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NJPS: Jewish Households

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There are 2.9 million Jewish households, defined as a household with at least one Jewish adult, with a total of 6.7 million people residing in them. Of all people in Jewish households, 76% are Jews and 24% are not Jews. The average number of Jews per Jewish household is 1.8, and the average number of people in Jewish households is 2.3. In 1990, there were 2.7 million Jewish households, containing on average 2.0 Jews and 2.4 people overall.

Table 1.  Jewish population and household estimates.

 

 

2000-01

1990

Total Jewish population

5.2 million

5.5 million

Total Jewish households

2.9 million

2.7 million

Jews per Jewish household

1.8

2.0

People per Jewish household

2.3

2.4

Total people in Jewish households

6.7 million

6.6 million

Among all Jewish households, 30% are comprised of a single adult living alone, 37% consist of two adults living with no children, and 7% are comprised of more than two adults with no children. Children (defined as age 17 or younger) reside in 26% of all Jewish households, in most cases with two adults. Approximately 3% of all Jewish households are composed of a single adult with one or more children.

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