Report projects fewer than 100,000 living Holocaust survivors by 2032

Time is running out for the world to engage with Holocaust survivors during their lifetimes, stressed a report published Tuesday by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, which is known as the Claims Conference.

Of an estimated 211,300 Holocaust survivors alive in the world today, almost half will no longer be with us in seven years, according to the report released ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Day, which will be marked in Israel on Wednesday evening and Thursday.

The projection shows that by 2032, there will be fewer than 100,000 living survivors remaining in the world.

Dwindling numbers of living eyewitnesses to the Nazi murder of six million Jews during World War II means it will be more difficult to transmit the lessons of the Holocaust to the next generation, Holocaust educators say.

“Now is the time to hear first-hand testimonies from survivors. Invite them to speak in our classrooms, places of worship and institutions,” said Claims Conference president Gideon Taylor. “It is critical, not only for our youth but for people of all generations, to hear and learn directly from Holocaust survivors. This report is a stark reminder that our time is almost up.”

According to the Claims Conference, which works to negotiate compensation and restitution for Holocaust survivors, the median age of living survivors is 87 years, and more than 1,400 of them are over 100 years old. The majority — 61 percent — are female.

Some 70% of Holocaust survivors will no longer be living in 10 years, and by 2040, only about 21,000 will remain in the world, the report said.

Holocaust survivor Eva Erban holds a family photo of her descendants while posing at her home in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, on December 5, 2024. (MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP)

The report noted that mortality rates for Holocaust survivors vary greatly across the world, causing some areas to lose their survivors at faster rates than others. In Israel, home to the largest population of survivors (110,100 as of late 2024), the number of living survivors is projected to fall by 43% in the next five years.

In the US, where there are some 34,600 living survivors, 39% will pass away within five years, while in the former Soviet Union, where 25,500 survivors currently reside, an estimated 53% will no longer be living in 2030, the report said.

The advancing ages of the living survivors mean that many require expanded long-term care, funding and specialized services. During 2025, the Claims Conference will distribute approximately $530 million in compensation and $960 million toward survivor welfare needs like home care, food and medicine, it said.

Despite this, many are struggling to get by financially, with approximately 25% of Holocaust survivors in Israel living below the poverty line, according to the National Insurance Institute.

A survey of 400 Israeli Holocaust survivors published last year by the Foundation for the Welfare of Holocaust Survivors found that more than half reported financial difficulties, and that more than a third required financial assistance to buy all the groceries they needed. About a fifth of respondents said they could not afford some medical tests, or had to make do without medical instruments such as mobility scooters and walkers.

“These are our final years to honor them, make sure they are living in dignity, care for them and provide for their needs,” said Greg Schneider, executive vice president of the Claims Conference. “The work we do negotiating with the governments of Europe on behalf of survivors is critical to their existence — nothing could be more important, more urgent, as we see what little time we have left to ensure their wellbeing.”