Public research
Jewish American identity and religious practice: key statistics
A sourced reference for readers, performers, and Jewish communities seeking a clearer picture of Jewish identity, affiliation, and practice in the United States.
Last updated October 1, 2026. Figures below are drawn from the latest named source for each statistic.
Reading the data
There is no single way to be Jewish.
These figures are a starting point for conversation, not a map of every Jewish life. They show a community shaped by religious practice, family history, culture, study, art, ethics, and forms of belonging that do not fit neatly into one category.
The page centers nationally representative Pew Research Center data collected from November 2019 through June 2020. Individual statistics keep their source beside them so they can be checked, quoted, and used with their original context.
Statistic 01
Estimated Jewish population in the United States
Pew Research Center estimates that 7.5 million people of all ages in the United States were Jewish in 2020 under its broad definition, which includes people who identify with Judaism as a religion as well as some who identify as Jewish through culture, ethnicity, or family background.
Source: Pew Research Center, Global Religious Change, 2025 ↗Statistic 02
Say being Jewish is important to them
Three-quarters of Jewish American adults said being Jewish is either very important or somewhat important to them. The finding makes room for the many ways identity can be held, including religion, family, culture, memory, and practice.
Source: Pew Research Center, Jewish Americans in 2020, 2021 ↗Statistic 03
Identify as Jewish, but not by religion
Just over one-quarter of U.S. Jewish adults describe themselves as Jewish ethnically, culturally, or through family background while identifying religiously as atheist, agnostic, or nothing in particular. Among Jewish adults under 30, the share is 40%.
Source: Pew Research Center, Jewish Americans in 2020, 2021 ↗Statistic 04
Identify as Reform Jewish
Reform is the largest named branch in Pew’s 2020 survey. Another 17% identify as Conservative, 9% as Orthodox, 4% with smaller or multiple branches, and 32% with no particular Jewish denomination.
Source: Pew Research Center, Jewish identity and belief in the U.S., 2021 ↗Statistic 05
Attend religious services weekly or more often
Pew found that 12% of Jewish American adults attend religious services weekly or more often. The same study found that 21% say religion is very important in their lives, a reminder that belonging and practice do not move in a single pattern.
Source: Pew Research Center, Jewish Americans in 2020, 2021 ↗Statistic 06
Of Jewish adults under 30 report no denomination
Among Jewish adults ages 18 to 29, 41% say they do not identify with a particular Jewish branch or denomination, compared with 22% of those 65 and older. The survey also found that 17% of Jewish adults under 30 identify as Orthodox, compared with 3% of those 65 and older.
Source: Pew Research Center, Jewish Americans in 2020, 2021 ↗Methodology and sources
How to use this page.
The main source is Pew Research Center’s Jewish Americans in 2020, a national address-based survey of 4,718 Jewish adults fielded from November 19, 2019 to June 3, 2020. Its reported margin of sampling error for the Jewish respondents is plus or minus 3.0 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
Population estimates use Pew’s 2025 global religious-change report, which describes the 2020 U.S. estimate and its broad definition. Read the original reports before comparing these figures with studies that use a different definition of Jewish identity or a different survey method.
Cite this page
Sherman, Laurie S. “Jewish American Identity and Religious Practice: Key Statistics.” Laurie S. Sherman, updated October 1, 2026. Cite a specific statistic by linking to its heading.
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