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American Jewish Population Larger than Suspected

According to a new study conducted by Boston University there are more Jews living in the United States than previously expected.

Boston University’s Steinhardt Social Research Institute is estimating that there are some 6.5 million people in the United States identify themselves as Jewish.

These estimates show a 20 percent increase in the number of Jews in the United States since 1990.

These figures contest the last National Jewish Population Survey by the Jewish Federation. Their last survey showed a drop in American Jewish population, from 5.5 million in 1990 to 5.2 million 2000.

In Boston University’s, 80 percent of American Jews identify themselves as Jews by religion, while the remaining 20 percent indicated by culture or some other criteria.

A full break down of demographic data from the survey will be presented by the Steinhardt Social Research Institute over the course of the next year. The director of the center, Len Saxe said they have detailed information of the Jewish populations social and economic status broken down by region.

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9 Comments

  • Milhouse

    This study only measures how many people CALL themselves Jewish, not how many actually are. So there’s not a whole lot of point to it. Who cares if they found another million goyim who “identify” as Jews? We’re more interested in all the Jews who DON’T think they’re Jewish; their neshomos are in golus and need rescuing.

  • To Milhouse, From Lisa

    Unfortunately, the Federation doesn’t make that distinction, either, so the point is still valid.

  • Milhouse

    How is the point valid? One study finds so many people who think they’re Jews; another study finds a larger number. So what? This result tells us nothing at all about how many actual Jews there are. In all likelihood the new study simply used a looser definition of “identity”, so it caught more goyim who “identify” as Jewish than the Federation study did.

  • Lisa

    On the contrary- this independent study is more likely to reach out to non-Federation communities and alternative sources (Chabad, other frum sources) for their numbers, thus reaching a larger number without broadening the requirements.

  • Avraham Yosef Follick

    Israel’s Bureau of Statistics estimates there are about 13,421,000 Jews in the world in 2010 ( December 23, 2010 2:49pm

  • Barry in Miami

    You must assume that the cencus has a broader reach than
    Federations. Federations use projections based on sampling
    while the census has a much higher number of actual contacts.
    So, even if we assume that any given percentage of those
    who say they are Jewish could include “marginal” Jews by
    any standard, a greater gross number yields a higher absolute number of observant Jews, at any level. And,
    actually, we are not playing a numbers game. Judism will
    survive based on those who have a Yiddshe Neshoma. The loss
    is to those who do not treasure the gift they have been
    given and reject it and do not pass it on to their children.