A new survey conducted by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany has revealed that a majority of people in seven countries believe a genocide against Jewish people similar to the Holocaust could happen today. The findings also highlight a concerning decline in knowledge about the Holocaust, particularly among younger generations.
The survey polled adults in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Austria, Germany, Poland, Hungary, and Romania and found that between 44% to 76% of respondents in each country believed another Holocaust could occur.
The survey also revealed significant gaps in Holocaust knowledge. Across countries, a large share of people underestimated the number of Jewish victims, with 18% to 28% believing that two million or fewer Jews were killed, far below the historically documented six million.
Alarmingly, younger respondents aged 18-29 were more likely to believe the death toll had been exaggerated. In France, 46% of young adults said they were unfamiliar with the Holocaust, compared to 15% in Romania, 14% in Austria, and 12% in Germany.
When asked to name Nazi concentration camps, nearly half of Americans (48%) could not identify a single one out of the more than 40,000 camps and ghettos established during World War II. A quarter of respondents across all countries also failed to name any camps or ghettos.
Holocaust denial and distortion were identified as significant issues, particularly in the U.S. and Hungary, where respondents reported denial was more prevalent.
Despite the troubling trends, there is broad global consensus on the importance of Holocaust education. More than 90% of respondents in all countries agreed that teaching about the Holocaust is essential to ensure history does not repeat itself.
The results of the survey were released ahead of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on January 27.