January 21st, 2026 – A new report by the Claims Conference, published ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, shows a sharp decline in the number of Holocaust survivors living today. About half of them reside in Israel, and a large proportion are already in their nineties or older.
Ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day and 81 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, the Claims Conference is publishing an updated report that presents a comprehensive picture of Jewish Holocaust survivors currently living around the world. The data shows a decline in the number of survivors, alongside a high geographic concentration in a small number of countries, led by Israel.
According to the report, about 196,600 Jewish Holocaust survivors are currently living worldwide in more than 90 countries. This marks a significant decrease compared to an estimated 220,000 survivors who were believed to be alive in January 2025. The figures illustrate that the last generation of Holocaust witnesses is steadily diminishing.
The country with the largest population of Holocaust survivors is Israel, with approximately 97,600 survivors, accounting for half, 50%, of the global survivor population. The United States ranks second with about 31,000 survivors, representing roughly 16% of the worldwide total. This is followed by France with about 17,300 survivors, 9%, Russia with approximately 14,300, 7%, and Germany with around 10,700 survivors, about 5% of all survivors worldwide. Additional countries with survivor populations include Ukraine with about 5,200 survivors, 3%, Canada with roughly 4,800, 2%, Hungary with around 2,800, 1%, Australia with about 2,000, 1%, and Belarus with approximately 1,600 survivors, 1%.
The median age of Holocaust survivors today is 87, with an age range spanning from 79 to over 100 years. Just over one percent of survivors are aged 100 or older, and about 30 percent are already over the age of 90. Nearly all living survivors today, 97 percent, are those who survived the Holocaust as children, meaning they were born in 1928 or later. The gender aspect is also notable, 62 percent of Holocaust survivors are women, while only 38 percent are men. From an economic perspective, about 34 percent of survivors, approximately 68,000 people, receive a fixed monthly pension obtained through negotiations conducted by the Claims Conference. Those who do not receive regular payments may be eligible for one time or annual payments.
The report emphasizes the need for welfare support. About 71 percent of Holocaust survivors, roughly 139,000 individuals, received or are currently receiving welfare services over the past year through more than 300 organizations supported by the Claims Conference. In addition, around 66,700 survivors were eligible for assistance from a special fund for basic needs, which provides support primarily in the area of nutrition. The Claims Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, founded in 1951 by representatives of 23 international Jewish organizations, works to secure material compensation for Holocaust survivors and to recover Jewish property looted during the Holocaust. Since it began its work, more than $95 billion have been paid as compensation to Holocaust survivors persecuted by the Nazis as a result of negotiations led by the Claims Conference.
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