50% of young people in Ireland have seen Holocaust distortion or denial online, survey finds

The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) this week released its findings from the Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness Survey of Irish Adults.

50% of all adults surveyed and 54% of younger adults aged 18 to 29 did not know that 6 million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust.

While overall awareness about the Holocaust is high among survey respondents, participants also said Holocaust denial and distortion are high. A quarter of adults overall say Holocaust distortion is common in Ireland, while 21% say Holocaust denial is common. 50% of adults ages 18 to 29 say they encountered Holocaust denial or distortion on social media, with TikTok, X (Twitter), and Instagram being highlighted as the platforms where denial or distortion are encountered most frequently.

The survey showed that 9% of adults aged 18 to 29 believe the Holocaust is a myth and did not happen, and 19% believe the Holocaust [Shoah] happened, but the number of Jews who were killed during the Holocaust has been greatly exaggerated.

At the same time, respondents overwhelmingly agree that Holocaust education is important. With 91% of young adults ages 18 to 29, and 92 % of adults overall saying it is important to continue teaching about the Holocaust, in part, so it doesn’t happen again. 88 % of those same respondents believe the Holocaust should be taught in schools.

A majority of Irish adults (60 %) know of Auschwitz, the infamous death camp employed by the Nazis. At the same time, 1 in 4 young adults aged 18 to 29 were not able to name one of the more than 40,000 camps and ghettos in Europe during the Holocaust.

64% of Irish adults overall believe something like the Holocaust (another mass genocide against Jewish people) could happen again today. This aligns with previous surveys in other European countries, where 69% of UK adults and 63 % of French adults surveyed also believe something like the Holocaust could happen again.

The survey is the latest released by the Claims Conference in its ongoing mission to understand the current state of Holocaust education and improve opportunities to increase Holocaust knowledge and awareness globally.

The data on Ireland was commissioned by the Claims Conference and was collected by Global Strategy Group, with a representative sample of 1,000 adults in Ireland ages 18 and over between October 15, 2025, and November 6, 2025. The margin of error is +/- 3.1%.

The data from the survey of Irish adults is part of the global index of Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness data being compiled by the Claims Conference. The construction of the global index is made more urgent by the increase in antisemitism, as well as Holocaust denial and distortion.

The Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness Index was commissioned by and with assistance from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany and supported by the German Federal Ministry of Finance. 

More Holocaust education needed

Commenting on the Irish survey findings, Gideon Taylor, President of the Claims Conference, said: “Understanding how the Holocaust is remembered is core to our mission behind these surveys.

"This data provides a foundation needed to strengthen Holocaust education as a means to combat hatred.

"It also comes at a time when antisemitism, hate crimes against Jews, and Holocaust denial and distortion are on the rise globally.

"These results in Ireland show both cause for significant concern and at the same time a path forward given the overwhelming support for Holocaust education.”

Matthew Bronfman, Claims Conference Index Task Force Chairman, added: “I am heartened to see the unifying idea that extends not only to this survey but also across all 16 studies we have completed in 11 countries: More Holocaust education.

"The public mandate is clear. We must deliver an education system that supports teachers with the resources they need to ensure students gain robust and complete understandings of the Holocaust.”

Greg Schneider, Claims Conference Executive Vice President, said: “Fifty percent of young people in Ireland say they have seen Holocaust distortion or denial online.

"Given that 92% of the Irish public believes it is important to teach about the Holocaust, this raises an important question: How can Ireland best respond to this challenge?”

Oliver Sears, founder of Holocaust Awareness Ireland, said: “As the Holocaust moves away from us in time, we must redouble our efforts to educate young minds to whom this legacy will be entrusted.

"Combatting Holocaust denial and distortion on the internet and social media must be a priority. It is very encouraging to read that an overwhelming percent of Irish people believe that Holocaust education should be taught in schools.

"We must ensure our educators are equipped to teach a comprehensive history of the Holocaust.”

Maurice Cohen, Chair of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland, said: “Half of Irish adults do not know that six million Jews were murdered, one in five doubts the truth of the Holocaust, and half of young people are seeing denial online. Yet almost nine in ten want it taught in schools.

"This is not a lack of public will. It is a gap in our education system. The public overwhelmingly wants Holocaust education.

"When 64% of Irish people believe another Holocaust could happen and 50% of young adults are already seeing denial online, this is no longer history. It is a warning.”