World Jewish Population at 14,370,650

The world Jewish population is estimated at 14,370,650, according to the American Jewish Year Book, whose 1973 edition has just been published. The 1972 edition showed a total of 14,236,420. There are approximately 6,115,000 Jews in the United States, more than in any other country, up from 6,059,730 according to the 1972 Year Book. These estimates were compiled by Leon Shapiro, associate professor of Russian and Soviet Jewish History at Rutgers University, who compiled the overseas demographic data, and Alvin Chenkin, supervisor, Statistics Unit, Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds, who assembled the figures on the U.S.

After the United States, countries with the largest Jewish populations are: Soviet Union, 2,648,000; Israel, 2,723,000; France, 550,000; Argentina, 500,000; Great Britain, 410,000; and Canada, 305,000. Fifty-one percent of world Jewry is located in North, Central and South America, 28 percent in Europe, 19 percent in Asia, 1.5 percent in Africa, and 0.5 percent in Australia and New Zealand. In the United States the Jewish proportion of the total resident population remains at 2.94 percent.

Among the Jewish population figures for U.S. cities listed in the Year Book’s tables are: Los Angeles, 535,000; San Francisco, 75,000; Washington, 112,500; Miami, 200,000; Chicago, 269,000; Baltimore, 100,000; Montgomery County (Md.), 56,500; Boston, 180,000; Detroit, 80,000; St. Louis, 60,000; Bergen County (N.J.), 100,000; Essex County (N.J.), 90,000; Greater New York, 2,381,000; Cleveland, 80,000; and Philadelphia, 325,000.

In Europe, according to Professor Shapiro, there are 4,055,905 Jews. Of these, 2,648,000 are in the Soviet Union- Figures for other European countries include: Austria, 9400; Belgium 40,500; Bulgaria, 7000; Czechoslovakia, 14,000; Denmark, 6000; France, 550,000; Germany, 32,000; Great Britain, 410,000; Greece, 6500; Hungary, 80,000; Ireland, 4000; Italy, 35,000; Netherlands, 30,000; Poland, 8000; Rumania; 90,000; Spain, 9000; Sweden, 15,000; Switzerland, 20,000; Turkey, 30,000; and Yugoslavia, .7000.

Estimated population for major centers of Jewish concentration in the Americas, besides the United States, include: Canada, 305,000; Mexico, 40,000; Argentina, 500,000; Brazil, 150,000; Chile, 30,000; Colombia, 13,000; Peru, 5300; Uruguay, 50,000, and Venezuela, 15,000.

THREE MAJOR CENTERS IN ASIA

In Asia, the only major centers of Jewish population, besides Israel, are India, 14,000; and Iran, 80,000. In Africa, there are substantial Jewish numbers only in South Africa, 117,900; Morocco, 31,000; Ethiopia, 12,000; Tunisia, 8000; and Rhodesia, 5200. There are 70,000 Jews in Australia and 4000 in New Zealand.

Among the major world cities, outside of the United States, where Jews are located, are: Amsterdam, 12,000; Antwerp, 13,000; Brussels, 24,500; Bucharest, 50,200; Budapest, 65,000; Buenos Aires, 350,000; Glasgow, 13,400; Haifa, 210,000; Jerusalem, 266,000; Johannesburg, 57,500; Klev, 220,000; Leeds, 19,400; Leningrad, 165,000; London, 280,000; Lyons, 20,000; Manchester, 36,000; Marseilles, 65,000; Melbourne, 34,000; Mexico City, 30,000; Milan, 9500; Montevideo, 48,000; Montreal, 113,000; Moscow, 285,000; Nice, 20,000; Paris, 300,000; Rio de Janeiro, 50,000; Rome, 15,000; Sao Paulo, 65,000; Strasbourg, 12,000; Sydney, 28,000; Teheran, 50,000; Tel Aviv-Jaffa, 394,000; Toronto, 97,000; Toulouse, 18,000; and Winnipeg, 21,000.

The American Jewish Year Book is published jointly by the American Jewish Committee and the Jewish Publication Society of America. Its editors are Morris Fine and Milton Himmelfarb. Mrs. Martha Jelenko is the executive editor.