| There is no agreed definitive set of figures, but these are representative |
|
| COMBATANT CASUALTIES |
| Countries listed in order of total numbers mobilised |
CP = Central Powers |
|
| Country |
Mobilized
|
Killed
|
Wounded
(not including shell shock)
|
Total casualties
|
Total casualties as % of mobilized |
| Russia |
12,000,000
|
1,700,000
|
4,950,000
|
6,650,000
|
55%
|
| Germany (CP) |
11,000,000
|
1,718,000
|
4,234,000
|
5,952,000
|
54%
|
| British Empire |
8,182,000
|
908,000
|
395,000
|
3,210,000
|
39%
|
|
made up as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Great Britain
|
5,397,000
|
703,000
|
1,663,000
|
2,366,000
|
44%
|
|
India
|
1,500,000
|
43,000
|
65,000
|
108,000
|
7%
|
|
Canada
|
620,000
|
67,000
|
173,000
|
240,000
|
39%
|
|
Australia
|
330,000
|
59,000
|
152,000
|
211,000
|
64%
|
|
South Africa
|
149,000
|
7,000
|
12,000
|
19,000
|
13%
|
|
New Zealand
|
110,000
|
18,000
|
55,000
|
73,000
|
66%
|
|
Other British Africa 1
|
55,000
|
10,000
|
unknown
|
unknown
|
18% +
|
|
British Caribbean 2
|
21,000
|
1,000
|
3,000
|
4,000
|
19%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| French Empire |
7,500,000
|
1,385,000
|
4,266,000
|
5,651,000
|
75%
|
| Austria-Hungary (CP) |
6,500,000
|
1,200,000
|
3,620,000
|
4,820,000
|
74%
|
| Italy |
5,500,000
|
462,000
|
947,000
|
1,409,000
|
26%
|
| USA |
4,272,500
|
117,000
|
204,000
|
321,000
|
8%
|
| Turkey (CP) |
1,600,000
|
336,000
|
400,000
|
736,000
|
46%
|
| Japan |
800,000
|
250
|
1,000
|
1,250
|
0.2%
|
| Romania |
750,000
|
200,000
|
120,000
|
320,000
|
43%
|
| Serbia |
707,000
|
128,000
|
133,000
|
261,000
|
37%
|
| Bulgaria (CP) |
400,000
|
101,000
|
153,000
|
254,000
|
64%
|
| Greece |
230,000
|
5,000
|
21,000
|
26,000
|
11%
|
| Belgium |
207,000
|
13,000
|
44,000
|
57,000
|
28%
|
| Portugal |
100,000
|
7,000
|
15,000
|
22,000
|
22%
|
| Montenegro |
50,000
|
3,000
|
10,000
|
13,000
|
26%
|
|
| TOTAL |
59,798,500
|
8,283,250
|
19,513,000
|
27,796,250
|
46%
|
|
| Central Powers |
19,500,000
|
3,355,000
|
8,407,000
|
11,762,000
|
60%
|
| The Central Powers were Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, Bulgaria |
| Opponents of Central Powers |
40,298,500
|
4,928,250
|
11,106,000
|
17,539,250
|
44%
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| CIVILIAN CASUALTIES |
6.6 million, of which 2 million in Russia, and 2.1 million Armenians killed by the Turks
Millions of bereaved families and individuals, unknown thousands of shell-shocked veterans. |
Based on a web page authored by Robert Wilde.
Most statistics from The Longman Companion to the First World War (Colin Nicholson, Longman 2001, pg. 248)
NOTES
1. The figure of 55,000 refers to soldiers who saw combat; the number of Africans involved as auxiliaries or otherwise is likely to include several hundred thousand. Troops were drawn from Nigeria, Gambia, Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Nyasaland/Malawi, Kenya and the Gold Coast. Figures for South Africa are given separately.
2. The British West Indies regiment drew men from across the Caribbean, including Barbados, Bahamas, Honduras, Grenada, Guyana, Leeward Islands, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Trinidad and Tobago; the bulk came from Jamaica.
|
|
Casualties of the Great War