This Country Suffered Over 26 Million Casualties in World War II
Thankfully, the world hasn’t had to face another conflict on the catastrophic scale of World War II. While eight decades have now passed, however, repercussions continue to reverberate around the world today. This is in part due to the unbelievable…
Thankfully, the world hasn’t had to face another conflict on the catastrophic scale of World War II. While eight decades have now passed, however, repercussions continue to reverberate around the world today. This is in part due to the unbelievable number of casualties, both soldier and civilian. The United States, for example, suffered 418,500 casualties, with another 418,500 lives lost. However, these numbers pale in comparison to the numbers lost by many other nations during the war.
Over 75 million people died over the course of World War II, making it the bloodiest conflict in the history of the world. Soldiers laid down their lives in service of their countries with the hope of making a better world for generations to come. The peace that came from this war has largely held, and while there may be conflicts ongoing around the world — such as in Israel or Ukraine — these tend to be localized and not even close to the scale that was World War II. (These are World War II’s biggest battles.)
Although most conflicts took place in the European and Pacific Theaters, WWII’s battles were widespread fighting across the globe. Countries like New Zealand and South Africa also saw this conflict reach them in some form or fashion. (This country mobilized the most troops during WWII.)
Here 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the casualties from World War II. To identify the countries with the most casualties in World War II, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed WWII casualty statistics from World War 2 Facts, an online database of WWII battles. We ranked countries based on total casualties. We included supplemental information regarding military deaths for each country as well as civilian deaths.
Why Are We Covering This?
World War II was one of the deadliest conflicts in human history with unprecedented deaths and casualties. The outcome of this war largely determined the world we know today, along with many of the current geopolitical and military relationships. Understanding how these countries were impacted by World War II and the casualties that resulted from it provides context for these alliances and greater insight into international relations in general.
Here is a look at the countries with the most casualties in World War II:
27. Denmark
- Total casualties: 3,200
- Military deaths: 2,100
- Civilian deaths: 1,000
26. Norway
- Total casualties: 9,500
- Military deaths: 3,000
- Civilian deaths: 5,800
25. New Zealand
- Total casualties: 11,900
- Military deaths: 11,900
- Civilian deaths: 0
24. South Africa
- Total casualties: 11,900
- Military deaths: 11,900
- Civilian deaths: 0
23. Spain
- Total casualties: 14,500
- Military deaths: 4,500
- Civilian deaths: 10,000
22. Bulgaria
- Total casualties: 25,000
- Military deaths: 22,000
- Civilian deaths: 3,000
21. Australia
- Total casualties: 40,500
- Military deaths: 39,800
- Civilian deaths: 0
20. Canada
- Total casualties: 45,300
- Military deaths: 45,300
- Civilian deaths: 0
19. Belgium
- Total casualties: 86,100
- Military deaths: 12,100
- Civilian deaths: 49,600
18. Finland
- Total casualties: 97,000
- Military deaths: 95,000
- Civilian deaths: 2,000
17. Netherlands
- Total casualties: 301,000
- Military deaths: 21,000
- Civilian deaths: 176,000
16. Czechoslovakia
- Total casualties: 345,000
- Military deaths: 25,000
- Civilian deaths: 320,000
15. Austria
- Total casualties: 384,700
- Military deaths: 261,000
- Civilian deaths: 58,700
14. United States
- Total casualties: 418,500
- Military deaths: 416,800
- Civilian deaths: 1,700
13. Great Britain
- Total casualties: 449,800
- Military deaths: 382,700
- Civilian deaths: 67,100
12. Italy
- Total casualties: 456,000
- Military deaths: 301,400
- Civilian deaths: 145,100
11. Greece
- Total casualties: 560,000
- Military deaths: 35,000
- Civilian deaths: 525,000
10. France
- Total casualties: 567,600
- Military deaths: 217,600
- Civilian deaths: 267,000
9. Hungary
- Total casualties: 580,000
- Military deaths: 300,000
- Civilian deaths: 280,000
8. Germany
- Total casualties: 772,800
- Military deaths: 5,533,000
- Civilian deaths: 2,035,000
7. Romania
- Total casualties: 833,000
- Military deaths: 300,000
- Civilian deaths: 64,000
6. Yugoslavia
- Total casualties: 1,027,000
- Military deaths: 446,000
- Civilian deaths: 514,000
5. India
- Total casualties: 2,087,000
- Military deaths: 87,000
- Civilian deaths: 2,000,000
4. Japan
- Total casualties: 2,700,000
- Military deaths: 2,120,000
- Civilian deaths: 580,000
3. Poland
- Total casualties: 5,700,000
- Military deaths: 240,000
- Civilian deaths: 2,400,000
2. China
- Total casualties: 15,000,000
- Military deaths: 3,500,000
- Civilian deaths: 11,500,000
1. Soviet Union
- Total casualties: 26,600,000
- Military deaths: 9,750,000
- Civilian deaths: 13,204,000
Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.
Chris Lange is a financial and geopolitical writer with more than a decade of experience covering a myriad of topics. He has published thousands of articles for 24/7 Wall St., with past coverage focused heavily on stocks, IPOs, healthcare, defense, global affairs, and technology.
His work has been quoted, or referenced by a number of outlets including Business Insider, USA Today, Yahoo Finance, MSN, The Motley Fool, and many other publications. A graduate of Southwestern University, he studied business with a focus on investments and has previous experience in banking and startups.
When not reading or writing the news, he is following his passion for Lacrosse, playing chess, or building solar projects with his dad.
