The Jewish population in Los Angeles County increased by 28 percent between 1959 and 1965–from 391, 000 to a rounded approximate of 500, 000 — it was reported here today by the Jewish Federation council’s Research Service Bureau. The bureau compared age distribution in the six years since its last population study, and found the largest percentage of increase among teenagers 15-19 and adults over 60.
The older group has increased from 46,100 to some 70,500, a 53 percent increase since 1959. The 15-19 group shows the largest percentage increase–74 percent–from 25,000 to 43, 400. This group comprises 9 percent of the country’s Jewish population, a 36 percent increase over 1959 percentages. Residents over 60 comprise 14 percent of the country’s Jewish residents, a 20 percent increase.
Some 42, 600 children under 5 today comprise 8.5 percent of the Jewish population, whereas six years ago 10 percent of the country’s total were under 5. Nevertheless, this age group has increased by 3, 500 in the interim.
Although adults 30-59 have increased from 172, 900 to 209,000, their percentage of the total Jewish population has decreased from 44 to 42 percent. The 41, 700 residents between 20-29 have decreased from 9 to 8 percent of the total, while the 5-14 group comprises 19 percent. The figures seem to indicate that, while more Jewish children are being born today to more parents than in 1959, the average Jewish family may be getting smaller.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
