Tuesday November 10, 2009, 12:49 am
At least 753,399 people have been killed in Afghanistan and Iraq since the U.S. and coalition attacks, based on lowest credible estimates.

Most recent update: September 11, 2009. This page is updated about once monthly.

About 251 times as many people have been killed in Afghanistan and Iraq than in the ghastly attacks of September 11, 2001. More than 108 times as many people have been killed in these wars and occupations than in all terrorist attacks in the world from 1993-2004. The 2004 report showed terrorism at an all-time high, and after numerous experts suggested that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were fueling the increase, subsequent reports have remained classified.

Sources and methodology Notes about varying casualty counts cited elsewhere

# Casualties in Afghanistan:
Afghan troops killed [1] 11,152 Afghan troops seriously injured [2] 33,456
Afghan civilians killed [3] 7,589 Afghan civilians seriously injured [4] 13,660
U.S. troops killed [5] 746 U.S. troops seriously injured [6] 2,238
Other coalition troops killed [7] 551 Other coalition troops seriously injured [8] 1,653
Contractors killed [9] 75 Contractors seriously injured [10] 2,428
Journalists killed [11] 6 Journalists seriously injured [12] unknown
Total killed in Afghanistan: 20,119 Total injured in Afghanistan: 53,435

# Casualties in Iraq:
Iraqi troops killed [13] 30,000 Iraqi troops seriously injured [14] 90,000
Iraqi civilians killed [15] 697,523 Iraqi civilians seriously injured [16] 1,255,541
U.S. troops killed [17] 4,343 U.S. troops seriously injured [18] 31,156
Other coalition troops killed [19] 318 Other coalition troops seriously injured [20] 10,821
Contractors killed [21] 933 Contractors seriously injured [22] 10,569
Journalists killed [23] 163 Journalists seriously injured [24] unknown
Total killed in Iraq: 733,280 Total injured in Iraq: 1,398,087

# Sources and methodology:

U.S. and coalition authorities rarely provide any public estimates of Afghan or Iraqi troop or civilian casualties or injuries. In this absence of official data, we present the latest and lowest credible estimates we've found. Where a range is estimated (for example, 2,500-4,000), the lower figure is always cited.

[1] Afghan troops killed: Based on estimate and tracking by Mark Herold, Ph.D at the University of New Hampshire, as detailed at his website. For casualties since Dr. Herold's last update in July 2004, we've made a crude guess based on the average of 45 monthly deaths Dr. Herold recorded among Afghan military during 2004's first seven months. Dr. Herold's count is 8,587, and our extrapolation adds another 2,565 deaths, from the end of Dr. Herold's tally through the end of April 2009.

[2] Afghan troops seriously injured: Posted number reflects our estimate, using a conservative, historically-based ratio of 3:1 (serious injuries to fatalities) for troops during wartime.

[3] Afghan civilians killed: Based on estimate and tracking by Dr. Herold, as detailed at his website. For casualties since Dr. Herold's last update in July 2004, we've made a crude guess based on the average of 72 monthly deaths Dr. Herold recorded among Afghan civilians (with deaths among Taliban and Taliban affiliates included in Afghan civilian casualties) during 2004's first seven months. Dr. Herold's count is 3,485, and our extrapolation adds another 4,104 deaths, from the end of Dr. Herold's tally through the end of April 2009.

[4] Afghan civilians seriously injured: Posted number reflects our estimate, using a conservative, historically-based ratio of 1.8:1 (serious injuries to fatalities) for civilians during wartime.

[5] U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan: US military deaths in Afghanistan are announced by US Department of Defense and CENTCOM, and tallied at Wikipedia, which notes that "the American figure is for deaths 'In and Around Afghanistan' which, as defined by the U.S. Department of Defense, includes some deaths in Pakistan and Uzbekistan, the death of a DoD civilian employee, and the deaths of four CIA operatives."

[6] U.S. troops seriously injured in Afghanistan: To the best of our knowledge, this data is not publicly tracked (if you know a reliable source for this information, please let us know). Posted number reflects our estimate, using a conservative, historically-based ratio of 3:1 (serious injuries to fatalities) for troops.

[7] Other coalition troops killed in Afghanistan: Coalition military deaths in Afghanistan are announced by US Department of Defense and CENTCOM, and tallied at Wikipedia.

[8] Other coalition troops seriously injured in Afghanistan: To the best of our knowledge, this data is not publicly tracked (if you know a reliable source for this information, please let us know). Posted number reflects our estimate, using a conservative, historically-based ratio of 3:1 (serious injuries to fatalities) for troops.

[9] Contractors killed in Afghanistan: Based on this July 2007 Reuters article, which cites US Department of Labor statistics obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. The article reports that 75 private contractors had been killed in Afghanistan from the beginning of hostilities in 2001 through July 2007.

[10] Contractors seriously injured in Afghanistan: Based on the same article, 2,428 private contractors had been seriously wounded in Afghanistan from the beginning of hostilities in 2001 through July 2007.

[11] Journalists killed in Afghanistan: Based on numbers tracked by Wikipedia.

[12] Journalists seriously injured in Afghanistan: To the best of our knowledge, this data is not publicly tracked (if you know a reliable source for this information, please let us know).

[13] Iraqi troops killed: Based on an estimate of 30,000 deaths, offered by US Gen. Tommy Franks, cited by the Washington Post on Oct. 23, 2003. No estimate has been made publicly since that time.

[14] Iraqi troops seriously injured: Posted number reflects our estimate, using a conservative, historically-based ratio of 3:1 (serious injuries to fatalities) for troops during wartime.

[15] Iraqi civilians killed: Based on this study [pdf], published in the British medical journal The Lancet in October 2006. The study concluded that at least 392,979 Iraqi civilians had been killed in the occupation, in addition to deaths expected from Iraq's normal death rate, through July 2006. The study's mid-point estimate was 654,965, and its high estimate was 942,636. U.S. authorities, including President Bush himself, have loudly complained that the study is based on "flawed methodology" and "pretty well discredited," but as often happens when Bush speaks, that's simply untrue. The study was conducted by Johns Hopkins University, and used standard, widely accepted, peer-reviewed scientific methodology. Explained very briefly, Iraqi respondants in numerous randomly selected locations were asked about recent deaths in their households, and family members were able to show a death certificate to document 80% of the deaths they described. Results from these interviews were extrapolated nationwide, the same way political opinion polls extrapolate a few hundred interviews to reflect nationwide opinions. It's the same method used by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to estimate deaths from disease outbreak anywhere in the world, the same method routinely trusted by the U.S. and U.K. when counting deaths from warfare, civil unrest, or other situations anywhere in the world. From the study's lowest estimate of 392,979 deaths occurring over the first 40 months of occupation, we have extended this rate of civilian deaths (9,824 deaths per month) over subsequent months of the occupation since the study was published.

[16] Iraqi civilians seriously injured: Posted number reflects our estimate, using a conservative, historically-based ratio of 1.8:1 (serious injuries to fatalities) for civilians during wartime.

[17] U.S. troops killed in Iraq: Based on numbers announced by US Department of Defense and CENTCOM, and tracked by the good folks at Iraq Coalition Casualty Count.

[18] U.S. troops seriously injured in Iraq: Based on numbers announced by US Department of Defense and CENTCOM, and tracked by the good folks at Iraq Coalition Casualty Count. (According to this article by Salon reporter Mark Benjamin, an additional 25,289 service members had been evacuated from Iraq and Afghanistan for injuries or illnesses, but not included in the official numbers and not included in the numbers presented on this page.)

[19] Other coalition troops killed in Iraq: Based on numbers announced by US Department of Defense and CENTCOM, and tracked by the good folks at Iraq Coalition Casualty Count.

[20] Other coalition troops seriously injured in Iraq: To the best of our knowledge, this data is not publicly tracked (if you know a reliable source for this information, please let us know). Posted number reflects our estimate, assuming the same injury to death ratio suffered by American troops in the same battlefield.

[21] Contractors killed in Iraq: Based on this July 2007 Reuters article, which cites US Department of Labor statistics obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. The article reports that 933 private contractors had been killed in Iraq from the beginning of hostilities in 2001 through July 2007.

[22] Contractors seriously injured in Iraq: Based on the same article, 10,569 private contractors had been seriously wounded in Iraq from the beginning of hostilities in 2001 through July 2007.

[23] Journalists killed in Iraq: Deaths tracked by Iraq Coalition Casualty Count.

[24] Journalists seriously injured in Iraq: To the best of our knowledge, this data is not publicly tracked (if you know a reliable source for this information, please let us know).

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War is fun?

Tuesday November 10, 2009, 6:47 am
speechless and saddened by the abomination of the slaughter.

Tuesday November 10, 2009, 9:33 am
Thannxxx ... no one ever wins in a war... it accomplishes nothing good.. the figures are staggering... it is about time these groups sat down and created some dialogue for a peaceful solution to the problems... instead of letting fear, pride and their ego's from dictating our futures

Tuesday November 10, 2009, 11:18 am
Very good blog, by the way.

Tuesday November 10, 2009, 1:08 pm
Thanks David. Good to have a look from another corner. Pattern is lot of news, photos at the beginning and
latter if it is necessary. We are not blind, nor brain ltd. Lot of people do not care how many innocent died, thinking that happened far away from their homes. They haven`t seen mass air-craft attack ..

Tuesday November 10, 2009, 4:28 pm
Want to Support the troop dont send them war...
David very good blog

Tuesday November 10, 2009, 4:55 pm
Iraqi civilians killed [15] 697,523 Iraqi civilians seriously injured [16] 1,255,541
Afghan civilians killed [3] 7,589 Afghan civilians seriously injured [4] 13,660

ARE WE DONE YET, HAVE WE HAD ENOUGH, ARE WE EVEN, FOR GOD'S SAKE MAN, WAKE THE HELL UP AMERICA!!! YOUR FEAR, YOUR INDIFFERENCE, YOUR BELIEVING THE LIE ->IS BLOOD ON ALL OUR HANDS. WE SHALL BE JUDGED AS A NATION.

David, by chance would you have any valid links on a rough estimate of how many babies have died/been deformed from depleted uranium? I don't want to sound like a sicko, I just don't want those precious little lives left out. Excellent blog, absolutely tears my heart out.

Tuesday November 10, 2009, 7:35 pm
Sorry Nitty G, I haven't...But Uhoud (directly above) has recently posted a horriffic story about the lingering results of DU ammunition and the women who are scared to have babies (just in case)....Hi Uhoud! :-) could you post the link to your story here please?...

I appologise for the delay in replying but my 3yr old computer has died!...This one is 10yrs old and much faster but still tuning it into 2009...(time required)...

Incidentally I think that this story really should be broadcast as widely as possible so the warmongers of today might just realise that war has consequences and is NOT just the media enhanced, government inspired NON-FACT?...It's up to YOU!

Keep well guys, I may be gone for some time :-) x

Wednesday November 11, 2009, 1:20 am
How many lives of Third World people is the life of a U.S. citizen worth, to U.S. eyes?

Apparently more than 250!!!

U.S. hypocrisy is disgusting!!!

Wednesday November 11, 2009, 8:50 am
How can we even start to measure the pain of all those who have been killed or injured?
How can we even start to measure the pain of the families that will have deformed babies?
How can we even measure the harm done to this world of the blundering policies of Bush & Blair?
As we see the pathetic line of coffins returning home to the UK I have to question what if anything their lives bought?
When we hear of the sheer number of innocents caught up in a war not of their choosing...one has to wonder just who this war...or any war is really fought for.
None of this makes one jot of sense to me.
Sheer lunacy.
Worse it is criminal murder.

Thursday November 12, 2009, 3:20 am
The International Community needs to Acknowledge that Iraqi people are suffering the devastating consequences due to the 'Weapon posted by Uhoud

Thursday November 12, 2009, 5:54 am
Thank you so much Jelica. I did manage to find it last night. Another great article of truth. Absolutely devestating, but a MUST read to all who have not. We are ONE species, every life lost or maimed is one of ours!! We must remove the sand from around the heads of the indifferent one by one.

Friday November 20, 2009, 3:02 pm
More than 2,000,000 have paid for U.S. "imposed democracy" or ?what were these wars about?, or U.S. politics to enrich the owners of war material and equipment making corporations. More than guilt, this is shame, built on decades of war crimes by CIA and Covert Ops, Black Ops, and School of The Americas' grads efforts to control populations and resources, to enrich the owners of war material and equipment making corporations.

Call it what you will, but mass murder and injustice has become a human condition and with higher technology there is higher levels of lethality. Measure the pain on top of the deaths in those who were wounded and knew personally the casualties and you have tens of millions of people who think you and I owe them. What do you think we owe them. What would an invading force owe you, if they killed your uncle and your aunt and your cousins with a rocket attack on their neighbors who were not associated with any violent group or armed? The U.S. is far from innocent.

What is the in the personality or psychology of people who CAN or are ABLE to think that these atrocities and crimes against humanity, breaking International Law, and supporting the worst criminal elements that oppress the civilian population with warlord justice? Sarah Palin crowds on the news answered this question. They were asked many questions concerning policy in Afghanistan, Health Care, and the Economy. The most frequent answer was not concerned with these questions, nor did they know how Sarah Palin stood on these issues. You know these are the seed and soul of motive in conservative traditional non liberal educated population. They don't have an opinion that matters about these issues. What matters is personality and god.

God is S. Paulin or she represents the holy on earth. What else could rally such unconditional and blissful pointless following and Pollyanna trust. They don't care. If you ain't my god worshiper, then you R the devil, logic. Sky godz and cartoon logic make pretty nimrod to the max folks. We're next if they could make a list ehh!

Instead of maturing and growing as cultures to be more accepting and live where diversity and uniqueness, we value materialism and power or corruption from same in terms of goals that are against human beings, their lives, or produce results that are detrimental to them because "we" don't care...

Dysfunctional culture is a curable compulsive neurosis, just care..