Monitoring and data

Monitoring antisemitism

Qualitative and comparable data is essential in countering antisemitism. The European Union collects EU-wide data on antisemitic hate crimes and incidents, as well as the the perspective of Jewish communities as the one affected by antisemitism, mainly through the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency.

Since 2022, the Austrian Federal Ministry annually convenes the ‘European Conference on antisemitism’ that unites EU coordinators and special envoys, Jewish communities and members of the European Commission working group on hate crime which is facilitated by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). 

The conference aims at developing a standardised methodology for recording of antisemitic incidents, an action featured in the EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life. 

To date, special envoys and coordinators from 16 EU Member States (AT, BG, DE, CZ, EE, EL, ES, FR, HR, HU, IT, LV, LU, NL, RO, SK) have joined the avant-guard group to develop the methodology by signing the Vienna Declaration denouncing antisemitism, highlighting the threat to our democracy, promoting knowledge sharing and developing a common methodology for recording antisemitic incidents. 

The rise of antisemitism online during the pandemic 

A study of French and German content commissioned by the European Commission and conducted by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), comparing the first two months of 2020 with the first two months of 2021, show a seven-fold increase in antisemitic content on Twitter, Facebook and Telegram in French, and more than thirteen-fold increase in antisemitic content in German.

Antisemitic content in French on Facebook was engaged with over half a million times between 1 January 2020 and 8 March 2021, through likes, comments, and shares. On Twitter/X, content in French received over three million retweets and likes. On Telegram, antisemitic content in German was viewed over two billion times in the same period. 

The study also found a proliferation of ‘grey area’ content, which is unlikely to have violated legal thresholds around hate speech or Holocaust denial in France or Germany, but which nonetheless has the potential to be harmful. 

Read the study

Digital violent right-wing extremist content

The Commission published on 22 July 2021 a study entitled 'Heroes and scapegoats: Right-wing extremism in digital environments'. 

The study focusses on the different aspects of digital violent right-wing extremist (VRWE) content, i.e., textual or visual messages that express acceptance, condoning, justification or acclamation of violence for the sake of a radical nationalistic ideal. The study, among other groups, focusses thereby on Jews as a target of VRWE.

Read the study

Antisemitic hate crimes and hate incidents in the EU

In 2022, the FRA published a report that provides an overview of available data on antisemitism as recorded by official and unofficial sources in the EU Member States and in Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia. In addition, it presents the legal and policy framework related to combating antisemitism in the EU. It also includes summary overviews of the state of play of national strategies and action plans to combat antisemitism and foster Jewish life. Lastly, it also provides an overview of the extent to which Member States have endorsed the non-legally binding IHRA working definition of antisemitism and how they (intend to) use it. 

In 2026, this report was supplemented by overviews of antisemitic incidents recorded between 2014 and 2024 per country.

However, the data shown in these reports is not comparable between the States. Even though all the countries in question have adopted or endorsed the IHRA definition of antisemitism, the responsible authorities record different types of data and apply different definitions and classifications of antisemitism. This is highlighted by the 2026 FRA report “Monitoring and recording antisemitism in the EU – State of play and ways forward”.

Nonetheless, evidence that FRA collects consistently shows that hate crime incidents, including those of an antisemitic nature, are inadequately reported. This is coupled with a great hesitancy among victims to report incidents to the authorities or other bodies.

Perspectives of Jewish Europeans on antisemitism

In 2018, upon request of the European Commission, the Fundamental Rights Agency conducted a survey on Jewish people’s experiences with hate crime, discrimination and antisemitism in the European Union – the biggest survey of Jewish people ever conducted worldwide. Covering 12 EU Member States, which are home to 95% of European Jewish population, the survey reached almost 16,500 individuals who identify as being Jewish.

In 2024, the FRA published a new Survey on Jewish People’s Experiences and Perceptions of Antisemitism, covering 13 EU Member States. The fieldwork for the survey was carried out in 2023 before the Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023.

Overall, 8 in 10 (80 %) Jews consider that antisemitism has increased in their country in the 5 years before the survey, with more than 8 in 10 (84 %) considering it to be a serious problem. Jews around Europe rate antisemitism as the biggest social or political problem where they live.
They assess antisemitism as being most problematic on the internet and on social media (91 %), followed by public spaces (78 %), media (76 %) and in political life (73 %). 

The most common antisemitic manifestations Jews come across include ‘negative stereotypes accusing Jews of holding power and control over finance, media, politics or economy’ (85 %), ‘denying Israel the right to exist as a state’ (79 %) and ‘holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of Israel’, ‘Holocaust denial/trivialisation or distortion of historical facts’ and ‘comparing Israel’s policy to the Nazi policy’ (all 78 %). Respondents most commonly come across such statements online (90 %), followed by social interactions with friends/colleagues/acquaintances (56 %), public spaces (52 %), media other than the internet (51 %) and political events (49 %).

Overall, almost all respondents (96 %) reported having encountered antisemitism online or offline in the 12 months before the survey.
In comparison to the 2018 study, the share of respondents who experienced antisemitic harassment in the 12 months prior to the survey increased (37% v 31 %). The share in respondents who said they had experienced antisemitic physical attacks in the 12 months prior to the survey even doubled in comparison (4 % v 2 %).

More than half of respondents worry for their own (53 %) and their family’s (60 %) safety and security. As a result, many hide their Jewish identity (at least occasionally): 76 %, and one third avoid visiting Jewish events or sites (34 %) because they do not feel safe there as Jews.

Read the survey

Specific impact on young Jewish Europeans

In many respects, young Jewish Europeans hold the keys to the future of Jewish life in Europe, as well as to the possibility of creating and maintaining a unique European form of Judaism and to the potential of bringing the best of Jewish tradition, culture and insight to help build the Europe of tomorrow. The decisions they take – not least, whether to remain in Europe and be part of the project to strengthen it, or to leave Europe out of fears for their safety as Jews – will speak volumes about the nature of Europe and its ability to absorb and respect cultural difference. 

The FRA therefore released a study in 2019 that focuses on young adults, defined as those aged between 16 and 34 years, frequently contrasting them with two other age bands (35-59-year-olds and 60-plus year-olds) to identify similarities and differences: Young Jewish Europeans: perceptions and experiences of antisemitism.

General population perception of antisemitism

In 2026, a new Eurobarometer survey on Perceptions of antisemitism (Special Eurobarometer SP570) followed up on the previous findings from 2019 (Special Eurobarometer 484). It carried out face-to-face interviews in all 27 Member States in November 2025 with the aim of providing a comprehensive overview of public perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge regarding antisemitism.

At EU level, 55% of respondents consider antisemitism to a problem in their country. There are significant differences in perception among Member States. French (74%), Italian (73%), and Swedish (73%) respondents are the most likely to say that Antisemitism is a problem in their country. The lowest levels are found in Estonia (9%), Finland (16%), and Latvia (19%). Europeans with Jewish friends or acquaintances are more likely to consider antisemitism a problem, as are those who belong to a minority themselves.

1 in 3 of Europeans believe people in their country are well informed about Jewish history and culture, while 63% say they are not well informed. The majority of Europeans (66%) know that there is a legislation criminalising incitement to violence or hatred against Jewish people in their country. Significantly less are aware of legislation criminalising Holocaust denial (52%).

Holocaust denial is perceived as being a problem in their country by 6 in 10 Europeans. On average, almost half of Europeans think the Holocaust is sufficiently taught in schools. Among people who finished their education earlier, this is only 36%. The shorter the formal education, the more people feel it is not sufficiently taught.