Half of world’s population is antisemitic, doubt the Holocaust – poll

Nearly half of all adults worldwide harbor antisemitic beliefs, according to a new survey released by the ADL, while less than half accept the veracity of the Holocaust as a historical fact.

By World Israel News Staff

Roughly one-half of the world’s population harbors antisemitic beliefs, according to a new poll conducted on behalf of the Anti-Defamation League.

The poll was conducted as part of the ADL Global 100 Index, through a combination of telephone, face-to-face, and online surveys. The ADL has maintained the index since 2014.

The data was collected from July 23rd, 2024 through November 13th, 2024, and surveyed between 500 to 1,000 respondents per country or territory.

A total of 58,000 adults across 103 countries and territories were surveyed for the study, spanning roughly half of the world’s countries where 94% of the total world population lives.

This year’s ADL Global 100 Index found that among all surveyed adults worldwide, less than half (48%) said they recognized the historical accuracy of the Holocaust. A fifth said they had never heard of the Holocaust.

Nearly half (46%) of the global adult population holds antisemitic beliefs, the poll found, the highest level ever reported on an ADL Global 100 Index survey.

Respondents were considered to hold antisemitic beliefs if they believed 6 or more of 11 core antisemitic stereotypes to be “definitely true” or “probably true.”

In the Middle East and North Africa, 76% of respondents believed a majority of antisemitic tropes, compared to 51% of respondents in Asia, 49% of Eastern Europeans, 45% of Sub-Saharan Africans, 24% of residents of North and South America combined, 20% of residents of Oceania, and 17% of Western Europeans.

The highest rate of antisemitism was reported in the Gaza Strip and Kuwait, which tied with 97% of residents in both saying they believed a majority of antisemitic tropes to be true.

Indonesia came in a close third with 96%.

The countries with the fewest number of respondents harboring antisemitic believes were Sweden, 5%, Norway, 8%, Canada, 8%, and the Netherlands, also with 85.

“Antisemitic tropes and beliefs are becoming alarmingly normalized across societies worldwide,” said Marina Rosenberg, ADL Senior Vice President for International Affairs.

“This dangerous trend is not just a threat to Jewish communities—it’s a warning to us all. Even in countries with the lowest levels of antisemitic attitudes globally, we’ve seen many antisemitic incidents perpetrated by an emboldened small, vocal and violent minority. This is a wake-up call for collective action, and we are committed to continuing our work with our partners around the world to confront and mitigate this deeply ingrained antisemitism.”

ADLAnti-Defamation LeagueAntisemitism