WWII was waged on an unprecedented scale. This massive war involved dozens of countries and affected almost every region of the globe in one way or another. In fact, more than 100 countries were caught up in this far-reaching conflict. Those who paid attention in history class will remember the two main sides: The Allies and the Axis. The Allies, who were primarily engaged in the fight against Hitler, included the United States, the U.K., and the Soviet Union, with the support of France and China. Meanwhile, the trio of the Axis Powers were Germany, Japan, and Italy. However, outside of these major powers, the other countries sucked into the conflict are often all but forgotten.
Partly due to the number of countries involved, in addition to many other factors, World War II was an excessively bloody conflict. In fact, it is widely recognized as one of the deadliest wars ever fought. Though accounting for all the deaths is a complicated process and accuracy is difficult, the estimated total of deaths from WWII sits at between 70 to 85 million. This staggering number is even more shocking when realizing this was roughly 2 to 4% of the world population during those war-torn years. These numbers do not just represent the men who fell in the line of duty, but it also includes civilian deaths, which were vast due to a massive number of bombings in a variety of regions. Additionally, these numbers are high in large part due to the genocidal nature of Hitler’s philosophy.
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?
Understanding the deadly nature of past conflicts may help to shed light on the true toll of these wars. Not only do people across the globe stand to lose their loved ones in the military, but when conflict escalates in a short period of time, civilians themselves are in grave danger. Most especially, in today’s military world, where nuclear power is currently held by nine nations, no one is free from potential danger. Grasping the devastating impact of war may keep the next potential mass conflict at bay.
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
- Jewish deaths: 40,000
18. Finland
- Total casualties: 97,000
- Military deaths: 95,000
- Civilian deaths: 2,000
17. Austria
- Total casualties: 123,700
- Military deaths: 65,000
- Civilian deaths: 58,700
16. Netherlands
- Total casualties: 301,000
- Military deaths: 21,000
- Civilian deaths: 176,000
- Jewish deaths: 105,000
15. Czechoslovakia
- Total casualties: 345,000
- Military deaths: 25,000
- Civilian deaths: 320,000
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
- Jewish deaths: 90,000
9. Hungary
- Total casualties: 580,000
- Military deaths: unknown
- Civilian deaths: unknown
- Jewish deaths: 450,000
8. Romania
- Total casualties: 833,000
- Military deaths: 300,000
- Civilian deaths: 64,000
- Jewish deaths: 300,000
7. Yugoslavia
- Total casualties: 1,027,000
- Military deaths: 446,000
- Civilian deaths: 514,000
6. India
- Total casualties: 2,087,000
- Military deaths: 87,000
- Civilian deaths: 2,000,000
5. Japan
- Total casualties: 2,700,000
- Military deaths: 2,120,000
- Civilian deaths: 580,000
4. Poland
- Total casualties: 5,700,000
- Military deaths: 240,000
- Civilian deaths: 2,400,000
- Jewish deaths: 3,000,000
3. Germany
- Total casualties: 7,772,800
- Military deaths: 5,533,000
- Civilian deaths: 2,035,000
- Jewish deaths: 210,000
2. China
- Total casualties: 15,000,000
- Military deaths: 3,500,000
China (continued)
- Civilian deaths: 11,500,000
1. Soviet Union
- Total casualties: 26,600,000
- Military deaths: 9,750,000
Soviet Union (continued)
- Civilian deaths: 13,204,000
Top Gaining Stocks
Top Losing Stocks