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What Country Speaks Yiddish 2024
- Precise counts of Yiddish speakers are logistically challenging to obtain. Counts shown are official estimates, but Yiddish may be spoken at a local or personal level in many countries not included in the official data.
- Yiddish is a fusion language with Germanic, Hebraic, and Slavic elements and hundreds of thousands of speakers worldwide. It is the primary language of Ashkenazic Jews.
- Before World War II, it was estimated that 11-13 million people spoke Yiddish. However, roughly 5 million of those individuals were killed during the Holocaust, and millions more adopted different primary languages (often the more proper Hebrew) over the course of the following generations. In 2024, however, use of Yiddish appears to be increasing.
Country | # of Speakers | Additional Details | Continent |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 360,000 | North America | |
| Israel | 188,000 | Asia | |
| Ukraine | 169,000 | Europe | |
| Canada | 41,000 | North America | |
| Belarus | 14,000 | Europe | |
| Lithuania | 2,300 | Europe | |
| Latvia | 1,900 | Europe | |
| Estonia | 1,900 | Europe | |
| Russia | 1,700 | Recognized minority language | AsiaEurope |
| Moldova | 1,600 | Recognized minority language | Europe |
| Romania | 600 | Recognized minority language | Europe |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 281 | Recognized minority language | Europe |
| Poland | Recognized minority language | Europe | |
| Netherlands | Recognized minority language | Europe | |
| Sweden | Recognized minority language | Europe | |
| Total | 782,281 |