Holocaust: Countries With the Highest Percentage of Jewish Deaths

Different countries in Europe suffered huge losses of Jews during the Holocaust. It should be noted that different results emerged across these countries. Some of these subject nations did not bend the knee. Most Norwegian Jews had advanced warning of the raids, which provided them with an opportunity to escape to neutral Sweden. There are 42 Norwegians awarded by Yad Vashem, the official memorial place for the most outstanding Holocaust victims called “righteous among the nations.”

During this period, the Danish populace discovered the plans the Nazis had for the extermination of their country of Italy. Its authorities in Italy, and also countries in which it had become an occupier, refused for a long time to start the process of deportation of Jews. Three European nations, Albania, Bulgaria, and Finn, that contained Jewish populations which either were in occupation or friendly with the Nazis, did not lose any one of their Jewish citizens during the Holocaust.

Lithuania (Rank: 1)

Share of the Jewish population who died in the Holocaust: 85.0% (130,000)
Pre-war Jewish population: 153,000
Total pre-war population: 2.4 million

Lithuania, despite a smaller Jewish population, experienced collaboration and mass murders. Local collaboration contributed to an 85% share of Jewish deaths, the highest percentage during the Holocaust.

Poland (Rank: 2)

Share of the Jewish population who died in the Holocaust: 82.7%-89.6% (2,770,000-3,000,000)
Pre-war Jewish population: 3,350,000
Total pre-war population: 35.1 million

Home to concentration camps like Auschwitz, Poland witnessed extensive killings. The share of Jewish deaths ranged from 82.7% to 89.6%, with approximately 3 million perishing.

Greece (Rank: 3)

Share of the Jewish population who died in the Holocaust: 82.2%-90.1% (58,800-65,000)
Pre-war Jewish population: 71,611
Total pre-war population: 7.1 million

Occupied by Axis forces, Greece faced severe losses, especially in Thessaloniki. Italian protection in some zones contrasted with German-orchestrated extermination, resulting in a share of Jewish deaths between 82.2% and 90.1%.

Yugoslavia (Rank: 4)

Share of the Jewish population who died in the Holocaust: 81.8% (67,228)
Pre-war Jewish population: 82,242
Total pre-war population: 16.1 million

Partitioned and occupied by various Axis powers, Yugoslavia saw brutal actions against Jews. The share of Jewish deaths was exceptionally high at 81.8%.

Latvia (Rank: 5)

Share of the Jewish population who died in the Holocaust: 74.9% (70,000)
Pre-war Jewish population: 93,479
Total pre-war population: 1.9 million

Occupied by Nazis, Latvia witnessed mass killings aided by local auxiliaries. The share of Jewish deaths reached 74.9%.

Czechoslovakia (Rank: 6)

Share of the Jewish population who died in the Holocaust: 73.5% (260,000)
Pre-war Jewish population: 354,000
Total pre-war population: 10.5 million

Under Nazi control, Czechoslovakia enforced discriminatory laws. The Theresienstadt Ghetto served as a transit camp, and approximately 73.5% of Czechoslovakia’s Jews died.

Netherlands (Rank: 7)

Share of the Jewish population who died in the Holocaust: 72.8% (102,000)
Pre-war Jewish population: 140,245
Total pre-war population: 8.7 million

Overrun by Nazis, the Netherlands faced resistance but also systematic deportations. Despite hiding efforts, nearly 73% of Dutch Jews perished.

Germany (Rank: 8)

Share of the Jewish population who died in the Holocaust: 69.5% (165,200)
Pre-war Jewish population: 237,723
Total pre-war population: 68.6 million

Experiencing early emigration and persecution, Germany deported Jews in 1941. The Wannsee Conference formalized the “Final Solution,” resulting in a share of Jewish deaths at 69.5%.

Hungary (Rank: 9)

Share of the Jewish population who died in the Holocaust: 68.5% (564,507)
Pre-war Jewish population: 825,007
Total pre-war population: 9.2 million

Initially deporting non-Hungarian Jews, Hungary later succumbed to German pressure. In 1944, mass deportations, aided by Hungarian authorities, led to a high share of Jewish deaths at 68.5%.

Soviet Union (Rank: 10)

Share of the Jewish population who died in the Holocaust: 44.3% (1,340,000)
Pre-war Jewish population: 3,028,538
Total pre-war population: 167 million

Apart from military objectives, the Nazis launched a racial offensive against the Soviet Union, resulting in mass shootings by Einsatzgruppen. The share of Jewish deaths stood at 44.3%.

Norway (Rank: 11)

Share of the Jewish population who died in the Holocaust: 42.2% (758)
Pre-war Jewish population: 1,800
Total pre-war population: 2.9 million

Despite some collaboration, Norway’s resistance and advance warnings allowed around 1,000 Jews to escape deportation. The share of Jewish deaths reached 42.2%.

Austria (Rank: 12)

Share of the Jewish population who died in the Holocaust: 35.4% (65,459)
Pre-war Jewish population: 185,026
Total pre-war population: 6.8 million
Germany annexed Austria in 1938, which led to the death of Austrian Jews. A share of the total Jewish deaths was 35.4%.

Luxembourg (Rank: 13)

Share of the Jewish population who died in the Holocaust: 34.3% (1,200)
Pre-war Jewish population: 3,500-5,000
Total pre-war population: 300,000

Despite having fewer people, Luxembourg managed to lose more than 1/3 of its Jewish population (34.3%). Before the start of deportations, many Jews fled, but those remaining in the ghetto were subjected to persecution.

Romania (Rank: 14)

Share of the Jewish population who died in the Holocaust: 28%-34.4% (211,214–260,000)
Pre-war Jewish population: 756,930
Total pre-war population: 15.6 million

Fascist Romania passed anti-semitic laws, collaborated for the Nazi genocide, and set up concentration camps. This comprised between 28 and 34.4% of Jewish deaths.

Belgium (Rank: 15)

Share of the Jewish population who died in the Holocaust: 27.10% (24,387)
Pre-war Jewish population: 90,000
Total pre-war population: 8.4 million

Belgium is a place that has long been well-known for its tolerance. Nevertheless, Jews were also deported to concentration camps, and their proportion in total deaths constituted around 27.2%.

France (Rank: 16)

Share of the Jewish population who died in the Holocaust: 24.3%-22.4% (72,900-74,000)
Pre-war Jewish population: 300,000-330,000
Total pre-war population: 42 million

Even France, which had been occupied by Germany, had anti-Semitic measures taken in each of these zones. The Vichy first deported refugees and then started to deport the Jews. Among these, Jewish deaths varied between 22.4% and 24.3%.

Estonia (Rank: 17)

Share of the Jewish population who died in the Holocaust: 21.4% (963)
Pre-war Jewish population: 4,500
Total pre-war population: 1.1 million

Locals cooperated effectively with Nazis, and as a result, Estonia was declared free of Jews. This equated to a figure of 21.4 percent among the Jews killed.

Italy (Rank: 18)

Share of the Jewish population who died in the Holocaust: 13.5% (7,858)
Pre-war Jewish population: 58,412
Total pre-war population: 43.4 million

Initially, Italy was a friend of Nazi Germany; however, it was reluctant to ship the Jews into Germany’s death camps. In 1943, when the intentions of the Italian fascist government turned against the Jews, some Italians went out of their way to help them, and this is why they comprised only 13.5% of those who died during this war.

Denmark (Rank: 19)

Share of the Jewish population who died in the Holocaust: 0.69%-1.55% (52-116)
Pre-war Jewish population: 7,500
Total pre-war population: 3.8 million

The Nazis’ plan of deporting 7,500 Danish Jews was unsuccessful. Most of them managed to escape to neutral Sweden with help from citizens upon hearing about the upcoming departures, and therefore, the percentage of Jewish deaths was 0.69% – 1.55%.

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