World War I casualties

The total number of military and civilian casualties in World War I was over 37 million. There were over 16 million deaths and 20 million wounded ranking it among the deadliest conflicts in human history.

The total number of deaths includes about 10 million military personnel and about 7 million civilians. The Entente Powers (also known as the Allies) lost about 6 million soldiers while the Central Powers lost about 4 million. At least 2 million died from diseases and 6 million went missing, presumed dead.

About two-thirds of military deaths in World War I were in battle, unlike the conflicts that took place in the 19th century when the majority of deaths were due to disease. Improvements in medicine as well as the increased lethality of military weaponry were both factors in this development. Nevertheless disease, including the Spanish flu, still caused about one third of total military deaths for all belligerents.

Classification of casualty statistics
Estimates of casualty numbers for World War I vary to a great extent; estimates of total deaths range from 9 million to over 15 million The figures listed here are from official secondary sources, whenever available. These sources are cited below. Military casualty statistics listed here include 6.8 million combat related deaths as well as 3 million military deaths caused by accidents, disease and deaths while prisoners of war. First World War civilian deaths are 'hazardous to estimate" according to Michael Clodfelter who maintains that “The generally accepted figure of noncombatant deaths is 6.5 million” The figures listed below include about 6 million excess civilian deaths due to war related malnutrition and disease that are often omitted from other compilations of World War I casualties. The war brought about malnutrition and disease caused by a disruption of trade resulting in shortages of food; the mobilization for the war took away millions of men from the agricultural labor force cutting food production. The civilian deaths listed below also include the Armenian Genocide. Civilian deaths due to the Spanish flu have been excluded from these figures, whenever possible. Furthermore, the figures do not include deaths during the Turkish War of Independence and the Russian Civil War.

Casualties by modern borders


The war involved multi-ethnic empires such as Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Austro-Hungary and Turkey. The diverse ethnic groups in these multi-ethnic empires were conscripted for military service. The casualties listed by modern borders are also included in the above table of figures for the countries that existed in 1914.

🇦🇹 [[austria|Austria]]
The following estimates of Austrian deaths, within contemporary borders, were made by a Russian journalist in a 2004 handbook of human losses in the 20th century. Total dead 175,000: including military losses 120,000 with the Austo-Hungarian forces and POW deaths in captivity of 30,000. Civilian dead due to famine and disease were 25,000

[[belgium|🇧🇪]] Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was part of the Kingdom of Belgium during the war. Following estimates of casualties were made by a Russian journalist in a 2004 handbook of human losses in the 20th century.


 * 🇨🇩 (1914 known as the Belgian Congo): 5,000 in military and 150,000 civilians.

[[undefined|Czechoslovakia]]
Czechoslovakia was part of Austro-Hungary during the war. The estimates of Czechoslovak deaths within 1991 borders were made by a Russian journalist in a 2004 handbook of human losses in the 20th century. Total dead 185,000: including military losses 110,000 with the Austro-Hungarian forces and POW deaths in captivity of 45,000. Civilian dead due to famine and disease were 30,000. The Czechoslovak Legions fought with the armies of the Allies during the war.

🇪🇪 [[estonia|Estonia]]
Estonia was part of Russian Empire during the war and about 100,000 Estonians served in the Russian Army. Of them about 10,000 were killed.

[[france|🇫🇷]] French colonies
The following estimates of French colonial military deaths, within contemporary borders, during World War I were made by a Russian journalist in a 2004 handbook of human losses in the 20th century. Total military dead in French Army 81,000.


 * 🇩🇿 (1914 known as French Algeria): 26,000
 * 🇻🇳 (1914 known as French Indochina): 12,000
 * undefined (1914 part of French West Africa): 10,000
 * 🇲🇦 (1914 known as the French protectorate of Morocco): 8,000
 * 🇸🇳 (1914 part of French West Africa): 6,000
 * 🇬🇳 (1914 part of French West Africa): 2,500
 * 🇲🇬: 2,500
 * 🇧🇯 (1914 part of French West Africa): 2,000
 * 🇧🇫 (1914 part of French West Africa): 2,000
 * 🇨🇬 (1914 part of French Equatorial Africa):2,000
 * 🇨🇮 (1914 part of French West Africa): 2,000
 * 🇹🇳 (1914 known as French Tunisia): 2,000
 * 🇹🇩 (1914 part of French Equatorial Africa): 1,500
 * 🇨🇫 (1914 known as French Oubangui-Chari): 1,000
 * 🇳🇪 (1914 part of French West Africa): 1,000
 * 🇬🇦 (1914 part of French Equatorial Africa): 500

German colonies
The following estimates of German Colonial military deaths, within contemporary borders, during World War I were made by a Russian journalist in a 2004 handbook of human losses in the 20th century. Total military dead 17,000.


 * 🇹🇿 (1914 part of German East Africa): 20,000
 * 🇳🇦 (1914 known as German South-West Africa): 10,000
 * 🇨🇲 (1914 known as Kamerun): 5,000
 * 🇹🇬 Togo (1914 known as German Togoland): 2,000

🇭🇺 [[hungary|Hungary]]
The following estimates of Hungarian deaths, within contemporary borders, during World War I were made by a Russian journalist in a 2004 handbook of human losses in the 20th century. Total dead 385,000: including military losses 270,000 with the Austro-Hungarian forces and POW deaths in captivity of 70,000. Civilian dead due to famine and disease were 45,000

🇮🇪 [[ireland|Ireland]]
Ireland was a part of the UK during World War I. Five sixths of the island left to form the Irish Free State, now the Republic of Ireland, in 1922.

A total of 206,000 Irishmen served in the British forces during the war. The number of Irish deaths in the British Army recorded by the registrar general was 27,405. A significant number of these casualties were from what, in 1920, became Northern Ireland. While 49,400 soldiers died serving in Irish Divisions (the 10th, 16th and 36th) Not all of the men serving in these divisions were natives of Ireland, for example 71% of the casualties in the 16th Division were natives of Ireland.

🇵🇱 [[poland|Poland]]
Poland was annexed by Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia from 1795–1914. By late 1915 Germany had complete control over modern-day Poland. A 2005 Polish study estimated 3.4 million Poles served in the Armed Forces of the occupying powers during World War I. Total deaths from 1914–18, military and civilian, within the 1919–1939 borders, were estimated at 1,130,000. The following estimates of Polish deaths, within contemporary (post 1945) borders, during World War I were made by a Russian journalist in a 2004 handbook of human losses in the 20th century. Total dead 640,000: including military losses of 250,000 Poles conscripted into the following armies listed below. POW deaths in captivity of 20,000. Civilian losses due to the war included 120,000 due to military operations and 250,000 caused by famine and disease.

The ethnic Polish Blue Army served with the French Army. The ethnic Polish Legions fought as part of the Austro-Hungarian Army on the Eastern Front.


 * Austria-Hungary (Polish Legions): 67,000
 * German Empire: 87,000
 * Russian Empire: 96,000

🇷🇴 [[romania|Romania]]
The territory of Transylvania was part of Austria-Hungary during World War I. The following estimates of Romanian deaths, within contemporary borders, during World War I were made by a Russian journalist in a 2004 handbook of human losses in the 20th century. Total dead 748,000: including military losses 220,000 with the Romanian forces and 150,000 with the Austro-Hungarian forces and POW deaths in captivity of 48,000. Civilian dead were as follows due to famine and disease 200,000, killed in military operations 120,000 and 10,000 dead in Austrian prisons.


 * 🇷🇴 Romanian Forces: 220,000 military and 330,000 civilians
 * Austro-Hungarian Forces: 150,000

British colonies
The following estimates of British Empire colonial military deaths, within contemporary borders, during World War I were made by a Russian journalist in a 2004 handbook of human losses in the 20th century. Total military dead 35,700. Britain recruited Indian, Chinese, native South African, Egyptian and other overseas labour to provide logistical support in the combat theatres. Included with British casualties in East Africa are the deaths of 44,911 recruited labourers. The CWGC reports that nearly 2,000 workers from the Chinese Labour Corps are buried with British war dead in France.


 * 🇬🇭 (1914 known as the Gold Coast): 1,200
 * 🇰🇪 (1914 known as British East Africa): 2,000
 * 🇲🇼 (1914 known as Nyasaland): 3,000
 * 🇳🇬 (1914 part of British West Africa): 5,000
 * 🇸🇱 (1914 part of British West Africa): 1,000
 * 🇺🇬 (1914 known as the Uganda Protectorate): 1,500
 * 🇿🇲 (1914 known as Northern Rhodesia): 3,000

Southern Rhodesia (today Zimbabwe) suffered over 700 military fatalities during the war.

[[undefined|Kingdom of Yugoslavia]]
The following estimates are for Yugoslavia within 1991 borders.

Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia were part of Austria-Hungary during World War I. Serbia (including Macedonia) and Montenegro were independent nations. The Yugoslav historian Vladimir Dedijer put Serbian deaths in World War One at 369,815 military and 600,000 civilians. The following estimates of Yugoslav deaths, within 1991 borders, during World War I were made by a Russian journalist in a 2004 handbook of human losses in the 20th century. Total dead 996,000: including military losses 260,000 with the Serbian forces, 80,000 with the Austro-Hungarian forces 13,000 with Montenegro forces and POW deaths in captivity of 93,000. Civilian dead were as follows due to famine and disease 400,000, killed in military operations 120,000 and 30,000 dead in Austrian prisons or executed.

🇳🇵 [[nepal|Nepal]]
During WW1, the Nepalese army was expanded and six new regiments, totaling more than 20,000 troops—all volunteers—were sent to India, most of them to the North-West Frontier Province, to release British and Indian troops for service overseas. Simultaneously, the Nepalese government agreed to maintain recruitment at a level that both would sustain the existing British Gurkha units and allow the establishment of additional ones. The battalions were increased to thirty-three with the addition of 55,000 new recruits, and Gurkha units were placed at the disposal of the British high command for service on all fronts. Many volunteers were assigned to noncombat units, such as the Army Bearer Corps and the labor battalions, but they also were in combat in France, Turkey, Palestine, and Mesopotamia. The Rana prime ministers urged Nepalese males to fight in the war. Of the more than 200,000 Nepalese who served in the British Army, there were some 20,000 Gurkha casualties included above with the British Indian Army.

Notes on sources


The main sources used for military and civilian deaths (unless stated otherwise in the footnotes below) are as follows:
 * The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Annual Report 2009–2010 is the source of the military dead for the British Empire. The war dead totals listed in the report are based on the research by the CWGC to identify and commemorate Commonwealth war dead. The statistics tabulated by The Commonwealth War Graves Commission are representative of the number of names commemorated for all servicemen/women of the Armed Forces of the Commonwealth and former UK Dependencies, whose death was attributable to their war service. Some auxiliary and civilian organizations are also accorded war grave status if death occurred under certain specified conditions. For the purposes of CWGC the dates of inclusion for Commonwealth War Dead are 04/08/1914 to 31/08/1921. Total World War I dead were 1,115,597 (UK and former colonies 886,939; Undivided India 74,187; Canada 64,976; Australia 61,966; New Zealand 18,052; South Africa 9,477 These figures also include the Merchant Navy.

The losses of Bulgaria and Portugal were also listed in the UK War Office report.
 * Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire During the Great War 1914–1920, The War Office March 1922. This official report lists 908,371 'soldiers' killed in action, died of wounds, died as prisoners of war and were missing in action from 4 August 1914 to 31 December 1920, (British Isles 702,410; India 64,449; Canada 56,639; Australia 59,330; New Zealand 16,711; South Africa 7,121 and Newfoundland 1,204,other colonies 507). Figures include the Royal Navy war dead and missing of 32,287. These figures do not include the Merchant Navy total dead of 14,661 which was listed separately. Figures for total Royal Flying Corps,  Royal Air Force and Royal Naval Air Service war dead were included in the total dead and not listed separately in War Office report.


 * The official "final and corrected" casualty figures for British Army,including the Territorial Force (not including allied British Empire forces) were issued on 10 March 1921. The losses were for the period 4 August 1914 until 30 September 1919, included 573,507 "killed in action, died from wounds and died of other causes"; 254,176 missing less 154,308 released prisoners; for a net total of 673,375 dead and missing. There were 1,643,469 wounded also listed in the report


 * Casualties and Medical Statistics published in 1931. was the final volume of the Official Medical History of the War, gives British Empire Army losses by cause of death. Total losses in combat theaters from 1914–1918 were 876,084, which included 418,361 killed, 167,172 died of wounds, 113,173 died of disease or injury, 161,046 missing and presumed dead and 16,332 prisoner of war deaths. Total losses were not broken out for the UK and each Dominion. These figures do not include the losses of Dominion forces in the Gallipoli Campaign, since records were incomplete. Figures do not include the Royal Navy.


 * Huber, Michel La Population de la France pendant la guerre, Paris 1931. This study published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace lists official French government figures for war-related military deaths and missing of France and its colonies.


 * Mortara, Giorgo La Salute pubblica in Italia durante e dopo la Guerra, New Haven: Yale University Press 1925. The official government Italian statistics on war dead are listed here. A brief summary of data from this report can be found online.go to Vol 13, No. 15


 * Urlanis, Boris Wars and Population, Moscow, 1971. Lists the military dead of Russia, Greece, Serbia and Montenegro The footnotes give his estimates of combat-related casualties; killed and missing in action or died of wounds for each nation.


 * Heeres-Sanitätsinspektion im Reichskriegsministeriums, Sanitätsbericht über das deutsche Heer, (Deutsches Feld- und Besatzungsheer), im Weltkriege 1914-1918, Volume 3, Sec. 1, Berlin 1934. The official German Army medical war history listed German losses.


 * Grebler, Leo and Winkler, Wilhelm The Cost of the World War to Germany and Austria-Hungary This study published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace details the losses of Austria-Hungary and Germany in the war.


 * Erickson, Edward J. Ordered to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War The authors estimates were made based data from official Ottoman sources.


 * Hersch, Liebmann, La mortalité causée par la guerre mondiale, Metron- The International Review of Statistics, 1927, Vol 7. No 1. This study published in an academic journal detailed the demographic impact of the war on France, the UK, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Serbia, Romania and Greece. The total estimated increase in the number of civilian deaths due to the war was 2,171,000, not including an additional 984,000 Spanish Flu deaths. These indirect war losses were due primarily to food shortages caused by the disruption of trade. This was by no means the only cause, the mobilization for the war took away millions of men from the agricultural labor force.


 * Dumas, Samuel (1923). Losses of Life Caused by War. Oxford- This study published by an academic press detailed the impact of the war on the civilian population. The study estimated excess civilian deaths at: France(264,000 to 284,000), the UK (181,000), Italy(324,000), and Germany(692,000).


 * Tucker, Spencer C. ed. The European Powers in the First World War: An Encyclopedia This is the source for military wounded, unless stated otherwise. Civilian deaths in the Ottoman Empire are also listed in this source.

The source of population data is:


 * Haythornthwaite, Philip J., The World War One Source Book Arms and Armour, 1993, 412 pages, ISBN 978-1-85409-102-4.