A survey commissioned by the Claims Conference finds that around half of Irish adults are unaware that six million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, while nearly one in 12 people aged 18–29 believe it is a myth.
Conducted online by Global Strategy, the survey questioned 1,000 Irish residents aged 18 and older.
The sample was weighted to reflect Ireland’s most recent census age profile and carries a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points.
Among respondents aged 18–29, more than a quarter underestimated the number of Jewish victims, believing fewer than two million were killed, and nearly half reported encountering Holocaust denial or distortion on social media. Overall, 12% of all respondents said they had never heard of the Holocaust or were unsure whether they had, rising to 15% among young adults.
Founded in 1951 to negotiate compensation from Germany on behalf of Jewish Holocaust survivors, the Claims Conference said the Irish findings mirror troubling trends observed in previous surveys in the United States and across Europe, which revealed widespread ignorance about the Holocaust alongside concern that a genocide on a similar scale could occur again.
Despite these gaps in knowledge, the survey found strong support for Holocaust education. Some 92% of adults said it is important to teach about the Holocaust, including as a way to prevent future atrocities, and 88% said the subject should be included in schools.
“The levels of ignorance are deeply concerning, but the support for Holocaust education is encouraging,” said Claims Conference President Gideon Taylor. He added that he hopes the findings will spur educators to strengthen Holocaust education using new technologies and modern communication tools.
“We are at a turning point,” Taylor said. “Soon we will be living in a world without Holocaust survivors, without the voice of a survivor.”
