Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs
Costs of War

Human Cost of Post - 9/11 Wars: Direct War Deaths in Major War Zones
Afghanistan and Pakistan (October 2001 - October 2019); Iraq (March 2003 - October 2019); Syria (September 2014 - October 2019); Yemen (October 2002 - October 2019); and Other1

Neta C. Crawford and Catherine Lutz2
Posted on November 13, 2019

HUMAN COSTS The number of people killed directly in the violence of the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan are approximated here. Several times as many have been killed indirectly as a result of the wars — because, for example, of water loss, sewage and other infrastructural issues, and war-related disease.

  Afghanistan Pakistan Iraq Syria/ISIS3 Yemen4 Other5 Total
US Military6 2,2987 8 4,5729 710 111 136 7,014
US DOD Civilian12 6   15 1 22
US Contractors13 3,814 90 3,588 1714 2 43915 7,950
National Military and Police16 64,12417 9,12918 48,337-52,33719 51,48320 21   173,073-177,073
Other Allied Troops22 1,145 323 11,00023     12,468
Civilians 43,07424 23,92525 184,382-207,15626 49,59127 12,00028   312,971-335,745
Opposition Fighters 42,10029 32,73730 34,806-39,88131 67,06532 78,00033   254,708-259,783
Journalists and Media Workers34 67 86 277 75 31   536
Humanitarian/NGO workers35 424 97 63 185 38   807
TOTAL 157,052 66,063 276,363-308,212 179,424 90,072 575 769,549-801,398
TOTAL (rounded to nearest 1,000) 157,000 66,000 276,000-308,000 179,000 90,000 600 770,000-801,000

November 2019