World DURING THE second half of 1955 migration increased considerably; it rose still higher during 1956. It was estimated that about 4 Jews from North Africa entered Israel during the period October 1, 1955, through September 30, 1956, as against 26,500 for the same period in 1954-55. 1 In November 1956, refugees from Hungary and Egypt further swelled the volume of migration, but at this writing (December 1956) this migration could not be taken into account in estimating the population of various countries. The estimates of population in some countries could not be ascertained with any degree of accuracy; the data presented below, therefore, represent only the best approximation that could be arrived at under the circumstances, and will have to be continuously revised. Method of Inquiry To obtain the figures presented in this survey, the author used information obtained from censuses and from estimates by informed local individuals. In addition, the special inquiry initiated in 1955 was continued throughout 1956. (For a description of the scope and procedures of the inquiry, see AMERICAN JEWISH YEAR BOOK, 1956 [Vol. 57], p. 290.) Special questionnaires for reporting the numbers of Jews in various countries were sent to the central communal bodies of seventeen countries with populations. As of November 1956, eight responses had been received at the offices of the AMERICAN JEWISH YEAR BOOK. Including the seventeen responses to thirtyeight inquiries received in 1955, the total responses thus far obtained were twenty-five. 2 Responses to Inquiry Data supplied by local communal bodies were based mainly on estimates made by responsible individuals dealing with various communal ac- 1 A Progress Report on Israel, Government of Israel Agency, Jerusalem, October 1956. 2 The following organizations responded to the inquiry during 19SS and 1956: Australia: Executive Council of Australian Jewry; Austria: Bundesverband der Israelitischen Kultusgemeinden; Chile: Comite Representative de la Colectividad Israelite; Colombia: United HIAS Service; Denmark: Mosaisk Trossamfund; England: Board of Deputies of British Jews; Finland: Central Council of the Congregations in Finland; France: Union des Associations Cultuelles des Israelites de France et d'algerie; Germany: Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland; Mosaiske Trossamfund; Philippines: Community of the Philippines; Portugal: Communidade Israelite de Lisboa; South Africa: Board of Deputies; Sweden: Mosaiska Forsamlingen; Switzerland: Federation Suisse des Communautes Israelites; Tunisia: Conseil des Communautes Israelites de Tunisie; Turkey: Grand Rabbinat de Turquie; Uruguay: Comite Central Israelite del Uruguay; Yugoslavia: Federation of Communities in Yugoslavia. 220
WORLD JEWISH POPULATION 221 tivities. In some cases the data were supported by figures obtained through registrations for religious purposes (Italy, Greece, Portugal). In a few countries there were census figures, which in some cases had to be adjusted on the basis of local estimates (Australia, India, Norway, South Africa, Tunisia, and Yugoslavia). The data supplied were most helpful in certain instances insofar as they documented the current estimates on the size of the communities in individual countries; however, the figures will have to be further refined and checked against new information if and when such information becomes available. In some cases data on unattached Jews were not available, and it was difficult to ascertain whether the estimates obtained covered the total population or were limited to the members of communal bodies. Total World by Continents It is estimated that the world population in 1956 was about 11,936,- 000. Of this total, some,000 (51 per cent) resided in North and South America. More than 3,46 (29 per cent) were in Europe. Asia had more than 1,750,000 (14.5 per cent), and some 600,000 and 58,000 were residing in Africa and Australia-New Zealand, respectively. TABLE 1 DISTRIBUTION OF JEWISH POPULATION BY CONTINENTS Continent Number Europe (including Asiatic USSR and Turkey) 3,461,450 29.0 America (North and South) 6,063,362 51.0 Asia 1,753,296 145 Africa 600,750 5.0 Australia and New Zealand 58,013 0.5 TOTAL 11,936,871 10 EUROPE There were about 3,46 Jews in Europe. This number included an estimated 2,000,000 Jews in the Soviet Union, and about 430,000 in the satellite countries. Estimates on the number of Jews in the Soviet Union varied from 2,000,000 to 3,000,000. Unfortunately, there was no way of arriving at a definite figure, as no official statistics on the number of Jews in the Soviet Union were available. The lower estimate would seem to be more realistic (see p. 309) and this estimate will have to be accepted until such time as official data become available. About,000 Jews resided in Western Europe and Scandinavia. The largest community (450,000) was in England, and the next largest (325,000) in France. At the time of writing, there was a considerable flow of refugees from Hungary to Austria, but it was too early to assess the population changes resulting from this phenomenon.
222 AMERICAN JEWISH YEAR BOOK NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA The population in North and South America stood at about,- 000. This figure included some 5,200,000 Jews in the United States, 233,000 in Canada, and 630,000 in Latin America. The figure for the United States is the current estimate accepted by students of population in this country. Few changes have been recorded in the figures given for Latin America. It should be pointed out, however, that estimates of the population in Argentina varied from 360,000 to 400,000. ASIA AND AUSTRALIA-NEW ZEALAND Of the approximately 1,753,000 Jews in Asia, 1,62 resided in Israel. 8 The only other substantial settlement in Asia was in Iran, where there were 80,000 Jews. There were some 53,500 Jews in Australia and 4,500 in New Zealand. AFRICA There was a considerable decrease in the number of Jews in Africa as a result of continuing migration from French North African countries to Israel and France. It was estimated that Morocco had 200,000 Jews, Algeria 140,000, and Tunisia 85,000. The population of South Africa stood at 110,000. At this writing (December 1956) it was not yet possible to record the population changes that occurred in Egypt. Countries With Largest The three countries with the largest population the United States, the Soviet Union, and Israel, in that order accounted for some 73 per cent of the total population of the world. Altogether there were nine countries with communities of 200,000 or more, with Morocco now occupying the last place in that group. It should be noted that, with the obvious exception of Israel, the ratio of to total population in all the countries of the world is below 4 per cent, and in some countries it is less than 1 per. Selected Cities The estimates of population in selected cities presented in Table 8 are based largely on figures obtained through our inquiry. While the information is incomplete, it serves as an indication of the distribution of the population by cities. LEON SHAPIRO * Statistical Bulletin of Israel, Vol. VII, No. 7, July 1956, Jerusalem, Israel.
WORLD JEWISH POPULATION 223 TABLE 2 ESTIMATED JEWISH POPULATION OF EUROPE, BY COUNTRIES a Albania Austria Belgium Bulgaria Czechoslovakia Denmark England Finland France Germany Gibraltar Greece Hungary Irish Free State Italy Luxembourg.. Netherlands... Norway Poland Portugal Rumania Soviet Union.. Spain Sweden Switzerland... Turkey Yugoslavia... 1,394,000 6,974,000 8,868,000 7,548,000 13,089,000 4,439,000 50,968,000 4,289,000 43,600,000 69,865,000 22,500 7,973,000 9,805,000 2,933,000 48,01 309,000 10,888,000 3,425,000 27,680,000 8,837,000 17,300,000 200,200,000 29,203,000 7,262,000 5,023,000 24,797,000 17,799,000 300 10,077 35,000 20,000 6,500 450,000 1,752 325,000 25,000 650 135,000 5,400 3 25,000 50,000 723 225,000 2,000,000" 3,000 12,500 19,048 60,000 6,500 1 1 0.9 * * 0.7 x x 2.9 1 1.4 x x 0.3 * * * 1.3 1.0 1 x x x TOTAL 632,506,500 3,461,450 0.5 Data on general population are based on the Monthly Bulletin of Statistics published by the Statistical Office of the United Nations, November 1956, Vol. X, No. 11, New York. Where such material was not available, use was made of other sources, including local publications. b Including Asiatic regions of the Soviet Union and Turkey. 1 Indicates, in this and other tables, that the figure was obtained through a questionnaire sent to the central communal body of the country.
224 AMERICAN JEWISH YEAR BOOK TABLE 3 ESTIMATED JEWISH POPULATION OF NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA, BY COUNTRIES" Canada United States TOTAL NORTH AMERICA Argentina Bolivia Brazil British Guiana Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Curacao Dominican Republic Dutch Guiana Ecuador El Salvador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama Paraguay PCTU Trinidad Uruguay, Venezuela, TOTAL SOUTH AMERICA. GRAND TOTAL» See footnote (a), Table 2. "See footnote (x). Table 2. 15,970,000 168,09 184,06 19,740,000 3,235,000 59,84 472,000 6,76 12,939,000 988,000 5,829,000 148,000 2,463,000 223,000 3,777,000 2,269,000 3,258,000 3,305,000 1,71 1,518,000 30,538,000 1,245,000 934,000 1,60 9,605,000 72 2,615,000 5,949,000 181,690,000 365,75 233,000 5,200,000 5,433,000 360,000 2,700 120,000 130 30,000 x 8,000 x 1,500 1 600 2,000 200 200 150 2,200 25,632* 150 2300 2,000 3,000 400 50,000* 5,000 630,362 6,063,362 1.5 3.1 2.9 1.8 02 0.7 1.9 0.3 1.6
WORLD JEWISH POPULATION 225 TABLE 4 ESTIMATED JEWISH POPULATION OF ASIA, BY COUNTRIES' Aden Afghanistan Burma China Cyprus India Indonesia.. Iran Iraq Israel Japan Lebanon... Pakistan... Philippines Singapore.. Syria Yemen 730,000 12,0000 19,85 582,603,000 520,000 381,690,000 81,900,000 21,14 5,100,000 1,823,000 90,000,000 1,425,000 83,603,000 22,265,000 1,213,000 3,85 3,500,000 800 4,000 1,500 170 21.126 1 1,200 80,000 1,62 2,200 700 300 * 800 3,000 3,500 88.9 TOTAL 1,313,230,000 1,753,296 See footnote (a), Table 2. *See footnote (x), Table 2. TABLE 5 ESTIMATED JEWISH POPULATION OF AFRICA, BY COUNTRIES * Abyssinia Algeria Belgian Congo Egypt Kenya Libya Morocco (including Tangier) Northern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesia Tunisia Union of South Africa TOTAL 15,000,000 9,620,000 12,317,000 22,934,000 6,150,000 1,072.000 9,59 2,130,000 2,399,000 3,782,000 13,669,000 98,664,000 12,000 140,000 2,000 40,000 3,750 200,000 1,500 5,500 85,000 x 110,000 x 600,750 1.4 0.3 2.1 2 2 0.8 0.6 See footnote (a), Table 2. *See footnote (x), Table 2.
226 AMERICAN JEWISH YEAR BOOK TABLE 6 ESTIMATED JEWISH POPULATION OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND " Australia New Zealand 9,428,000 2,172,000 53,513* 4,500 0.6 TOTAL..... 11,600,000 58,013 0.5 See footnote (a), Table 2. 1 See footnote (x). Table 2. TABLE 7 'See footnote (x), Table 2. COUNTRIES WITH LARGEST JEWISH POPULATION United States 5,200,000 Soviet Union 2,000,000 Israel 1,62 England 450,000* Argentina 360,000 France 325,000 Canada 233,000 Rumania 225,000 Morocco 200,000 TABLE 8 ESTIMATED JEWISH POPULATION, SELECTED CITIES City Abo 355* Amsterdam 14,000 Ankara * Antwerp 12,000 Athens 2,852* Basle 2.471 1 Belgrade Berlin 1,451 x Berne 792 1 Bogota 4,500* Bombay 18,126* Boras 300* Bordeaux 5,000 Brussels 20,000 Cairo 20,000 Calcutta 2,500 *
Mostly for 1954-1955. See footnote (x), Table 2. WORLD JEWISH POPULATION 227 TABLE 8 (Continued) City Casablanca 65,000 Cochin 500 1 Florence 1,500 Geneva 2.642 1 Glasgow 13,400* Haifa 154,000 Helsinki 1,333* Ismir 5,000* Istanbul 500 1 Jerusalem 143,000 Johannesburg 50,000 La Paz 1,500 Leeds 2,500* London (Greater) 280,000 x Luxembourg 800 1 Manchester 3* Manila 300 1 Marrakech 18,500 Melbourne 25,000 Milan Montreal 95,000 Novi-Sad 286 1 Oslo 620 1 Paris 175,000 Rio de Janeiro 45,000 Rome 12,000 Salonika 1,279 x Santiago 25,000 * Sao Paulo 40,000 Sarajevo 1.038 1 Stockholm x Subotica 404* Sydney 22,000 Teheran 30,000 Tel Aviv 350,000 Toronto 77,000 Trieste 1,500 Tunis 600 1 Valparaiso 2,000 Vienna 9.230 1 Warsaw 5,000 Zagreb 1,286* Zurich 6,169*