The number of living Holocaust survivors has fallen to under 200,000, it has been revealed, as the world prepares to mark 81 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
The figure of 196,000 was released by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) – and shows a decline of around 24,000 since last year’s estimate. A similar decline of 25,000 was seen between 2024 and 2025.
According to the report, half of the survivors live in Israel, but the rest are scattered around the globe in over 90 countries, with 17 per cent living in Western Europe and 16 per cent in the US.
Despite the UK having the fifth largest Jewish population in the world, it is not in the top ten in terms of survivor numbers. Britain already a significant Jewish population pre-Holocaust, and saw far less post-Holocaust Jewish immigration than other countries such as the US.
Ages of survivors, as per the report, range from 79 to over 100, with the average being 87. Around 30 per cent are aged 90 or older – and around one per cent are 100 or older.
Three per cent of survivors are considered to be adult survivors, meaning they were born before 1928, and 62 per cent are women. Out of the six million Jews murdered, the male and female ratio was around 50/50.
The report also states that tens of thousands of survivors rely on financial assistance for basic necessities such as food. They are helped by the Claims Conference, which provides monthly pensions to around 34 per cent.
The report comes as preparations are in place for Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27, including educational and commercial events at schools across the country.
However, the number of schools marking Holocaust Memorial Day has more than halved since 2023, figures show.
While more than 2,000 secondary schools across the UK held events to acknowledge the occasion in 2023, that figure plunged to fewer than 1,200 the following year before tumbling again to just 854 schools in 2025, according to data from the Holocaust Memorial Trust.
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