World War II
Military and civilian deaths, including many deaths caused by genocide, famine and disease.
Source: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum .
Historical comparison
How many people died in major wars?
Historical death tolls are estimates rather than exact counts. The ranges below show the approximate human cost of several major wars while making the uncertainty visible.
Different estimates include different groups. Some count only direct violent deaths, while others also include deaths caused by famine, disease, genocide, displacement and the collapse of essential services.
Estimated deaths in major wars
The chart uses the midpoint of each published range to make the approximate scale easier to compare. It should not be read as an exact death count.
Major wars ranked by estimated deaths
| War | Period | Estimated deaths |
|---|---|---|
| World War II | 1939–1945 | 70–85 million |
| World War I | 1914–1918 | 15–20 million |
| Korean War | 1950–1953 | 2.5–4 million |
| Vietnam War | 1955–1975 | 1.5–3.5 million |
| Iran–Iraq War | 1980–1988 | 500,000–1 million |
| Yugoslav Wars | 1991–2001 | 130,000–140,000 |
Why historical death estimates vary
Wars rarely produce one complete and reliable list of everyone who died. Records may be destroyed, governments may conceal losses and many deaths occur in places investigators cannot reach.
Researchers must also decide where the boundary of a conflict begins and ends. Estimates can change substantially depending on whether they include only people killed directly by violence or also those who died from hunger, disease and destroyed healthcare.
For that reason, Death by War presents ranges rather than selecting the largest or smallest available estimate as a definitive total.
The deadliest war in modern history
World War II was the deadliest conflict in modern history. Estimates commonly place the total between 70 and 85 million deaths, including military personnel and civilians.
The total includes the six million Jewish people murdered during the Holocaust, along with millions of other victims of Nazi persecution and mass murder. These victims are included in the overall World War II estimate and must not be added to it again.
What each estimate includes
World War I
Military and civilian deaths. Estimates vary depending on the treatment of disease and war-related deprivation.
Source: Imperial War Museums .
Korean War
Civilian and military deaths across Korea, China and the United Nations forces.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica .
Vietnam War
Vietnamese civilian and military deaths together with foreign military deaths.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica .
Iran–Iraq War
Estimated civilian and military deaths in Iran and Iraq.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica .
Yugoslav Wars
Documented and estimated deaths across the wars connected to the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Source: International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia .
Are these figures directly comparable?
No. The figures offer historical scale, but they are based on different definitions, evidence and research methods. A broad estimate that includes indirect deaths cannot be directly compared with a database containing only individually verified deaths.
The live conflict trackers on Death by War therefore remain separate from these historical estimates.