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New Claims Conference Data Puts Global Holocaust Survivor Count at 196,600

Released ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Claims Conference update underscores urgent support needs for an aging survivor population.

Overview

  • Half of the remaining survivors live in Israel, with 18 percent in North America and 17 percent in Western Europe, including 31,000 in the United States.
  • The median age is 87, nearly 30 percent are at least 90, just over 1 percent are 100 or older, and 97 percent are classified as child survivors born between 1928 and 1946.
  • Women account for 62 percent of survivors, reflecting long-standing differences in wartime survival and postwar longevity.
  • About 34 percent receive monthly pensions negotiated by the Claims Conference, 71 percent have accessed social welfare services in the past year, and 67,600 qualify for Basic Needs Fund assistance.
  • The Claims Conference reported $530 million in compensation and $960 million for welfare in 2025, as its president called the moment an inflection point with survivor voices rapidly receding.