <0.5% 40 Greece 5,334 0.05% <0.5% 41 Morocco 5,236 0.016% <0.5% 42 Kazakhstan 4,100 0.027% <0.5% 43 Lithuania 3,596 0.1% <0.5% 44 Colombia 3,436 0.008% <0.5% 45 Czech Republic 3,072 0.03% <0.5% 46 Slovakia 3,041 0.056% <0.5% 47 Peru 2,792 0.01% <0.5% 48 Costa Rica 2,409 0.06% <0.5% 49 Bulgaria 2,300 0.031% <0.5% 50 Estonia 1,818 0.136% <0.5%

Top 50 countries with the most Jews.

Current population estimates

According to the World Jewish Population Survey of 2002, "The size of world Jewry at the beginning of 2002 is assessed at 13,296,100. World Jewry constituted about 2.19 per 1,000 of the world's total population. One in about 457 people in the world is a Jew. According to the revised figures, between 2001 and 2002 the Jewish population grew by an estimated 44,000 people, or about 0.3 percent."

According to a 2002 studyNumber of Jews dropping, Israeli agency warns 4 December 2002 by the Jewish Agency, "the number of Jews in the world is declining at an average of 50,000 per year."

The major population centers of the Jewish community are (Table from the World Jewish Population Survey)

Jewish Population	2002
Region	Population	Percent b
World	13,296,100	100.0
Americas, Total	6,476,300	48.7
North c	6,064,000	45.6
Central	52,500	0.4
South	359,800	2.7
Europe, Total	1,558,500	11.7
European Union	1,034,400	7.8
Other West	19,600	0.1
Former USSR d	410,000	3.1
Other East and Balkans d	94,500	0.7
Asia, Total	5,069,900	38.1
Israel h	5,025,000	37.8
Former USSR d	25,000	0.2
Other	19,900	0.1
Africa, Total	87,200	0.7
North e	7,400	0.1
South f	79,800	0.6
Oceania g	104,200	0.8

^a January 1.
^b Minor discrepancies due to rounding.
^c U.S. and Canada.
^d Asian regions of Russia and Turkey included in Europe.
^e Including Ethiopia.
^f South Africa, Zimbabwe, and other sub-Saharan countries.
^g Australia, New Zealand.
^h Including about 370,000 Jewish Israeli citizens living in the West Bank and Golan Heights.

Populations as a percentage

All estimates of population in this section are generated by taking the estimated percentage of Jews in each country, and multiplying it by the population of the country. Though figures given in the table may seem precise to many digits, they are often highly inaccurate, and can vary by significant margins from other published surveys. This data is intended to give rough estimates of the number of Jews in each country, more precise estimates for some countries are available above.

As an example, the tables below give the Jewish population of Argentina as 395,379 Jews in Argentina, generated from the fact that Jews are 1% of the population. The best survey-based sources generally estimate the number of Jews in Argentina at around 250,000[1], however, while still citing the Jews as 1% of the population. All the numbers below are similarly estimates, so the figures in the table below should be considered in the light of these variations, and should not be viewed as exact counts.

The percentage of Jewish population of each country was taken from the US State Department's International Religious Freedom Report 2004 [2], and, if not available on that site, from Jewish Population Tables [3]. The total population of each country was taken from census.gov [4] (2005 estimates).

These numbers are for Jews as an ethnicity; many, but not all, practice the religion of Judaism.

By country

Note: The total at the end shows the entire population of the world, not just the listed countries>

Jews by country

Region	Country	Population (2005E)	% Jewish! Estimated number of Jews
Central Asia	Jews in Afghanistan	29 928 987	0.000003307	1
North Africa	Jews in Algeria	32,531,853	0.0003%	100
South America	Jews in Argentina	39,537,943	1%	395,379
Middle East	Jews in Armenia	2,982,904	0.025%	750
Oceania	Jews in Australia	20,090,437	0.45%	90,406
Central Europe	Jews in Austria	8,184,691	0.1%	8,184
Middle East	Jews in Azerbaijan	7,911,974	0.1%	7,911
Middle East	Jews in Bahrain	?	?	?
Eastern Europe	Jews in Belarus	10,300,483	0.7%	72,103
Western Europe	Jews in Belgium	10,364,388	0.5%	51,821
South America	Jews in Bolivia	8,857,870	0.006%	500
Balkans	Jews in Bosnia and Herzegovina	4,025,476	0.025%	1,006
Southern Africa	Jews in Botswana	1,640,115	0.006%	100
South America	Jews in Brazil	186,112,794	0.051%	95,125
Balkans	Jews in Bulgaria	7,450,349	0.031%	2,300
North America	Jews in Canada	32,805,041	1.2%	393,660
South America	Jews in Chile	15,980,912	0.131%	20,900
East Asia	Jews in China	1,306,313,812	0.00008%	1,000
South America	Jews in Colombia	42,954,279	0.008%	3,436
Central Africa	Jews in Congo (Kinshasa)	60,085,004	0.0002%	120
Central America	Jews in Costa Rica	4,016,173	0.06%	2,409
Balkans	Jews in Croatia	4,495,904	0.4%	3000
North America	Jews in Cuba	11,346,670	0.013%	1,500
Central Europe	Jews in Czech Republic	10,241,138	0.03%	3,072
Western Europe	Jews in Denmark	5,432,335	0.13%	7,062
Caribbean	Jews in Dominican Republic	8,950,034	0.001%	100
South America	Jews in Ecuador	13,363,593	0.007%	935
North Africa	Jews in Egypt	77,505,756	0.0001%	100
Central America	Jews in El Salvador	6,704,932	0.001%	100
Eastern Europe	Jews in Estonia	1,332,893	0.136%	1,818
East Africa	Jews in Ethiopia	73,053,286	0.027%	20,000
Western Europe	Jews in Finland	5,223,442	0.021%	1,110
Western Europe	Jews in France	60,656,178	1%	606,561
Middle East	Jews in Georgia	4,677,401	0.17%	7,951
Western Europe	Jews in Germany	82,431,390	0.13%	107,160
West Africa - Ghana	House of Israel	18,412,247	0.0043%	800
Balkans	Jews in Greece	10,668,354	0.05%	5,334
Central America	Jews in Guatemala	14,655,189	0.008%	1,172
Central Europe	Jews in Hungary	10,006,835	0.6%	60,041
South Asia	Jews in India	1,080,264,388	0.0005%	15,401
Middle East	Jews in Iran	68,017,860	0.03%	20,405
Middle East	Jews in Iraq	26,074,906	0.0004%	100
Western Europe	Jews in Ireland	4,015,676	0.03%	1,204
Middle East	Jews in Israel	6,276,883	80%	5,021,506
Western Europe	Jews in Italy	58,103,033	0.052%	30,213
Caribbean	Jews in Jamaica	2,731,832	0.011%	300
East Asia	Jews in Japan	127,417,244	0.0008%	1,002
Central Asia	Jews in Kazakhstan	15,185,844	0.027%	4,100
East Africa	Jews in Kenya	33,829,590	0.001%	400
East Asia	Jews in Korea, South	48,422,644	0.0002%	100
Central Asia	Jews in Kyrgyzstan	5,146,281	0.018%	926
Eastern Europe	Jews in Latvia	2,290,765	0.42%	9,525
Middle East	Jews in Lebanon	3,826,018	0.003%	100
Northern Africa	Jews in Libya	3,826,018	0%	0
Eastern Europe	Jews in Lithuania	3,596,617	0.1%	3,596
Western Europe	Jews in Luxembourg	468,571	0.14%	655
Balkans	Jews in Macedonia	2,045,262	0.0098%	200
North America	Jews in Mexico	106,202,903	0.05%	53,101
Eastern Europe	Jews in Moldova	4,455,421	0.7%	31,187
Balkans	Jews in Montenegro	630,548	n.a.	n.a.
North Africa	Jews in Morocco	32,725,847	0.016%	5,236
Southern Africa	Jews in Namibia	2,030,692	0.006%	115
Western Europe	Jews in the Netherlands	16,507,491	0.2%	37,000
Oceania	Jews in New Zealand	4,035,461	0.135%	5,447
West Africa	Jews in Nigeria	128,771,988	0.00008%	10,000
Western Europe	Jews in Norway	4,593,041	0.027%	1,240
Central America	Jews in Panama	3,039,150	0.33%	10,029
South America	Jews in Paraguay	6,347,884	0.016%	1,015
South America	Jews in Peru	27,925,628	0.01%	2,792
Southeast Asia	Jews in The Philippines	87,857,473	0.0001%	100
Central Europe	Jews in Poland	38,635,144	0.065%	24,999
Western Europe	Jews in Portugal	10,566,212	0.007%	739
Caribbean	Jews in Puerto Rico	3,916,632	0.038%	1,488
Balkans	Jews in Romania	22,329,977	0.027%	6,029
Eastern Europe	Jews in Russia	143,420,309	0.5%	717,101
Balkans	Jews in Serbia	9,778,991	0.022%	2,200
Southeast Asia	Jews in Singapore	4,425,720	0.007%	300
Central Europe	Jews in Slovakia	5,431,363	0.056%	3,041
Central Europe	Jews in Slovenia	2,011,070	0.005%	100
Southern Africa	Jews in South Africa	44,344,136	0.2%	88,688
Western Europe	Jews in Spain	40,341,462	0.12%	48,409
South America	Jews in Suriname	438,144	0.046%	200
Western Europe	Jews in Sweden	9,001,774	0.2%	18,003
Western Europe	Jews in Switzerland	7,489,370	0.2%	14,978
Middle East	Jews in Syria	18,448,752	0.0005%	100
Central Asia	Jews in Tajikistan	7,163,506	0.001%	100
Southeast Asia	Jews in Thailand	65,444,371	0.0003%	199
Central America	Jews in Trinidad and Tobago	1,088,644	0.1%	1,088
North Africa	Jews in Tunisia	10,074,951	0.018%	1,813
Middle East	Jews in Turkey	69,660,559	0.025%	17,415
Central Asia	Jews in Turkmenistan	4,952,081	0.01%	495
East Africa	Abayudaya	28,816,000	0.003%	750
Eastern Europe	Jews in Ukraine	47,425,336	0.3%	142,276
Western Europe	Jews in the United Kingdom	60,441,457	0.5%	302,207
North America	Jews in the United States	295,734,134	2%	5,914,682
South America	Jews in Uruguay	3,415,920	0.9%	30,743
Central Asia	Jews in Uzbekistan	26,851,195	0.065%	17,453
South America	Jews in Venezuela	25,375,281	0.1%	25,375
Middle East	Jews in Yemen	20,727,063	0.001%	200
Southern Africa	Jews in Zimbabwe	12,746,990	0.006%	764
Total		6,430,856,221	0.227%	14,596,017

By region

These percentages were calculated by using the above numbers. The first percentage, 4th column, is the percentage of population that is Jewish in a region (Jews in the region * 100/total population of the region). The last column shows the Jewish percentage compared to the total Jewish population of the world (Jews in the region * 100/total Jewish population of the world).

(Note: Egypt, Sudan, and the Arab Maghreb countries are counted as part of North Africa, not Middle East).

Jews in Africa

Region	Total Population	Jews	% Jewish	% of Jews total
Central Africa	83,121,055	1,000	0.0001%	0.0008%
East Africa	193,741,900	20,400	0.011%	0.14%
North Africa	202,151,323	7,249	0.004%	0.05%
Southern Africa	137,092,019	89,667	0.065%	0.614%
West Africa	268,997,245	42,000	0.00004%	0.0007%
Total	885,103,542	160,316	0.013%	0.805%

Jews in Asia

Region	Total Population	Jews	% Jewish	% of Jews total
Central Asia	92,019,166	23,074	0.025%	0.158%
East Asia	1,527,960,261	2,102	0.0001%	0.014%
Middle East	274,775,527	5,076,338	1.847%	34.779%
South Asia	1,437,326,682	15,401	0.0004%	0.037%
Southeast Asia	571,337,070	599	0.0001%	0.004%
Total	3,903,418,706	5,117,514	0.131%	34.993%

Jews in Europe

Region	Total Population	Jews	% Jewish	% of Jews total
Balkans	65,407,609	18,299	0.028%	0.125%
Central Europe	74,510,241	99,437	0.133%	0.681%
Eastern Europe	212,821,296	977,173	0.459%	6.695%
Western Europe	375,832,557	1,224,176	0.326%	8.387%
Total	728,571,703	2,319,085	0.318%	15.888%

Jews in The Americas

Region	Total Population	Jews	% Jewish	% of Jews total
Caribbean	23,809,622	1,888	0.008%	0.013%
Central America	42,223,849	14,798	0.035%	0.101%
North America	446,088,748	6,362,943	1.426%	43.594%
South America	371,075,531	576,400	0.155%	3.949%
Total	883,197,750	6,956,029	0.788%	47.657%

Jews in Oceania

Region	Total Population	Jews	% Jewish	% of Jews total
Oceania	30,564,520	95,853	0.314%	0.657%

References

**This article incorporates text from Jacobs, Joseph, "Statistics" in the Jewish Encyclopedia; that article, in turn, gives an extensive bibliography.
* Jewish Population Survey
* Geography of the Jewish Population
* The US State Department's International Religious Freedom Report 2004 [5]
* Jewish Population Table [6]
* Religious Freedom page [7]
* census.gov[8]
* Jews of Nigeria and Uganda [9]]
* Jews of North Eastern India [10]]

See also

*Jew
*Judaism
*Who is a Jew?

External links

*World Jewish Population in-depth