The Majority Of Respondents In Almost Every Country Surveyed Feel Something Like The Holocaust Could Happen Again; A Majority Of Respondents Also Show Strong Desire For Holocaust Education
NEW YORK, Jan. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) today released the first-ever, eight-country Index on Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness, exposing a global trend in fading knowledge of basic facts about the Holocaust. The countries surveyed include the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Austria, Germany, Poland, Hungary and Romania.
The majority of respondents in each country, except Romania, believe something like the Holocaust (another mass genocide against Jewish people) could happen again today. Concern is highest in the United States, where more than three-quarters (76%) of all adults surveyed believe something like the Holocaust could happen again today, followed by the U.K. at 69%, France at 63%, Austria at 62%, Germany at 61%, Poland at 54%, Hungary at 52%, and Romania at 44%.
Shockingly, some adults surveyed say that they had not heard or weren’t sure if they had heard of the Holocaust (Shoah) prior to taking the survey. This is amplified among young adults ages 18-29 who are the most recent reflection of local education systems; when surveyed, they indicated that they had not heard or weren’t sure if they had heard of the Holocaust (Shoah): France (46%), Romania (15%), Austria (14%) and Germany (12%). Additionally, while Auschwitz-Birkenau is the most well-known camp, nearly half (48%) of Americans surveyed are unable to name a single camp or ghetto established by the Nazis during World War II.
On a more positive note, there is overwhelming support for Holocaust education. Across all countries surveyed, nine-in-10 or more adults believe it is important to continue teaching about the Holocaust, in part, so it does not happen again.
Gideon Taylor, President of the Claims Conference. “The alarming gaps in knowledge, particularly among younger generations, highlight an urgent need for more effective Holocaust education. The fact that a significant number of adults cannot identify basic facts—such as the 6 million Jews who perished—is deeply concerning. Equally troubling is the widespread belief that something like the Holocaust could happen again, underscoring the critical importance of educating people about the consequences of unchecked hatred and bigotry. We are proud of the progress made by our partners worldwide, but this Index makes it clear: there is still much more work to be done.”
While overall awareness about the Holocaust is high across the majority of the countries surveyed, Holocaust distortion is also high. Overall, a majority of all populations surveyed did not know that 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust. 20% or more respondents in seven out of the eight countries surveyed believe 2 million or fewer Jews were murdered during the Holocaust with Romania falling at 28%, Hungary at 27%, and Poland at 24%. What makes this even more surprising is that nearly 3 million of those murdered during the Holocaust were from Poland. Respondents in Germany fared the best with this question but still a surprising 18% of respondents from Germany believe that 2 million or fewer Jews were killed during the Holocaust.
Greg Schneider, Claims Conference Executive Vice President, said, “With the Holocaust survivor population rapidly declining, we are at a critical and irreversible crossroad. Survivors, our most powerful educators, will not be with us much longer—and this Index is a stark warning that without urgent and sustained action, the history and lessons of the Holocaust risk slipping into obscurity. This is our final chance, our last moment in history, to honor their legacy by ensuring that our commitment to remembering their experiences is unshakable and unwavering.”
Matthew Bronfman, Index Taskforce Lead, said, “As we continue to delve into these surveys and understand better where Holocaust education is working and where it requires attention, it is powerful to see that a majority of all people polled across all countries in this index not only agree that Holocaust education is important, but want to continue teaching the Holocaust in schools. Now our task is clear; we must take this mandate and make it happen.”
KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE:
A majority of adults across almost all countries surveyed believe something like the Holocaust could happen again today. In the U.S., more than three-quarters (76%) of all adults surveyed believe something like the Holocaust could happen again today. This sentiment is echoed in the U.K (69%), France (63%), Austria (62%), Germany (61%), Poland (54%), and Hungary (52%). In Romania, 44% of adults surveyed believe something like the Holocaust could happen again today.
Across countries surveyed, large swaths of the population do not know that 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust, and notable subsets of the populations believe 2 million or fewer Jews were killed. Participants who believe that 2 million or fewer Jews were killed include 28% in Romania, 27% in Hungary, 24% in Poland, 21% in France, the U.S. and Austria, and 20% in the U.K., and 18% in Germany.
One in five French adults say that they had not heard or weren’t sure if they had heard of the Shoah prior to taking the survey.
A notable portion of young adults ages 18-29 had not heard of the Holocaust in France (46%), Romania (15%), Austria (14%) and Germany (12%).
Across countries surveyed, 18–29-year-olds are more likely to believe that the number of Jews killed during the Holocaust has been exaggerated.
When asked to name concentration camps, killing centers (death camps), killing sites, transit camps or ghettos, nearly half (48%) of Americans could not name a single one of the more than 40,000 camps established during World War II. One-quarter of adults in the U.K., France and Romania, and 26% of all respondents, could not name a single camp or ghetto, while in Germany and Hungary it was 18%, in Austria 10%, and in Poland 7%. Auschwitz-Birkenau is the most well-known camp or ghetto.
Across countries, a sizeable share of the population does not believe the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust has been accurately described. Survey participants who disagree that the Holocaust happened and the number of Jews who were killed has been accurately and fairly described are 25% in France and Austria, 24% in Germany, 23% in Poland and Romania, 19% in Hungary, 17% in the U.K., and 16% in the U.S.
Notably, in Romania, of adults ages 18 to 29, 53% agree that the Holocaust happened, but the number of Jews who were killed in the Holocaust has been greatly exaggerated. Comparatively, this number was 22% in Hungary, 33% in France, 14% in Poland, 21% in Austria, 13% in Germany, 15% in the U.S., and 11% in the U.K.
Overall, Americans and Hungarians are most likely to report that Holocaust denial is common in their countries. In Hungary, 45% of all survey participants state that denial is common in their country. This is followed by 44% in the U.S., 38% in France, 34% in Germany, 27% in Austria, 24% in the U.K. and Romania, and 20% in Poland.
Nearly half of adults in the U.S. (49%), Hungary (47%), France (44%) and Germany (44%) report that Holocaust distortion is common in their country. The results in the additional countries surveyed: Austria (34%), Poland (27%), the U.K. (26%), and Romania (25%) feel it is less so.
Across countries, when asked if they had encountered Holocaust denial or distortion while on social media, nearly half (47%) of Polish adults said “yes.” In Austria and Hungary this number was 38%, in Germany 37%, in the U.S. 33%, in Romania 25%, in the U.K. 23%, and in France 20%.
Across all countries, an overwhelming majority of adults surveyed, (9-in-10 or more), believe it is important to continue teaching about the Holocaust. In the U.S. and Poland, this number was 96%, in the U.K. and Germany 94%, in France and Romania 93%, in Hungary 91%, and Austria 90%.
Likewise, there is a strong desire for Holocaust education in schools. The U.S. was the highest with 95% of all adults surveyed, 93% in Poland, 92% in the U.K., 91% in France, 88% in Hungary, 87% in Germany, 84% in Austria, and 78% in Romania.
To access the executive summary and top line data for this index , please visit: www.claimscon.org/country-survey
Survey Taskforce:
The Eight-Country Index of Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness taskforce was led by Claims Conference Board member Matthew Bronfman and comprised historians and subject matter experts from museums, educational institutions, and leading nonprofits in the field of Holocaust education, including Yad Vashem, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Claims Conference.
Taskforce members, including representatives from each of the countries, are as follows:
Task force Chair, Matthew Bronfman, Philippe Allouche, Jochen Boehler, Daniel Botmann, Ana Bǎrbulescu, Richelle Budd Caplan, Robert Ejnes, Shila Erlbaum, Alexandru Florian, Stuart Foster, Abraham Foxman, Jacques Fredj, Christian Fuhrmeister, Deborah Hartmann, Łucja Koch, David Marwell, Michael Feuer, Karen Pollock, Patrick Siegele, Gretchen Skidmore, Andrea Szőnyi, Galith Touati, Piotr Trojański, Felicia Waldman, Mark Weitzman, Robert Williams, Andras Zima
Survey Methodology and Sample:
The Eight-Country Index of Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness was commissioned by the Claims Conference. Data was collected by Global Strategy Group, with a representative sample of 1,000 adults in each country ages 18 and over between November 15, 2023, to November 28, 2023. Countries included: United States, the United Kingdom, France, Austria, Germany, Poland, Hungary, and Romania. The margin of error is +/- 3.1%.
For more information about the Claims Conference, please visit: www.claimscon.org
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