Global Jewish population up to 15.2 million

The world population of those who self-identify as Jews now stands at about 15.2 million — an increase of 100,000 on last year.

Israel has 6.9 million Jews, the United States 6 million and the UK 292,000, according to the latest estimates by the Jewish Agency for Israel based on work by Sergio Della Pergola, a demographer from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 

France has the world’s third largest Jewish community with 446,000 people, according to the report, followed by Canada at 393,000. The Pew survey on Jewish Americans had estimated the figure to be much higher, at 7.5 million.

The researchers for the Jewish Agency consulted the Pew survey, the Jewish Agency said in a statement Sunday, shortly before the start of Rosh Hashanah. The statement did not provide a reason for the difference.

The statement said: “When also including those who are eligible for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return, the world total rises to 25.3 million people, of which 7.3 million are in Israel and 18 million live outside Israel.”

Ukraine was listed as having 43,000 Jews – a tiny figure when compared with the 360,000 number provided by the European Jewish Congress.