Possible estimates on the number of people killed in the invasion and occupation of Iraq vary widely, and are highly disputed. For more info see Casualties of the Iraq War. Estimates of casualties below include both the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the following Post-invasion Iraq, 2003–present.
Iraqi deaths.
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The Iraq Body Count (IBC) project's figure of 70,604 to 77,121 civilian deaths reported in English-language media (including Arabic media translated into English) up to 25 August 2007 includes civilian deaths due to coalition and insurgent military action, sectarian violence and increased criminal violence. The IBC says the figure likely underestimates because: "It is likely that many if not most civilian casualties will go unreported by the media."
The Lancet study's figure of 654,965 excess deaths is based on household survey data. The estimate is for all excess violent and nonviolent deaths. That also includes those due to increased lawlessness, degraded infrastructure, poorer healthcare, etc.. 601,027 deaths (range of 426,369 to 793,663 using a 95% confidence interval) were estimated to be due to violence. 31% of those were attributed to the Coalition, 24% to others, 46% unknown. The causes of violent deaths were gunshot (56%), car bomb (13%), other explosion/ordnance (14%), air strike (13%), accident (2%), unknown (2%).
The United Nations reported that 34,452 violent deaths occurred in 2006, based on data from morgues, hospitals, and municipal authorities across Iraq. For comparison, the IBC reports approximately 24,500 civilian deaths in 2006. The Lancet study's excess mortality rate figure of 14.2 deaths/1000/year as of June 2006 corresponds to approximately 370,000 deaths in 2006.
A figure of 100,000 to 150,000 was estimated by Iraq's Health Minister Ali al-Shemari in a November 2006 press conference, based on extrapolating the recent 2006 rate of 100 deaths per day recorded in hospitals and morgues backward to March 2003. War-related deaths (civilian and non-civilian), and deaths from criminal gangs.
"At least 50,000 Iraqis have died violently"—as of June 2006. "Many more Iraqis are believed to have been killed but not counted because of serious lapses in recording deaths. ... The Times attempted to reach a comprehensive figure by obtaining statistics from the Baghdad morgue and the Health Ministry and checking those numbers against a sampling of local health departments for possible undercounts."
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U.S. armed forces. |
3,760 dead. 8,163 wounded - medical air transport required. 19,116 wounded - no medical air transport required. Of all the wounded 12,340 were unable to return to duty within 72 hours. Medical air transport was required for an additional 7,459 non-hostile injuries, and 20,849 diseases or other medical conditions. Totals as listed at source pages on 26 August 2007.
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Coalition deaths by hostile fire. |
3,287 of the 4,057 coalition military deaths, including 3,061 of the 3,760 U.S. deaths. Totals as listed at source pages on 26 August 2007.
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Armed forces of other coalition countries. |
See Multinational force in Iraq
297 total. Breakdown:
Australia 2.
Bulgaria 13.
Czech Republic 1.
Denmark 7.
El Salvador 5.
Estonia 2.
Hungary 1.
Italy 33.
Kazakhstan 1.
Latvia 3.
Netherlands 2.
Poland 21.
Romania 2.
Slovakia 4.
South Korea 1.
Spain 11.
Thailand 2.
Ukraine 18.
United Kingdom 168.
Totals as listed at source page on 26 August 2007.
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Contractors. |
At least 933 deaths between March 2003 and July 3, 2007. 224 of those are from the USA. Contractors are "Americans, Iraqis and workers from more than three dozen other countries." Nearly 13,000 wounded or injured. Contractors "cook meals, do laundry, repair infrastructure, translate documents, analyze intelligence, guard prisoners, protect military convoys, deliver water in the heavily fortified Green Zone and stand sentry at buildings - often highly dangerous duties almost identical to those performed by many U.S. troops." 182,000 employees of U.S.-government-funded contractors and subcontractors (118,000 Iraqi, 43,000 Other, 21,000 U.S.).
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Media and aid workers. |
102 journalists, 39 media support workers, and 88 aid workers have been killed.
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- References
- "NPR: The Toll of War". National Public Radio's website bar chart of various death toll estimates.
- George W. Bush, "President Discusses War on Terror and Upcoming Iraqi Elections ". White House transcript. Dec. 12, 2005. Says 30,000 Iraqi dead.
- "Bush: Iraqi democracy making progress". CNN. Dec. 12, 2005. "I would say 30,000, more or less, have died as a result of the initial incursion and the ongoing violence against Iraqis," Bush said. CNN writes: "White House spokesman Scott McClellan later said Bush was basing his statement on media reports, 'not an official government estimate.' "
- Iraq Body Count project. "Quick-FAQ" link on sidebar (source of quote on undercounting by media).
- "A Week in Iraq - Iraq Body Count". Week ending Dec. 31, 2006.
- "Iraqi death toll estimates go as high as 150,000". Taipei Times, Nov. 11, 2006.
- "Iraqi health minister estimates as many as 150,000 Iraqis killed by insurgents". International Herald Tribune. Nov. 9, 2006.
- "War's Iraqi Death Toll Tops 50,000". Louise Roug and Doug Smith. Los Angeles Times. June 25, 2006.
- "Iraqi Death Toll Exceeded 34,000 in '06, U.N. Says". By Sabrina Tavernise. New York Times. Jan. 17, 2007.
- 2006 Lancet study. PDF file of Lancet article: Template:PDFlink. By Gilbert Burnham, Riyadh Lafta, Shannon Doocy, and Les Roberts. The Lancet, October 11, 2006.
- Supplement to 2006 Lancet study: Template:PDFlink. By Gilbert Burnham, Shannon Doocy, Elizabeth Dzeng, Riyadh Lafta, and Les Roberts.
- "Forces: U.S. & Coalition Casualties". CNN, From March 2003 onwards.
- iCasualties.org (was lunaville.org). Benicia, California. Patricia Kneisler, et al., "Iraq Coalition Casualties".
- iCasualties - "Deaths By Coalition Country".
- iCasualties - Journalist deaths in Iraq.
- iCasualties - Coalition fatalities by cause of death.
- iCasualties - "Iraq Coalition Casualties: Hostile - NonHostile Deaths".
- iCasualties - "U.S. Wounded By Week".
- iCasualties - "Iraq Coalition Casualties: Contractor Deaths". Incomplete list.
- "Contractor deaths add up in Iraq". By Michelle Roberts. Deseret Morning News. Feb. 24, 2007. "often highly dangerous duties almost identical to those performed by many U.S. troops."
- "Death Toll for Contractors Reaches New High in Iraq". By John M. Broder and James Risen. New York Times. May 19, 2007. "workers from more than three dozen other countries".
- "Private contractors outnumber U.S. troops in Iraq". By T. Christian Miller. Los Angeles Times. July 4, 2007. 182,000 contractors: "21,000 Americans, 43,000 foreign contractors and about 118,000 Iraqis".
- "In outsourced U.S. wars, contractor deaths top 1,000". By Bernd Debusmann. Reuters. July 3, 2007. 933 deaths in Iraq.
- "Contractors Back From Iraq Suffer Trauma From Battle". By James Risen. New York Times. July 4, 2007. "nearly 13,000 have been injured."
- Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). "IRAQ: Journalists in Danger".
- Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). "Media support workers killed since March 2003".
- "NCCI - NGO coordination committee in Iraq". Aid workers killed in Iraq since 2003.
- Many official U.S. tables at "Military Casualty Information". See latest injury, disease, and other-medical totals. See also: Latest fatality and wounded-in-action totals.
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