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What Americans Know About the Holocaust

(2018 - 2023)

Note: We are presenting raw data. When available, we provide some or all of the crosstabs (i.e., breakdowns by various categories such as party ID). To analyze the data, we encourage users to read the entire study and the methodology used. Results and reliability can be affected by such things as sample size, question wording, and question order. Responses may also be influenced by context and timing; for example, if the survey is conducted during a war.


Do you think it is or is not anti-Semitic to deny that the Holocaust happened? (The Economist/YouGov, N-1500, December 2-5, 2023)

Anti-Semitic
33%
Not anti-Semitic
30%
Not sure
37%

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: The Holocaust is a myth. (The Economist/YouGov, N-1500, December 2-5, 2023)

Agree
7%
Disagree
77%
Neither agree nor disagree
16%

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: The Holocaust has been exaggerated. (The Economist/YouGov, N-1500, December 2-5, 2023)

Agree
9%
Disagree
74%
Neither agree nor disagree
18%

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: Israel exploits Holocaust victimhood for its own purposes. (The Economist/YouGov, N-1500, December 2-5, 2023)

Agree
20%
Disagree
42%
Neither agree nor disagree
38%

How much do you know about the Holocaust? (American Jewish Committee, Jews September 9-October 4, general public September 15-20, 2020)

 
Jews
General Public
A lot
35%
37%
Some
15%
38%
Not much
0%
14%
Not at all
0%
10%

As far as you know, what does “the Holocaust” refer to? (Pew Research, N-10,971, February 4-19, 2019)

Annihilation of Jews
66%
Death, general
6%
Persecution of Jews
4%
Jews/Jewish
4%
Hitler
1%
Concentration camps
1%
World War II
1%
Nazis/Nazism
1%
Persecution, general
<1%
Other
3%
Don't know
3%
No answer
10%

When did the Holocaust happen? Between… (Pew Research, N-10,971, February 4-19, 2019)

1930 and 1950 (Correct)
69%
1890 and 1910
2%
1910 and 1930
10%
1950 and 1970
1%
Not sure
17%
No answer
1%

In total, about how many Jews were killed in the Holocaust? (Pew Research, N-10,971, February 4-19, 2019)

Approximately 6 million (Correct)
45%
Less than 1 million
2%
Approximately 3 million
12%
More than 12 million
12%
Not sure
28%
No answer
1%

What were Nazi-created ghettos? (Pew Research, N-10,971, February 4-19, 2019)

Parts of a city or a town where Jews were forced to live (Correct)
63%
Places where Jews were killed in gas chambers
7%
Factories where Nazis forced their political opponents to work
2%
Housing developments for poor Nazis
2%
Not sure
27%
No answer
1%

Which of the following statements best describes how Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany? (Pew Research, N-10,971, February 4-19, 2019)

By a democratic political process (Correct)
43%
By violently overthrowing the German government
25%
By hereditary succession
2%
By agreements with neighboring countries
2%
Not sure
27%
No answer
1%

Have you ever visited a Holocaust memorial or museum? (Pew Research, N-10,971, February 4-19, 2019)

Yes
27%
No
73%
No answer
1%

Have you ever seen or heard the word Holocaust before? (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)

 
Adults
Millenials
Gen Z+Millenials
Yes, , I have definitely heard about the Holocaust
89%
78%
78%
Yes, I think I’ve heard about the Holocaust
7%
13%
10%
No, I don’t think I have heard about the Holocaust
3%
8%
7%
No, I definitely have not heard about the Holocaust
1%
9%
5%

In your own words, what does the term Holocaust refer to? (Claims Conference , March 2018)

 
Adults
Millenials
Extermination of the Jews/s/Jewish people
62%
51%
Genocide generally
18%
14%
World War II
4%
8%
The Nazis
3%
6%
Adolf Hitler
3%
3%
Other
14%
19%
Not Sure
3%
7%

Who or what do you think caused the Holocaust? [OPEN ENDED]? (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)

 
Adults
Millenials
Gen Z+Millenials
Adolf Hitler
83%
76%
72%
The Nazis
67%
63%
62%
Germany
36%
33%
36%
Jews
10%
15%
11%
World War I
6%
9%
13%
The Great Depression
4%
8%
7%
The United States
4%
12%
6%
Franklin Delano Roosevelt / FDR
2%
3%
1%
Israel
1%
2%
3%
Palestine
1%
1%
2%
Other
1%
--
2%
Not Sure
4%
6%
4%

Who were victims during the Holocaust? (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)

 
Adults
Millenials
Gen Z+Millenials
The Jewish People
94%
92%
86%
Homosexuals
33%
27%
34%
The disabled / People with disabilities
32%
27%
32%
Roma-Sinti (Gypsies)
22%
18%
25%
Non-Jewish Poles
17%
13%
15%
Resistance workers
16%
13%
17%
Jehovah’s Witnesses
14%
16%
16%
Communists
10%
5%
11%
Rescuers
9%
12%
11%
Other
1%
--
6%
Not Sure
3%
3%
6%

In which of the below country or countries did the Holocaust take place? (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)

 
Adults
Millenials
Gen Z+Millenials
Germany
84%
72%
70%
Poland
37%
27%
31%
Austria
27%
30%
26%
Europe
24%
27%
26%
France
19%
16%
12%
Hungary
17%
14%
12%
The Netherlands (Holland)
15%
19%
7%
Belgium
14%
14%
11%
Former Yugoslavia
10%
5%
12%
Denmark
9%
8%
7%
Former Soviet Union
8%
6%
9%
Ukraine
8%
8%
7%
Italy    
7%
Romania    
6%
Latvia
6%
9%
3%
Estonia
5%
2%
2%
Lithuania
5%
2%
5%
Australia
1%
1%
1%
The United States
1%
--
5%
North Africa
--
1%
3%
Greece    
3%
China
--
--
2%
All of the Above
2%
2%
3%
Not Sure
4%
6%
9%

During the Holocaust, Jews and many others were sent to concentration camps, death camps, and ghettos. Can you name any concentration camps, death camps, or ghettos you have heard of? [OPEN ENDED AND MULTIPLE RESPONSES
ALLOWED] (Claims Conference, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)

 
Gen Z+Millenials
Auschwitz
44%
Dachau
6%
Bergen-Belsen
3%
Belzec
2%
Chelmno
1%
Treblinka
1%
Buchenwald
1%
Warsaw ghetto
1%
Other incorrect response
12%
Not Sure / None
36%

Have you seen Holocaust denial or distortion on social media or elsewhere online? (Claims Conference, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)

 
Gen Z+Millenials
Yes
49%
No
42%
No answer
9%

At what level of school did you learn about the Holocaust? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY (Claims Conference, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)

 
Gen Z+Millenials
Middle school/Junior high school
54%
High school
35%
Elementary school
26%
All of the above
7%
Did not learn about the Holocaust in school
4%
Not Sure
7%

In your opinion, what are the biggest benefits of teaching the Holocaust in school? [MULTIPLE CHOICES ALLOWED] (Claims Conference, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)

 
Gen Z+Millenials
The Holocaust is a historically significant event
60%
To learn from past mistakes and prevent genocide and mass atrocity today
52%
To prevent something like the Holocaust from happening again
41%
Teaches about racism, intolerance, and indifference
37%
To study the past and consider our roles as citizens today
15%
Learning about the Holocaust is the right thing to do
10%
Other
1%
None
7%

From what you know or have heard, what was Auschwitz? [OPEN ENDED] (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)

 
Adults
Millenials
Gen Z+Millenials
Concentration camp
40%
22%
47%
Death/extermination camp
23%
11%
17%
Forced labor camp
1%
2%
1%
Other
21%
31%
17%
Not Sure
20%
35%
26%

. Have you personally or has anyone you know visited a Holocaust museum in the United States? (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)

 
Adults
Millenials
Gen Z+Millenials
I have not visited a Holocaust museum and do not know anyone who has visited one
40%
45%
34%
I have personally visited a Holocaust museum in the United States
20%
33%
28%
I have not visited, but someone I know has visited
25%
21%
26%
Not Sure
15%
1%
12%

People still talk too much about what happened during the Holocaust. (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)

 
Adults
Millenials
Gen Z+Millenials
Total Agree
18%
41%
20%
Total Disagree
53%
39%
55%

Something like the Holocaust could happen again today. (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)

 
Adults
Millenials
Gen Z+Millenials
Total Agree
58%
47%
59%
Total Disagree
20%
22%
17%

Holocaust education should be compulsory in school. (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)

 
Adults
Millenials
Gen Z+Millenials
Total Agree
88%
88%
64%
Total Disagree
2%
4%
7%

Okay, and have you ever heard of “The Final Solution” before? (Claims Conference , March 2018)

 
Adults
Millenials
Yes, I have definitely heard of the Final Solution
34%
23%
Yes, I think I’ve heard of the Final Solution
7%
11|%
I have heard of it generally but not sure what it means
14%
31%
No, I don’t think I have heard of it before
21%
14%
No, I definitely have not heard of it before
14%
8%
I’m not sure if I’ve heard of it or not
10%
13%

[IF YES] And in your own words, what was “the Final Solution” before? (Claims Conference , March 2018)

 
Adults
Millenials
Genocide
36%
52%
The Holocaust
32%
27%
The Nazi plan to murder Jews
26%
--
Mathematics
4%
--
None
2%
--
Other
6%
48%
Not sure
10%
--

With which of the wars listed below is the Holocaust closely associated with? (Claims Conference , March 2018)

 
Adults
Millenials
World War I
17%
19%
The Vietnam War
1%
2%
The Civil War
1%
1%
World War II
67%
55%
Not sure
14%
23%

[IF Q9=WW II] And from what you know or have heard, which came first, World War II or the Holocaust? (Claims Conference , March 2018)

 
Adults
Millenials
The Holocaust happened first, then World War II
21%
25%
World War II happened first, then the Holocaust
24%
36%
They happened simultaneously
45%
28%
Not sure
10%
11%

Approximately how many Jews were killed during the Holocaust? (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)

 
Adults
Millenials
Gen Z+Millenials
20 million
6%
9%
10%
6 million
49%
36%
37%
2 million
7%
2%
15%
1 million
11%
11%
10%
100,000
10%
26%
6%
25,000
3%
2%
5%
Other
1%
--
--
Not sure
13%
14%
17%

During the Holocaust, Jews and many others were sent to concentration camps death camps, and ghettos. Can you name any concentration camps, death camps, or ghettos you have heard of? [OPEN ENDED]? (Claims Conference , March 2018)

 
Adults
Millenials
Could name camp/ghetto (Auschwitz, Treblinka, Warsaw ghetto, Dachau, Bergen-Belsen, Sobibór, Chelmno, Belzec)
55%
51%
Other incorrect response
10%
7%
None/Never heard
12%
14%
Don’t know/Can’t remember
23%
28%

[Of the 91% who knew Hitler was the leader of Germany] From what you know, how did Hitler come to power? (Claims Conference , March 2018)

 
Adults
Millenials
Hitler was democratically elected
39%
29%
Hitler took power by force
52%
68%
Not sure
9%
3%

Thinking about the Nazis, did the Nazis persecute just the Jewish people or were other groups persecuted as well? (Claims Conference , March 2018)

 
Adults
Millenials
Only Jews were persecuted by the Nazis
34%
49%
Other groups were persecuted as well
60%
44%
Not sure
6%
7%

Left off at q 29 did some after

ADD TO ANTISEMITISM POLL?

Have you personally seen Nazi symbols in your community or on the social media platforms you visit or have used in the past 5 years?

Some common examples of Nazi symbols include: flags with swastikas, pictures idealizing Hitler, flyers with pro-Nazi messages, pictures glorifying Nazi soldiers, “Heil Hitler” symbols such as Nazi-imagery or tattoos with “88” a numerical code for “Heil Hitler.” (Claims Conference, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)

 
Gen Z+Millenials
Yes—in my community
13%
Yes—on social media
30%
Yes—both in my community and on social media
13%
No
36%
Not sure
8%

Okay, and in your opinion, is there antisemitism in the United States today? (Claims Conference, March 2018, March 2020 Gen Z+Millenials Ages 18-39)

 
Adults
Millenials
Gen Z+Millenials
Yes, there is antisemitism in the United States today
68%
63%
64%
No, there is not antisemitism in the United States today
4%
5%
12%
Not sure
28%
32%
24%