The world's Jewish population has had a complex and tumultuous history over the past millennia, regularly dealing with persecution, pogroms, and even genocide. The legacy of expulsion and persecution of Jews, including bans on land ownership, meant that Jewish communities disproportionately lived in urban areas, working as artisans or traders, and often lived in their own settlements separate to the rest of the urban population. This separation contributed to the impression that events such as pandemics, famines, or economic shocks did not affect Jews as much as other populations, and such factors came to form the basis of the mistrust and stereotypes of wealth (characterized as greed) that have made up anti-Semitic rhetoric for centuries. Development since the Middle Ages The concentration of Jewish populations across the world has shifted across different centuries. In the Middle Ages, the largest Jewish populations were found in Palestine and the wider Levant region, with other sizeable populations in present-day France, Italy, and Spain. Later, however, the Jewish disapora became increasingly concentrated in Eastern Europe after waves of pogroms in the west saw Jewish communities move eastward. Poland in particular was often considered a refuge for Jews from the late-Middle Ages until the 18th century, when it was then partitioned between Austria, Prussia, and Russia, and persecution increased. Push factors such as major pogroms in the Russian Empire in the 19th century and growing oppression in the west during the interwar period then saw many Jews migrate to the United States in search of opportunity.

Throughout history, the displacement and migration of Jewish populations has been a repeating theme. In ancient times, the worlds Jewish population was concentrated in the Middle East, especially around Judaism's spiritual homeland in present-day Israel. However, the population distribution of the world's Jewry began to shift in the Middle Ages, with an increasing share living in Europe. Initially, Western Europe (particularly France, Italy, and Spain) had the largest Jewish populations, before they then migrated eastward in later centuries. Between the 18th and mid-20th centuries, over half of the worl'd Jews lived in Europe, with over 80 percent of these living in Eastern Europe.

Poland had become a refuge for Jews fleeing persecution in the Middle Ages, although shifting borders and foreign influence meant that long-term security was never fully attained, and a series of pogroms in the Russian Empire in the 1800s, and rising anti-Semitism in Central Europe in the early-1900s contributred to waves of migration to the United States and Israel during this time. After the Holocaust saw the genocide of up to six million Jews (over one third of the world's Jewish population), the share of Jews living in Europe dropped drastically, and emmigration outside of Europe increased. Today, the United States has the world's largest Jewish population in the world at around 7.3 million people, just ahead of Israel with 7.1 million.

The worldwide Jewish population experienced a marked decline during the 20th century due to the murder of six million Jewish people during the Holocaust, the genocide perpetrated by Nazi Germany and its allies during World War II. While there were almost 17 million Jewish people alive before the Holocaust, or the Shoah as it is known in Hebrew, after the war this was only around 11.5 million people. By using several different fertility scenarios, demographers have been able to reconstruct what the Jewish population would be in modern times if the genocide of Jewish people had not happened. In scenarios where there was a low or very low fertility rate, the Jewish population in 2000 would be in the range of 26 to 33 million people, double what it was in reality. In a scenario where the population growth rate was the same as that observed in the Jewish population after WWII, which was extremely low, the global Jewish population would have risen to over 20 million people.

The two countries with the greatest shares of the world's Jewish population are the United States and Israel. The United States had been a hub of Jewish immigration since the nineteenth century, as Jewish people sought to escape persecution in Europe by emigrating across the Atlantic. The Jewish population in the U.S. is largely congregated in major urban areas, such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, with the New York metropolitan area being the city with the second largest Jewish population worldwide, after Tel Aviv, Israel. Israel is the world's only officially Jewish state, having been founded in 1948 following the first Arab-Israeli War. While Jews had been emigrating to the holy lands since the nineteenth century, when they were controlled by the Ottoman Empire, immigration increased rapidly following the establishment of the state of Israel. Jewish communities in Eastern Europe who had survived the Holocaust saw Israel as a haven from persecution, while the state encouraged immigration from Jewish communities in other regions, notably the Middle East & North Africa. Smaller Jewish communities remain in Europe in countries such as France, the UK, and Germany, and in other countries which were hotspots for Jewish migration in the twentieth century, such as Canada and Argentina.

The average for 2013 based on 21 countries was 4.3 percent. The highest value was in Israel: 76.2 percent and the lowest value was in Hungary: 0.2 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2013. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The Holocaust was the systematic extermination of Europe's Jewish population in the Second World War, during which time, up to six million Jews were murdered as part of Nazi Germany's "Final Solution to the Jewish Question". In the context of the Second World War, the term "Holocaust" is traditionally used to reference the genocide of Europe's Jews, although this coincided with the Nazi regime's genocide and ethnic cleansing of an additional eleven million people deemed "undesirable" due to their ethnicity, beliefs, disability or sexuality (among others). During the Holocaust, Poland's Jewish population suffered the largest number of fatalities, with approximately three million deaths. Additionally, at least one million Jews were murdered in the Soviet Union, while Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Yugoslavia also lost the majority of their respective pre-war Jewish populations. The Holocaust in Poland In the interwar period, Europe's Jewish population was concentrated in the east, with roughly one third living in Poland; this can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when thousands of Jews flocked to Eastern Europe to escape persecution. At the outbreak of the Second World War, it is estimated that there were 3.4 million Jews living in Poland, which was approximately ten percent of the total population. Following the German invasion of Poland, Nazi authorities then segregated Jews in ghettos across most large towns and cities, and expanded their network of concentration camps throughout the country. In the ghettos, civilians were deprived of food, and hundreds of thousands died due to disease and starvation; while prison labor was implemented under extreme conditions in concentration camps to fuel the German war effort. In Poland, six extermination camps were also operational between December 1941 and January 1945, which saw the mass extermination of approximately 2.7 million people over the next three years (including many non-Poles, imported from other regions of Europe). While concentration camps housed prisoners of all backgrounds, extermination camps were purpose-built for the elimination of the Jewish race, and over 90% of their victims were Jewish. The majority of the victims in these extermination camps were executed by poison gas, although disease, starvation and overworking were also common causes of death. In addition to the camps and ghettos, SS death squads (Einsatzgruppen) and local collaborators also committed widespread atrocities across Eastern Europe. While the majority of these atrocities took place in the Balkan, Baltic and Soviet regions, they were still prevalent in Poland (particularly during the liquidation of the ghettos), and the Einsatzgruppen alone are estimated to have killed up to 1.3 million Jews throughout the Holocaust. By early 1945, Soviet forces had largely expelled the German armies from Poland and liberated the concentration and extermination camps; by this time, Poland had lost roughly ninety percent of its pre-war Jewish population, and suffered approximately three million further civilian and military deaths. By 1991, Poland's Jewish population was estimated to be just 15 thousand people, while there were fewer than two thousand Jews recorded as living in Poland in 2018.

In the Middle Ages, it is believed the largest Jewish populations in the world were found in Asia, particularly across the Middle East. Of the estimated total Jewish population of 1.2 million people, over 80 percent are thought to have lived in Asia, while 13 percent lived in Europe, and the remaining six precent lived in (North) Africa. The largest populations were found on the Arabian peninsula, as well as Iran and Iraq, while the Near East (here referring to the Levant region) had a much smaller population, despite being the spiritual homeland of the Jewish people.

These figures are based on the records of Benjamin of Tudela, a Jewish traveller from the Middle Ages who provided one of the most comprehensive collections of population statistics from the period. Benjamin's writings not only recorded the number of Jews living across this part of the world, but also gave an insight into societal structures and the ordinary daily lives within Jewish communities in the medieval period. The source providing these figures, however, has adjusted some of the statistics to account for known populations that were missing from Benjamin of Tudela's records, especially in Europe and Asia.

During the Holocaust, approximately six million Jews were killed. In France, the Jewish population had decreased by ******* individuals between 1939 and 1945. It then increased between the end of World War II and the 1970s, reaching ******* individuals in 1970. However, according to the source, the number of Jews in France has declined by more than 15 percent between that period and 2020, and is now estimated to be *******.

Population: FE: Jewish Autonomous Region: Birobidzhan: Above Working Age data was reported at 16.300 Person th in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 17.100 Person th for 2018. Population: FE: Jewish Autonomous Region: Birobidzhan: Above Working Age data is updated yearly, averaging 15.600 Person th from Dec 2003 (Median) to 2019, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 17.100 Person th in 2018 and a record low of 12.400 Person th in 2003. Population: FE: Jewish Autonomous Region: Birobidzhan: Above Working Age data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal State Statistics Service. The data is categorized under Russia Premium Database’s Demographic and Labour Market – Table RU.GA023: Population: by City: Far East Federal District.

This statistic shows the top 25 countries in the world with the largest number of Jewish population in 2010. In 2010, there were living about 5.7 million Jews in the United States.

Paid Services Rendered to Population: Prev Year=100: FE: Jewish Autonomous Region data was reported at 99.300 Prev Year=100 in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 108.600 Prev Year=100 for 2021. Paid Services Rendered to Population: Prev Year=100: FE: Jewish Autonomous Region data is updated yearly, averaging 101.400 Prev Year=100 from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2022, with 28 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 117.900 Prev Year=100 in 1998 and a record low of 58.500 Prev Year=100 in 1995. Paid Services Rendered to Population: Prev Year=100: FE: Jewish Autonomous Region data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal State Statistics Service. The data is categorized under Russia Premium Database’s Household Survey – Table RU.HG009: Paid Services Rendered to Population: Volume Index: by Region: Previous Year=100.

Population: FE: Jewish Autonomous Region data was reported at 144,389.000 Person in 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 145,802.000 Person for 2023. Population: FE: Jewish Autonomous Region data is updated yearly, averaging 179,058.000 Person from Dec 1989 (Median) to 2024, with 36 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 220,231.000 Person in 1991 and a record low of 144,389.000 Person in 2024. Population: FE: Jewish Autonomous Region data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal State Statistics Service. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Russian Federation – Table RU.GA002: Population: by Region.

This dataset is extracted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_population_by_country. Context: There s a story behind every dataset and heres your opportunity to share yours.Content: What s inside is more than just rows and columns. Make it easy for others to get started by describing how you acquired the data and what time period it represents, too. Acknowledgements:We wouldn t be here without the help of others. If you owe any attributions or thanks, include them here along with any citations of past research.Inspiration: Your data will be in front of the world s largest data science community. What questions do you want to see answered?

Population: Male: FE: Jewish Autonomous Region data was reported at 68,353.000 Person in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 69,194.000 Person for 2022. Population: Male: FE: Jewish Autonomous Region data is updated yearly, averaging 85,682.000 Person from Dec 1989 (Median) to 2023, with 35 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 108,009.000 Person in 1991 and a record low of 68,353.000 Person in 2023. Population: Male: FE: Jewish Autonomous Region data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal State Statistics Service. The data is categorized under Russia Premium Database’s Demographic and Labour Market – Table RU.GA009: Population: Male: by Region.

Population: FE: Jewish Autonomous Region: Birobidzhan: Working Age data was reported at 41.100 Person th in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 41.300 Person th for 2018. Population: FE: Jewish Autonomous Region: Birobidzhan: Working Age data is updated yearly, averaging 47.300 Person th from Dec 2003 (Median) to 2019, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 50.300 Person th in 2003 and a record low of 41.100 Person th in 2019. Population: FE: Jewish Autonomous Region: Birobidzhan: Working Age data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal State Statistics Service. The data is categorized under Russia Premium Database’s Demographic and Labour Market – Table RU.GA023: Population: by City: Far East Federal District. Labour Force population includes men aged 16-59 years old and women aged 16-54 years old Население трудоспособного возраста - мужчины 16-59 лет, женщины 16-54 года

Kosher Meat Market Outlook

As per our latest research, the global kosher meat market size reached USD 31.2 billion in 2024, and the market is projected to grow at a notable CAGR of 4.7% over the forecast period. By 2033, the global kosher meat market is expected to attain a value of USD 47.1 billion. This robust growth trajectory is primarily driven by the rising demand for high-quality, ethically produced meat products, combined with the increasing awareness and adoption of kosher dietary standards among both Jewish and non-Jewish populations worldwide.

The growth of the kosher meat market is underpinned by several critical factors. Firstly, there is a significant surge in consumer preference for food safety, traceability, and ethical production practices. Kosher meat, which adheres to strict religious and hygienic guidelines, is perceived as a safer and more trustworthy option compared to conventional meat products. This perception is not limited to the Jewish community; rather, it has expanded to include health-conscious consumers globally who associate kosher certification with higher standards of quality and food safety. Additionally, the rising incidence of foodborne illnesses and contamination scandals in the broader meat industry have further accelerated the shift towards kosher-certified products, as consumers seek reassurance regarding the origins and handling of their food.

Another major driver for the kosher meat market is the globalization of food culture and the proliferation of specialty diets. As international travel, migration, and cultural exchange increase, so does the exposure to and acceptance of kosher dietary laws. This has led to a broader customer base for kosher meat, including Muslims who find kosher slaughter methods compatible with halal requirements, as well as vegetarians occasionally seeking ethically produced meat. Furthermore, the growing number of kosher restaurants, delis, and food service providers has created additional demand, particularly in urban centers and areas with large Jewish populations. This trend is further supported by the expansion of kosher certification agencies, which have made it easier for producers and retailers to access and serve these niche markets.

Technological advancements and innovation in supply chain management have also played a pivotal role in the expansion of the kosher meat market. Enhanced logistics, cold chain infrastructure, and digital traceability solutions have made it possible to maintain the integrity of kosher certification from slaughterhouse to consumer. This has enabled kosher meat producers to reach wider markets, including remote regions and countries with limited local production. The rise of e-commerce and online retail platforms has further facilitated access to kosher meat products, allowing consumers to conveniently purchase certified products regardless of their location. This combination of technological progress and evolving consumer preferences is expected to sustain the market’s momentum well into the next decade.

From a regional perspective, North America remains the dominant market for kosher meat, accounting for the largest share due to its sizable Jewish population, established regulatory frameworks, and high consumer awareness. However, Europe and the Asia Pacific region are rapidly emerging as significant growth areas, driven by increasing multiculturalism, rising disposable incomes, and the proliferation of specialty food retailers. The Middle East & Africa region, while comparatively smaller in terms of market size, is witnessing steady growth due to religious and cultural factors. Latin America is also showing promising potential, particularly in countries with expanding Jewish communities and growing demand for specialty meat products. Overall, the kosher meat market is poised for sustained growth, fueled by a combination of demographic, cultural, and technological trends.

Product Type Analysis

The kosher meat market is segmented by product type into beef, poultry, lamb

The Jewish population of Europe decreased dramatically during the 20th century, as millions of Jews were killed during the Holocaust of the Second World War, while millions of others emigrated to escape persecution (notably to Israel and the U.S.). Some estimates suggest that the total number of Jews in Europe in 1933 was approximately 9.5 million people, with the majority of these living in Eastern Europe. Jews were a minority in most countries, however they still made up a significant portion of the population in countries such as Hungary, Poland and Romania. Following the war however, the Jewish populations in these countries dropped drastically, and by the end of the century they made up just 0.1 percent or less in several countries.

Kosher Frozen Meals Market Outlook

As per our latest research, the global kosher frozen meals market size reached USD 13.8 billion in 2024, with a robust year-on-year growth fueled by increasing demand for convenient, healthy, and culturally compliant food options. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2025 to 2033, with the forecasted market size projected to reach USD 25.5 billion by 2033. This growth trajectory is primarily driven by rising consumer awareness regarding kosher dietary standards, the proliferation of diverse frozen meal offerings, and the expanding global Jewish population, alongside growing interest from non-Jewish consumers seeking perceived health and quality benefits associated with kosher-certified foods.

One of the most significant growth factors for the kosher frozen meals market is the increasing consumer preference for convenience without compromising on dietary compliance or quality. Urbanization and busier lifestyles have led to a surge in demand for ready-to-eat and easy-to-prepare meal solutions. Kosher frozen meals, which adhere to strict preparation and ingredient standards, are particularly attractive to health-conscious consumers and those with dietary restrictions. The market is also benefiting from the expanding range of product offerings, including entrees, appetizers, sides, and desserts, catering to a variety of tastes and dietary requirements. This diversification is further supported by advancements in food preservation technology, which ensures that frozen meals retain both nutritional value and flavor, making them a viable alternative to freshly prepared kosher foods.

Another key driver is the growing global recognition and acceptance of kosher certification as a mark of quality and safety, even outside the Jewish community. Many consumers now perceive kosher-certified products as being subject to higher standards of cleanliness, ingredient sourcing, and preparation, which has broadened the market’s appeal. In regions such as North America and Europe, where food safety concerns and dietary transparency are paramount, kosher frozen meals are gaining traction among mainstream consumers. In addition, the rise in food allergies and sensitivities has prompted more individuals to seek out kosher products, which are often free from common allergens such as shellfish and certain additives, further expanding the potential customer base.

Digital transformation and the proliferation of e-commerce platforms have also played a pivotal role in the growth of the kosher frozen meals market. Online grocery shopping has surged in popularity, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, making it easier for consumers to access a wide variety of kosher frozen meal options. Retailers and manufacturers are leveraging digital channels to reach new customer segments, offer detailed product information, and facilitate hassle-free purchasing experiences. This shift towards online distribution is complemented by the expansion of specialty stores and dedicated kosher sections in supermarkets and hypermarkets, ensuring that consumers have greater access to these products both online and offline.

Regionally, North America remains the largest market for kosher frozen meals, accounting for over 38% of global revenue in 2024. This dominance is attributed to the sizeable Jewish population in the United States and Canada, well-established distribution networks, and high consumer awareness. Europe follows closely, driven by increasing multiculturalism and the presence of established kosher certification bodies. The Asia Pacific region is emerging as a high-growth market, with rising disposable incomes, urbanization, and growing interest in international cuisines contributing to increased demand for kosher frozen meals. Meanwhile, Latin America and the Middle East & Africa are witnessing steady growth, supported by expanding retail infrastructure and rising consumer interest in convenient and culturally compliant food options.

Product Type Analysis

Population: FE: Jewish Autonomous Region: Birobidzhan data was reported at 71.800 Person th in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 73.100 Person th for 2018. Population: FE: Jewish Autonomous Region: Birobidzhan data is updated yearly, averaging 76.000 Person th from Dec 1992 (Median) to 2019, with 28 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 85.300 Person th in 1992 and a record low of 71.800 Person th in 2019. Population: FE: Jewish Autonomous Region: Birobidzhan data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal State Statistics Service. The data is categorized under Russia Premium Database’s Demographic and Labour Market – Table RU.GA023: Population: by City: Far East Federal District.