Jewish population rises to 14.8 million worldwide

AT THE START of 5780, the number of Jews worldwide stands at 14.8 million, compared to 14.7 million in 5779.  Of these, 8.1 million live outside Israel (including 5.7 million in the United States). In Israel, the number of Jews is 6.7 million (compared to 6.6 million in 5779). The updated estimates were published in the American Jewish Year Book 2019.

The numbers include those who define themselves as Jews and who do not identify with another religion. When including those who are eligible for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return, the number rises to 23.6 million people, of whom 16.5 million live outside Israel.

“In the past year, tens of thousands of people have made aliyah [immigrated to Israel] with assistance from The Jewish Agency for Israel, along with tens of thousands of young Jews who visited Israel on educational programs such as Masa Israel Journey,” said Jewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog. “The Jewish Agency continues to act as a bridge between Israel and Jewish communities” and addresses challenges facing Jewry worldwide.

“Chief among these is combating anti-Semitism, which has risen dramatically over the past year, along with the continuation of efforts to connect young Jews around the world to Israel against the backdrop of the BDS movement,” Herzog said.

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After Israel and the U.S., countries with the largest number of Jews include France, 450,000; Canada, 392,000; Great Britain, 292,000; and Argentina, 180,000.