The vast economic impact of the post-9/11 wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere is poorly understood by the U.S. public and policymakers. This paper estimates the budgetary costs of war, including past expenditures and future obligations to care for veterans of these wars.
U.S. Budgetary Costs: $8 Trillion
Human Toll: 905,000 - 940,000 Direct Deaths
The number of people killed directly in the violence of the wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and elsewhere are approximated here. Several times as many civilians have died due to the reverberating effects of these wars. The methods of accounting are described in this paper.
Geographic Reach: 78 Countries
From 2021 to 2023, the U.S. government undertook what it labeled “counterterrorism” activities in 78 countries, in an outgrowth of President George W. Bush's “Global War on Terror.” This map displays air/drone strikes, on-the-ground combat, “Section 127e” programs, military exercises, and operations to train and/or assist foreign forces.
Human Toll Including Indirect Deaths: 4.5-4.7 Million
The number of people killed indirectly in post-9/11 war zones, including in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, are estimated at 3.6-3.8 million, though the precise figure remains unknown. This brings the estimated total of direct and indirect deaths to 4.5-4.7 million. The methods of accounting and various casual pathways leading to indirect deaths are described in this paper.
Afghanistan before and after 20 years of war (2001-2021)
Examining data before the U.S. war in Afghanistan and after the U.S. withdrawal, this infographic displays indicators of poverty, food insecurity, child malnutrition, women's rights, U.S. spending, and more.
People Displaced: 38 Million
38 million people have been displaced by the post-9/11 wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and the Philippines.
Sexual Assault in U.S. Military Post-9/11: 24% Women, 1.9% Men
Sexual assault prevalence in the military is likely two to four times higher than official DoD estimations. The prioritization of force readiness above all else during the post-9/11 wars allowed the problem of sexual assault to fester, papering over internal violence and gender inequalities within U.S. military institutions. On average, over the course of the war in Afghanistan (2001-2021) 24 percent of active-duty women and 1.9 percent of active-duty men experienced sexual assault. Experiences of gender inequality are most pronounced for women of color, who experience intersecting forms of racism and sexism and are one of the fastest-growing populations within the military. Independent data also confirm queer and trans service members’ disproportionately greater risk for sexual assault.