With the aim of exploring public knowledge and opinions concerning the Jewish community and instances of antisemitism—particularly in light of the deterioration of the situation in Gaza since October 2023—Eurispes conducted a survey in 2025 among a representative sample of the Italian population.
Regarding the number of Jewish residents in Italy, respondents were divided across different estimates: the most common response (41.8%) was approximately 30,000 Jews—close to the actual figure. However, 23.2% believed the figure to be around 500,000; 18.4% estimated fewer than 5,000; and 16.5% believed there are around 2 million. Thus, only four in ten Italians possess a reasonably accurate understanding of the actual size of the country’s Jewish population. It is noteworthy that a significant portion of Italians provide estimates that deviate considerably from reality, suggesting a general lack of familiarity with the Jewish community. In some cases, a substantial overestimation of a population may also reflect an underlying attitude of distrust, fear, or hostility.
A notable 37.9% of Italians agreed with the stereotype that “Jews only care about accumulating wealth”, although the majority (62.1%) disagreed. Furthermore, 58.2% consider Jews to be a closed community. On a more positive note, 61.7% believe Jews are generally educated and cultured. Older respondents were more likely than average to agree with the negative stereotypes—43.7% said Jews care only about money and 63.7% described them as a closed community. Among younger respondents, particularly those aged 18–24, the percentage who see Jews as educated and cultured was lower than average (54.1%). This same age group was also the most likely to state that Jews in Palestine appropriated land from others (50.8%), whereas this view was less common among older cohorts.
When asked whether Jews in Palestine have taken land from others, Italians were divided: a majority (55.8%) disagreed with the statement, while 44.2% agreed. When presented with the idea that the actions of the Israeli government should not influence attitudes towards Jews, 64.6% agreed, though a significant 35.4% disagreed. These responses indicate the persistence of a prejudiced segment within the population, which may incubate antisemitic sentiments. Politically, approximately half of centre-left respondents agreed with the notion of territorial appropriation by Jews in Palestine, a sentiment shared by slightly fewer in other political camps, with the exception of the right (35.4%) and centre-right (38.4%), where agreement was lower.
Six in ten Italians (60.4%) correctly answered that six million Jews were killed during the Holocaust under Nazi-Fascist regimes. However, 25.5% believed the figure was two million; others said 800,000 (7.4%), 40,000 (4.9%), or even around 1,000 (1.8%). This indicates that four in ten Italians have a markedly inaccurate understanding of the scale of the genocide of Jews during the Second World War. Awareness of the correct figure does not vary significantly by age group, though the highest accuracy rate was among those aged 25–34 (65.3%), possibly due to a stronger recollection of their school-based historical education.
Antisemitic incidents—whether in Italy, elsewhere in Europe, or in the United States—are unfortunately not uncommon, and tend to increase during periods of intensified Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Italian citizens were asked for their views on recent antisemitic events, including those within Italy. The most common opinion (54%) is that such incidents are isolated and do not indicate a broader antisemitism problem in the country. However, a significant 46% believe otherwise. A majority (53.6%) agree that these incidents stem from a widespread language of hate and racism. Meanwhile, 38.9% of respondents view antisemitic acts as a sign of a dangerous resurgence of antisemitism in Italy. Only a minority (27.6%) regard them as pranks or provocations carried out for effect.
Compared to the 2020 survey, a slightly lower percentage of respondents in 2025 considered antisemitic acts to be merely isolated (61.7% in 2020 vs 54% in 2025), or as provocative pranks (37.2% in 2020 vs 27.6% in 2025). Similarly, fewer respondents now attribute these incidents to a generalised climate of hate and racism (60.6% in 2020 vs 53.6% in 2025). On the other hand, the percentage of those who perceive these actions as signalling a dangerous resurgence of antisemitism in Italy has also slightly declined—from 47.5% in 2020 to 38.9% in 2025.
Since 2004, Eurispes has monitored the evolution of Italian citizens’ attitudes towards antisemitism, prejudice against the Jewish people, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
