A Grim Toll: Counting Afghanistan's Dead Since 2003

Since the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, the war has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths. The war in Afghanistan has killed at least 500,000 people, according to a report by Brown University's Costs of War Project. The war has killed 176,000 people in Afghanistan, including civilians, military and police, and opposition fighters. The number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan since 2003 is not known, but estimates for specific years or periods have been provided by independent organizations. The war has also caused the displacement of millions of people and exacerbated pre-existing issues such as poverty, malnutrition, poor sanitation, lack of access to healthcare, and environmental degradation.

Civilian deaths

Since the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, civilian casualties have numbered in the tens of thousands. The war in Afghanistan has killed 176,000 people, including 46,319 civilians, according to the Costs of War Project. However, the death toll is likely higher due to unaccounted deaths from disease, starvation, exposure, and other indirect consequences of the war. The Uppsala Conflict Data Program puts the number even higher, at 212,191.

The war in Afghanistan has been marked by a high number of civilian casualties, which have been caused by both US/NATO-led forces and the Taliban and other anti-government elements. According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the majority of civilian casualties each year are attributed to the Taliban and other anti-government elements, ranging from 61% to 80% depending on the year. Civilian deaths were higher in the latter part of the war, with 2015 and 2016 consecutively breaking records for annual civilian deaths.

US/NATO-led forces have also caused significant civilian casualties. In 2001, between 3,100 and 3,600 civilians were directly killed by US-led forces, according to Professor Marc W. Herold of the University of New Hampshire. Human Rights Watch estimated that at least 408-478 Afghan civilians were killed by US/NATO actions. In 2006, Human Rights Watch estimated that at least 230 Afghan civilians were killed by US or NATO attacks, with 116 killed by airstrikes and 114 by ground fire.

The war in Afghanistan has also had indirect consequences for civilians, including displacement, destruction of property, and disruption to healthcare, education, and other essential services. Afghans have faced increased poverty, malnutrition, and lack of access to clean drinking water and sanitation due to the war. According to the Afghan Ministry of Public Health, two-thirds of Afghans suffer from mental health problems as a result of the conflict.

The number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan is difficult to verify due to the dangerous and complex nature of the conflict. However, it is clear that the war has had a devastating impact on the civilian population, with tens of thousands killed and many more affected by indirect consequences.

US military deaths

The War in Afghanistan, which lasted from October 2001 to August 2021, resulted in a significant loss of life for the United States military. During this conflict, which was America's longest war, approximately 2,459 US service members lost their lives. The majority of these deaths, around 2,200, occurred between October 2001 and December 2014, during Operation Enduring Freedom. This operation was initiated in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, marking the beginning of the Global War on Terror.

It is important to note that the number of US military deaths in Afghanistan varies slightly depending on the source. While the United States Department of Defense lists 2,459 service members as deceased, with 1,922 attributed to hostile action and 534 to non-hostile causes, other sources provide slightly lower figures. For instance, iCasualties.org, a website that confirms its data with the Department of Defense, reports 2,406 deaths of US servicemen and women in support of operations in Afghanistan.

The conflict in Afghanistan has also taken a toll on the mental health of US service members, leading to a high number of suicides. Official Pentagon numbers do not include suicides that occur after troops return home, but it is estimated that over 30,177 service members and veterans of the post-9/11 wars have taken their own lives—a number more than four times the combat deaths.

The US military deaths in Afghanistan include personnel from various branches of the armed forces, including the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force. The highest number of fatalities in a single incident occurred on August 6, 2011, when a transport helicopter was shot down in Wardak province, claiming the lives of 30 Americans, including 22 Navy SEALs, seven Afghan soldiers, and a civilian interpreter.

In addition to the human toll, the financial cost of the war in Afghanistan for the US government has been significant, amounting to $2.3 trillion. The war also resulted in the deaths of American contractors and civilians, with approximately 3,917 contractors and 18 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operatives losing their lives.

US contractor deaths

Since 2003, there have been numerous US contractor deaths in Afghanistan. While the Pentagon does not keep track of these deaths, various sources provide estimates. As of June 24, 2019, there were 121 US contractor deaths in Afghanistan as part of the War in Afghanistan. This number includes private military contractors or PMCs, as well as aid workers and other civilian contractors.

The privatization of modern US warfare has resulted in an increasing number of contractor deaths. These individuals work in areas such as translation, transportation, IT, logistics support, and protective services. The risks of war have shifted towards the private sector, with contractors now making up a significant proportion of total deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Estimates of the total number of US contractor deaths in Afghanistan vary. Brown University's Costs of War project estimates approximately 3,814 deaths. In comparison, the US Department of Labor reports 1,774 civilian contractor deaths in Afghanistan since the beginning of the war, acknowledging that this number is not official. As of April 2024, the number of American service members killed in Afghanistan is 2,448.

The issue of US contractor deaths in Afghanistan highlights the need for better tracking and transparency by the Pentagon and other relevant government departments. It also underscores the human cost of war, which extends beyond uniformed military personnel to include civilians and contractors performing essential functions.

National military and police deaths

The war in Afghanistan has resulted in a significant loss of lives, including those of national military and police personnel. While the exact figures may vary depending on the source and specific timeframes considered, it is clear that the death toll among Afghan security forces is substantial. Here are some key facts and figures regarding national military and police deaths in Afghanistan since 2003:

• According to the Costs of War Project, approximately 109,154 national military and police personnel have died in Afghanistan since the start of the war in 2001 until October 2018.
• Specifically, in Afghanistan, there have been 58,596 reported deaths among national military and police forces.
• The Afghan Defense and Interior Ministry reported that by December 31, 2014, 21,008 soldiers and policemen had lost their lives since June 2002.
• Neta C. Crawford, a Professor of Political Science at Boston University, estimated that approximately 23,470 security force members, including 14,200 policemen and 7,750 soldiers, had been killed since the beginning of the war until the end of 2014.
• Between January 2015 and mid-November 2018, it was initially reported that 28,529 policemen and soldiers died. However, this figure was later revised to over 45,000 fatalities for the period between the end of September 2014 and late January 2019.
• The Anadolu Agency of Turkey reported that an estimated 7,000 Afghan security forces lost their lives in 2019 alone.
• From February 29 to July 21, 2020, approximately 3,560 soldiers perished.
• Professor Crawford presented an updated estimate of 66,000–69,000 deaths among security forces for the entire war up to April 2021, and this number rose to 69,095 by August 2021.
• Immediately following the war's end, Afghan General Sami Sadat confirmed 66,000 troop fatalities during the 20 years of conflict.
• General Yasin Zia, former Chief of General Staff of Afghanistan and Acting Defence Minister, reported to The Washington Post that Afghan security forces counted 92,000 killed members since 2001. He noted that the final days of the war, from July 1 to August 15, were particularly deadly, with 4,000 troops killed and 1,000 missing.
• The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported that in 2007, 1,019 Afghan policemen were among the casualties.
• According to the Costs of War Project, the war in Afghanistan, which includes the period from 2003 onwards, claimed the lives of 69,095 military and police personnel.
• The high death toll among Afghan security forces has made recruiting fresh soldiers increasingly challenging. Abdul Qudous, the head of the Afghan Army's recruitment center in Helmand, noted that most days, only two or three applicants come forward.

Allied troop deaths

Since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, there have been 1,141 allied troop deaths. This figure includes troops from the US and 27 other countries, including the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Spain, and New Zealand. The number of US troop deaths is reported to be 2,401 or 2,461.

The number of allied troop deaths in Afghanistan increased significantly between 2006 and 2011, when the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) expanded its jurisdiction to the southern regions of Afghanistan, which were previously under the direct authority of US forces. During this period, a significant proportion of coalition deaths were among troops from the UK and Canada, which were assigned responsibility for the flashpoint provinces of Helmand and Kandahar, respectively.

The deadliest year for foreign military troops was 2010, when there were 711 Operation Enduring Freedom and ISAF deaths. This continued a trend of increasing deaths every year since 2003.

In addition to the coalition deaths in Afghanistan, there were also fatalities among troops from the US and other countries who were supporting operations in Afghanistan while based in other countries. For example, 59 US soldiers died in Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan, Germany, Oman, Jordan, Turkey, Yemen, and other countries while supporting operations in Afghanistan.

The total number of coalition deaths in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion is reported to be 3,606. This figure includes 18 CIA operatives and some deaths in Pakistan and Uzbekistan. However, this number does not include 62 Spanish soldiers who died in a plane crash in Turkey in 2003 while returning from Afghanistan.

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