Pew report: 20% of Jews worldwide live outside their country of birth

The Jewish population makes up just 1% of the global migrant population, while Christians constitute 47% of all migrants worldwide. However, a whopping 20% of all Jews worldwide currently reside outside their country of birth, according to a fresh Pew Research report.

The report, based on data from 2020, ranks Jews as the religious ethnic group with the highest migration rates worldwide on a proportional basis. More than 3 million Jews have moved to Israel since the State of Israel was established in 1948.

Not surprisingly, Israel emerged as the top destination for Jewish migrants, followed by the United States and the United Kingdom. The majority of the Jewish immigrants hail from former Soviet republics and Muslim-majority countries. In addition, some 160,000 Jews left Morocco and the majority settled in Israel. However, smaller groups of Moroccan Jews moved to France and other Western nations.

During the period between 1990 to 2000, the Jewish migrant population increased by 28%, from 2.3 million to 3 million people. Almost half of the Jewish immigrants (47%) are from Europe while 26% hail from Middle Eastern and North African countries. In addition, 8% of the Jewish migrants hail from Latin America and an additional 8% are from Asia. Only a small minority of the Jewish migrants came from North America or Sub-Saharan Africa.

While Israel is the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people, the majority of the global Jewish population has lived in the diaspora for over 2,000 years. Throughout history, Jews have migrated from lands of oppression and poverty to places offering freedom and opportunity.

When Israel was reestablished in 1948, only 5% of the world’s Jews resided in Israel, however, today, Israel is home to the world’s largest Jewish population, constituting close to half of world Jewry.

Russia's war against Ukraine has increased the number of Jewish immigrants to Israel and Western countries from both nations. However, following the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack in southern Israel, followed by a dramatic increase in global antisemitism, Israeli authorities are preparing for a large-scale migration of Jews to Israel.

In May, Oded Forer, chairman of the Knesset Committee for Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs, assessed that the surge in antisemitism would result in higher levels of immigration to the Jewish state.

“We are seeing unprecedented waves of antisemitism all over the world, including [cases of] physical endangerment for Diaspora Jews, Israelis living abroad, and we’ve all seen what’s happening on university campuses,” Forer said. “This is jolting Jewish communities and making many realize that with all the hardships."

Israel "is the only place where we can, must and will make sure we can live safely as Jews and Israelis,” he added.