U.S. Jewish Population Declining, Study Reports

The preliminary results of the National Jewish Population Survey (NJPS) were announced last week, characterizing the Jewish population in the United States as older and five percent smaller than in 1990 when the once-a-decade study was last conducted. The survey, sponsored by the United Jewish Communities, is the largest and more comprehensive ever conducted of American Jews. NJPS contacted over 177,000 randomly selected Americans, interviewing over 9000 of them, both Jews and non-Jews.

Among the key findings in the report is that the Jewish population is aging, both due to aging members of the population and the fact that "young Jews are waiting longer to have fewer children," aid Mandell L. Berman, UJC’s Chairman for NJPS. Fifty two percent of Jewish women ages 30-34 have no children, compared to 27 percent of all American women. Researchers found that Jewish women who are approaching the end of the childbearing years have had approximately 1.8 children, while is below the replacement level of 2.1, contributing to the downward trend in the population. The study also found that the American Jewish community is better educated and more diverse than it was a decade ago or when compared to the general American population. Over half of American Jews have earned a bachelor’s degree, compared with 28 percent of non-Jews. Twenty Four percent of Jews have earned a graduate degree.

The 1990 NJPS had an extraordinary cultural impact on the Jewish community. The 1990 findings showed that 52 percent of American Jews marry outside the faith. This statistic transformed the Jewish community’s focus, resulting in the strengthening of programs such as Jewish Day Schools and trips to Israel in an effort to build Jewish identity amongst the younger generations.

One of the most complex issues researchers faced in designing and conducting the study was how to define who is a Jew for purposes of the survey. The study included people who were raised Jewish, who had a Jewish parent (and did not convert to another religion), and people who self-identified as Jewish. Such a definition resulted in an American Jewish population count of 5.2 million people (down from 5.5. million one decade ago). A broader definition including anyone with a Jewish background would increase the figure to approximately 6.9 million, the survey’s authors said.

More detailed information about the study and its findings will be released at the United Jewish Communities General Assembly, to be held November 20-22 in Philidelphia. For more information visit http://www.ujc.org/njps.