The Jewish population across the globe has risen to approximately 15.7 million, marking a modest increase from the previous year’s count of 15.6 million, according to data unveiled in a report by The Jewish Agency for Israel. The data draws on statistics compiled by Jewish demographic expert Prof. Sergio DellaPergola of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The report will be published in the American Jewish Year Book 2023, with specific attention given to adjustments made in response to new data sources, including national censuses and migration trends in several countries with significant Jewish populations.
There are currently 7,200,000 Jews residing in Israel, up from 7,080,000 last year. Approximately 8.5 million Jews live outside of Israel, with 6.3 million in the US. These numbers have been reevaluated following a comprehensive examination of data from the Pew Research Center survey.
The recent adjustments to these estimates take into account factors such as significant migration patterns, particularly in regions like Russia and Ukraine, which were affected by recent hostilities. The figures provided refer to individuals who identify themselves as Jews by religion or otherwise and do not associate with another religion. Additionally, the total number of individuals eligible for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return worldwide now stands at 25.5 million, with 7.7 million residing in Israel and 18 million living abroad. There are more than 500,000 Israelis who have become citizens under the Law of Return, but are not officially registered as Jews with Israel’s Population Authority.
The proportion of Jews residing in Israel has seen a slight increase, now accounting for 46% of the global Jewish population, marking a half-percent rise compared to the previous year’s adjusted data.
Here are stats for countries with significant Jewish populations as of January 2023:
• France: 440,000
• Canada: 398,000
• United Kingdom: 312,000
• Argentina: 171,000
• Russia: 132,000
• Australia: 117,200
• Germany: 125,000
• Brazil: 90,000
• South Africa: 50,000
• Hungary: 46,000
• Ukraine: 33,000
• Mexico: 40,000
• The Netherlands: 29,700
• Belgium: 29,000
• Italy: 26,900
• Switzerland: 20,500
• Uruguay: 16,200
• Chile: 15,700
• Sweden: 14,900
• Turkey: 14,200
• Spain: 13,000
• Austria: 10,300
• Panama: 10,000
The report further indicates that there are 80 other countries that have Jewish populations above 100 but below 10,000. In Arab and Muslim countries, there are approximately 27,000 Jews total, with 14,200 residing in Turkey, 9,100 in Iran, 2,100 in Morocco, 1,000 in Tunisia, and 500 in the United Arab Emirates.
Jewish Agency chairman Doron Almog said that “The Jewish people gather at holiday tables around the world that may be geographically distant from one another, but the partnership and the deep connection between us bridge the distance. Our great challenge at this time is to connect all parts of the Jewish people, to bring our hearts closer together. My wish for the Jewish people around the world and the citizens of Israel is for a year of unity and of healing the rifts that will ensure the continued prosperity and security of the State of Israel and the Jewish people.”