What was the percentage of Jews in the concentration camps?

Answer 1

Answer

About 8%

Jewish Holocaust Survivors

For some reason, a wide range of different figures appear online, which isn't helpful.

It looks to me as if different definitions of "Survivor" are being used. The word needs defining carefully, otherwise one ends up talking about quite different groups of people. The usual meaning of the expression "a Holocaust survivor" is someone who was sent to a death camp (or equivalent), but was still alive at the end of WWII in Europe or when the camp was liberated. (In other words, Jews and others who had managed to flee to countries like the U.S., Britain, Sweden and the Soviet Union should NOT be included).

The highest figure I've found anywhere is 600,000 and the lowest figure 150,000. This may sound like a huge discrepancy, but of the total number of inmates found alive in Belsen when it was liberated on 15 April 1945, about one quarter died within four weeks. I don't think these unfortunate people should be numbered among the survivors, but others may have different views on this very difficult issue.

Assuming that about 5.7 million Jews were killed (a fairly common figure) and that 0.5 million survived, the percentage of survivors would be:

• 5.7 million + 0.5 million = 6.2 million. 0.5/6.2 x 100 = about 8%.

In the meantime ...

I have discovered that in Israel somewhat broader defintions of "Holocaust survivor" are in use.

The answer on the strict criteria that the question itself asks for is almost certainly closer to 150,000/5,700,000 = 2.63%.

Answer 2

Not many. 5,860,000 Jews died. While the famed Anne Frank did die at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, Eva Geringer survived the camp and Helmuth Silverberg survived in hiding. These were two of Anne's friends.

Just some trivia :)

Answer 3

In the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp from March 1942 to March 1943, of 162,000 inmates, 60 percent were Jews.

Answer 4

In addition to the many Jews who were in the Nazi concentration camps, there were also many millions of non-Jews: Mainly Poles and Catholics.

Answer 5

about 200,000

Answer 6

One percent or less from some countries.

Answer 7

1