List of wars by death toll

Table columns:
War
Death range
Geometric mean
Date
Location
Notes

Table rows:
cells: World War II
15,843,000–85,000,000
36,696,798
1939–1945
Worldwide
[1]
cells: Mongol conquests
30,000,000–40,000,000
34,641,016
1206–1368
Eurasia
[2][3][4] – Excludes the (up to) 200,000,000 deaths from the Black Death migration that arguably may have been associated with the Mongol expansion
cells: Qing conquest of the Ming
25,000,000+
25,000,000
1616–1662
China
[5] – Also known as the Ming–Qing transition
cells: Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire
24,300,000+
24,300,000
1519–1632
Mexico
[6] – Part of the European colonization of the Americas
cells: Taiping Rebellion
5,000,000–100,000,000
22,360,680
1850–1864
China
[7][8][9] – Also known as the Taiping Civil War
cells: Second Sino-Japanese War
20,000,000–25,000,000
22,360,680
1937–1945
China
[10] – Part of World War II
cells: An Lushan Rebellion
13,000,000–36,000,000
21,633,308
755–763
China / Vietnam
[11] – Also known as the An–Shi Rebellion
cells: Germanic Wars
15,450,000+
15,450,000
113–596
Europe
Number given is lowest estimate of all deaths recorded in conflicts between Roman and Germanic peoples in this time period, due to a lack of recording of deaths actual number caused by these conflicts is likely much greater.
cells: World War I
8,545,800-21,000,000
13,396,335
1914–1918
Worldwide
[1] – Also known as the Great War
cells: Conquests of Timur
8,000,000–20,000,000
12,649,111
1370–1405
Eurasia
[12][13]
cells: Dungan Revolt
8,000,000–12,000,000
9,797,959
1862–1877
China
– Also known as the Tongzhi Hui Revolt
cells: Chinese Civil War
8,000,000–11,692,000
9,671,401
1927–1949
China
[14]
cells: Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire
8,400,000+
8,400,000
1533–1572
Peru
[6] – Part of the European colonization of the Americas
cells: Reconquista
7,000,000+
7,000,000
711–1492
Iberian Peninsula
[15]
cells: Russian Civil War
5,000,000–9,000,000
6,708,204
1917–1922
Russia
[16]
cells: Thirty Years' War
3,000,000–11,500,000
5,873,670
1618–1648
Europe
[17]
cells: Ottoman wars in Europe
5,500,000+
5,500,000
1821–1921
Eastern Europe
Justin McCarthy claims that 5.5 million Ottoman Muslims were killed by various Christian oppressors in the last century of the Ottoman Empire.
cells: Moorish Wars
5,000,000+
5,000,000
534–548
North Africa
cells: Napoleonic Wars
3,500,000–7,000,000
4,949,747
1803–1815
Worldwide
See: Napoleonic Wars casualties
cells: Mughal–Maratha Wars
4,600,000+
4,600,000
1658-1707
India
[18][19]
cells: Yellow Turban Rebellion
3,000,000–7,000,000
4,582,576
184–205
China
– Part of Three Kingdoms War
cells: Second Congo War
2,500,000–5,400,000
3,674,235
1998–2003
Central Africa
[20][21][22][23] – Also known as the Great War of Africa
cells: French Wars of Religion
2,000,000–4,000,000
2,828,427
1562–1598
France
[24] – Also known as the Huguenot Wars
cells: Indian Rebellion of 1857
800,000–10,000,000
2,828,427
1857–1858
India
[25] – Also known as the Sepoy Mutiny or the Indian First War of Independence
cells: Hundred Years' War
2,300,000–3,300,000
2,794,995
1337–1453
Western Europe
[26]
cells: Vietnam War
800,000–3,800,000
1,743,560
1955–1975
Vietnam
[27][28][29] – Also known as the Second Indochina War
cells: Crusades
1,000,000–3,000,000
1,732,051
1095–1291
Europe / Middle East ("Holy Land")
[30]
cells: Mfecane
1,500,000–2,000,000
1,732,051
1815–1840
Southern Africa
[31]
cells: Nigerian Civil War
1,000,000-3,000,000
1,732,051
1967–1970
Nigeria
– Also known as the Biafran War
cells: War in Afghanistan
1,240,000–2,000,000
1,620,000
1978–present
Afghanistan
[32]
cells: Punic Wars
1,250,000–1,850,000
1,520,691
264 BC–146 BC
Western Europe / North Africa
cells: Spanish conquest of Yucatán
1,460,000+
1,460,000
1519–1595
North America
[6] – Part of the European colonisation of the Americas
cells: Second Sudanese Civil War
1,000,000–2,000,000
1,414,214
1983–2005
Sudan
cells: Warring States Period
1,200,000–1,500,000
1,341,642
475 BC–221 BC
China
cells: Korean War
1,200,000+
1,200,000
1950–1953
Korea
[33]
cells: Seven Years' War
868,000–1,400,000
1,102,361
1756–1763
Worldwide
[34][35]
cells: Soviet-Afghan War
600,000–2,000,000
1,095,445
1979–1989
Afghanistan
[36][37][38] – Part of War in Afghanistan
cells: Japanese invasions of Korea
1,000,000+
1,000,000
1592–1598
Korea
[39]
cells: Mexican Revolution
500,000–2,000,000
1,000,000
1910–1920
Mexico
[40]
cells: Panthay Rebellion
890,000–1,000,000
943,398
1856–1873
China
– Also known as the Du Wenxiu Rebellion
cells: Wars of the Three Kingdoms
876,000+
876,000
1639–1651
British Isles
[41][42][43] – Also known as the British Civil Wars
cells: Conquests of Mehmed II 'the Conqueror'
873,000+
873,000
1451–1481
Eastern Europe
[44] May be over or underestimated
cells: Ethiopian Civil War
500,000–1,500,000
866,025
1974–1991
Ethiopia
cells: Jewish–Roman Wars
350,000–2,000,000
836,660
66–136
Europe / Middle East
cells: American Civil War
650,000–1,000,000
800,000
1861–1865
USA
[45][46][47]
cells: Second Punic War
770,000+
770,000
218 BC–201 BC
Western Europe / North Africa
[48] – Part of the Punic Wars
cells: Algerian War
350,000-1,500,000
724,569
1954–1962
Algeria
[49] – Also known as the Algerian War of Independence
cells: War of the Spanish Succession
400,000–1,251,000
707,389
1701–1714
Europe / Americas
[1]
cells: Spanish Civil War
500,000–1,000,000
707,107
1936–1939
Spain
[50]
cells: Qin's Wars of Unification
700,000+
700,000
230 BC–221 BC
China
– Part of Warring States Period
cells: Eighty Years' War
600,000–700,000
648,074
1568–1648
Worldwide
[6] – Also known as the Dutch War of Independence
cells: Gallic Wars
400,000–1,000,000
632,445
58 BC–50 BC
France
cells: First Jewish–Roman War
270,000–1,358,400
605,614
66–73
Middle East
– Part of Jewish–Roman Wars
cells: Spanish American Wars of Independence
600,000+
600,000
1808–1833
Americas
[51]
cells: Paraguayan War
300,000–1,200,000
600,000
1864–1870
South America
[52] – Also known as the War of the Triple Alliance
cells: War on Terror
272,000–1,260,000
585,023
2001–present
Worldwide
[53][54][55][56] – Also known as the Global War on Terrorism
cells: Iran-Iraq War
289,220–1,100,000
564,041
1980–1988
Middle East
cells: French invasion of Russia
540,000+
540,000
1812
Russia
[1] – Part of the Napoleonic Wars
cells: Cimbrian War
410,000–650,000
516,236
113 BC–101 BC
Western Europe
– Part of the Germanic Wars
cells: English Civil War
356,000–735,000
511,527
1642–1651
England
[57] – Part of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
cells: Angolan Civil War
504,158+
504,158
1975–2002
Angola
cells: First Sudanese Civil War
500,000+
500,000
1955–1972
Sudan
cells: Bar Kokhba Revolt
400,000–580,000
481,664
132–136
Middle East
– Also known as the Third Jewish–Roman War – Part of Jewish–Roman Wars
cells: Syrian Civil War
470,000+
470,000
2011–present
Syria
See: Casualties of the Syrian civil war
cells: Albigensian Crusade
200,000–1,000,000
447,214
1208–1229
France
[58][59] – Also known as the Cathar Crusade – Part of the Crusades
cells: First Congo War
250,000–800,000
447,214
1996–1997
Congo
cells: Iraq War
176,913–1,120,000
445,132
2003–2011
Iraq
[55][56][60] – Also known as the Second Gulf War – Part of the War on Terror See: Casualties of the Iraq War
cells: Kitos War
440,000+
440,000
115–117
Southern Europe / North Africa
– Also known as the Second Jewish–Roman War – Part of Jewish–Roman Wars
cells: First Indochina War
400,000+
400,000
1946–1954
Southeast Asia
– Also known as the Indochina War
cells: Maratha expeditions in Bengal
400,000+
400,000
1741–1751
India
[61][62]
cells: Probus's German War
400,000+
400,000
277
Europe
Emperor Probus informed the Senate that he had killed 400,000 Germans. From the Historia Augusta. – Part of the Germanic Wars
cells: Continuation War
387,333+
387,333
1941–1944
Northern Europe
– Part of World War II
cells: Somali Civil War
300,000–500,000
387,298
1986–present
Somalia
[63][64][65]
cells: Crimean War
356,000–410,000
382,047
1853–1856
Crimean Peninsula
cells: Cuban War of Independence
362,000+
362,000
1895–1898
Cuba
[50]
cells: Great Northern War
350,000+
350,000
1700–1721
Eastern Europe
Sweden, the Swedish Baltic provinces, and Finland, together, with a population of only 2.5 million, lost some 350,000 dead during the war from all causes.[66]
cells: Italian Wars
300,000–400,000
346,410
1494–1559
Southern Europe
[6] – Also known as the Great Wars of Italy
cells: Gothic War (269)
320,000+
320,000
269
Europe
Claudius II defeated the Goths, of whom 320,000 were slain. This number is from the Historia Augusta. – Part of the Germanic Wars
cells: French conquest of Algeria
300,000+
300,000
1829–1847
Algeria
Including 15,000 French[67]
cells: Burundian Civil War
300,000+
300,000
1993–2005
Burundi
[68]
cells: Bangladesh Liberation War
26,000–3,000,000
279,285
1971
Bangladesh
[69] – Also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence
cells: Second Italo-Ethiopian War
278,350+
278,350
1935–1936
Ethiopia
According to Italian government statistics, the Italians suffered 1,148 KIA, 125 DOW, and 31 MIA.[70] According to the Ethiopian government, at least 275,000 Ethiopians died in the brief war.[70][71] – Also known as the Second Italo–Abyssinian War
cells: War in Darfur
178,258–461,520
268,961
2003–present
Sudan
[72]
cells: West Papua conflict
150,000-400,000
266,017
1963–present
New Guinea
cells: Ten Years' War
241,000+
241,000
1868–1878
Cuba
[50] – Also known as the Great War
cells: Philippine–American War
234,000+
234,000
1899–1912
Philippines
[73] – Also known as the Philippine War
cells: Venezuelan War of Independence
228,000+
228,000
1810–1823
Venezuela
– Part of Spanish American Wars of Independence
cells: Ugandan Bush War
100,000–500,000
223,607
1981–1986
Uganda
[74][75] – Also known as the Luwero War
cells: Lord's Resistance Army insurgency
100,000–500,000
223,607
1987–present
Central Africa
[76][77]
cells: Colombian conflict
220,000+
220,000
1964–present
Colombia
[78]
cells: Franco-Dutch War
220,000+
220,000
1672–1678
Western Europe
[1] – Also known as the Dutch War
cells: Iraqi–Kurdish conflict
138,800–320,100
210,784
1918–2003
Iraq
[79][80]
cells: Franco-Spanish War (1635–59)
200,000+
200,000
1635–1659
Western Europe
[1][50]
cells: Campaigns of Suleiman the Magnificent
200,000+
200,000
1521–1566
Eastern Europe / Middle East / North Africa
[1]
cells: Carlist Wars
200,000+
200,000
1820–1876
Spain
[51]
cells: La Violencia
192,700–194,700
195,036
1948–1958
Colombia
cells: Third Punic War
150,000–250,000
193,649
149 BC–146 BC
Tunisia
– Part of the Punic Wars
cells: Winter War
153,736–194,837
185,659
1939–1940
Finland
– Part of World War II
cells: First Punic War
185,000+
185,000
264 BC–241 BC
Southern Europe / North Africa
– Part of the Punic Wars
cells: Internal conflict in Myanmar
130,000–250,000
180,278
1948–present
Myanmar
[81]
cells: Kalinga War
150,000–200,000
173,205
262 BC–261 BC
India
cells: Hunnic Invasions
165,000+
165,000
395–453
Europe
Number given is the sum of all deaths in battle recorded by Roman writers during this time period, does not take into account civilian deaths, the actual number may be much greater.
cells: Greek Civil War
158,000+
158,000
1946– 1949
Greece
[82][83][84][85]
cells: Wars of the Sixteen Kingdoms
150,000+
150,000
304–439
Northern China
Number given is the sum of all deaths in battle recorded in this time period in battles between armies of the Sixteen Kingdoms, does not take into account civilian deaths, the actual number may be much greater.
cells: Wars of Alexander the Great
142,000+
142,000
336 BC–323 BC
Middle East / North Africa / Central Asia / India
Number given is the sum of all deaths in battle during these wars recorded by Greek writers, does not take into account civilian deaths, the actual number may be much greater.
cells: North Yemen Civil War
100,000–200,000
141,421
1962–1970
Yemen
[86]
cells: 1991 Iraqi coup d'état attempt
85,000–235,000
141,333
1991
Iraq
[87][88][89] – Also known as the Sha'aban Intifada
cells: Balkan Wars
140,000+
140,000
1912–1913
Balkan Peninsula
[1]
cells: Saint-Domingue expedition
135,000+
135,000
1802–1803
Haiti
[50]
cells: Lebanese Civil War
120,000–150,000
134,164
1975–1990
Lebanon
cells: Arab–Byzantine Wars
130,000+
130,000
629–1050
Middle East / North Africa / Southern Europe
Number given is the sum of all deaths in battle recorded by writers during this time period, does not take into account civilian deaths, the actual number may be much greater.
cells: Sierra Leone Civil War
50,000-300,000
122,474
1991-2002
Sierra Leone
cells: Thousand Days' War
120,000+
120,000
1899–1902
Colombia
[90]
cells: Moro Conflict
120,000+
120,000
1969–present
Philippines
[91]
cells: Great Turkish War
120,000+
120,000
1683–1699
Eastern Europe
[1] – Also known as the War of the Holy League
cells: Arab–Israeli conflict
116,074+
116,074
1948–present
Middle East
[92]
cells: Mexican Drug War
106,800+
106,800
2006–present
Mexico
[93][94] – Also known as the Mexican War on Drugs
cells: Aceh War
97,000–107,000
101,877
1873–1914
Indonesia
[95] – Also known as the Infidel War
cells: Bosnian War
97,214–104,732
100,903
1991–1995
Bosnia
cells: Conquests of Cyrus the Great
100,000+
100,000
549 BC– 530 BC
Middle East
Number given is the sum of all deaths in battle recorded by writers during this time period, does not take into account civilian deaths, the actual number may be much greater.
cells: German Peasants' War
100,000+
100,000
1524–1525
Germany
[96] – Also known as the Great Peasants War
cells: Kurdish rebellions in Turkey
100,000+
100,000
1921–present
Middle East
cells: Congo Crisis
100,000+
100,000
1960–1965
Congo
[97]
cells: Insurgency in Laos
100,000+
100,000
1975–2007
Laos
[98]
cells: Kivu Conflict
100,000+
100,000
2004–present
Congo
– Part of the Second Congo War
cells: Kashmir Conflict
80,000–110,000
93,808
1947– present
North India / Pakistan
cells: Algerian Civil War
44,000–200,000
93,808
1991–2002
Algeria
[99][100]
cells: Angolan War of Independence
82,991–102,991
92,452
1961–1974
Angola
cells: Roman Conquest of Britain
90,000+
90,000
43–96
Great Britain
Number given is the sum of all deaths in battle recorded by Roman writers during this time period, does not take into account civilian deaths, the actual number may be much greater.
cells: Mahdist War
90,969+
90,969
1881–1889
Northwest Africa
– Also known as the Sudan Campaign
cells: Goryeo–Khitan Wars
90,000+
90,000
993–1019
Korea
[101]
cells: Rif War
90,000+
90,000
1916–1927
Morocco
cells: Sri Lankan Civil War
80,000–100,000
89,443
1983–2009
Sri Lanka
[102]
cells: Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604)
88,285+
88,285
1585–1604
Europe / Americas
[50]
cells: Indian annexation of Hyderabad
29,212–242,212
84,116
1948
India
– Also known as Operation Polo
cells: Iceni Revolt
80,000+
80,000
60–61
England
Year is uncertain – Part of Roman Conquest of Britain
cells: Wars of Scottish Independence
60,000-150,000
77,459
1296–1357
Scotland / England
cells: Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)
75,000+
75,000
2014–present
Iraq
cells: Mozambican War of Independence
63,500–88,500
74,965
1964–1974
Mozambique
[103]
cells: Greco–Persian Wars
73,800+
73,800
499 BC–449 BC
Greece
cells: Sino-Burmese War (1765–69)
70,000+
70,000
1765–1769
Southeast Asia
– Also known as the Qing invasions of Burma
cells: Internal conflict in Peru
70,000+
70,000
1980–present
Peru
[104]
cells: French campaign in Egypt and Syria
65,000+
65,000
1798–1801
Middle East / North Africa
[1]
cells: War in North-West Pakistan
45,852–78,946
60,158
2004–present
Pakistan
[60] – Also known as the War in Waziristan – Part of the War on Terror and War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
cells: Ituri conflict
60,000+
60,000
1999–2003
Congo
[105] – Part of the Second Congo War
cells: Soviet–Japanese War (1945)
33,420–95,768
56,574
1945
Manchuria
– Part of World War II
cells: War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
47,246–61,603
53,949
2001–present
Afghanistan
[60] – Part of the War on Terror and War in Afghanistan
cells: Boko Haram insurgency
51,567+
51,567
2009–present
Nigeria
2,400,000 internally displaced
cells: French intervention in Mexico
49,287+
49,287
1862–1867
Mexico
[50]
cells: First Sino–Japanese War
48,311+
48,311
1894–1895
East Asia
cells: Kurdish–Turkish conflict
45,000+
45,000
1978–present
Middle East
[106] – Part of the Kurdish rebellions in Turkey
cells: Wars of the Roses
35,000–50,000
41,833
1455–1487
England / Wales
[107][108]
cells: American Revolutionary War
10,435–159,000
40,733
1775–1783
Worldwide
[1][109] [110] [111] [112] – Also known as the American War of Independence
cells: Gothic War (376–382)
40,000+
40,000
376–382
Eastern Europe
– Part of the Germanic Wars
cells: Second Italo-Senussi War
40,000+
40,000
1923–1932
Libya
cells: Nagorno-Karabakh War
38,000+
38,000
1988–1994
Caucasus region
– Also known as the Artsakh Liberation War
cells: CPP-NPA-NDF rebellion
30,000–43,000
35,917
1969–present
Philippines
[113]
cells: Ethnic conflict in Nagaland
34,000+
34,000
1954–present
Northeast India
[114]
cells: Samnite Wars
33,500+
33,500
343 BC–290 BC
Italy
Number given is the sum of all deaths in battle recorded by Roman writers during this time period, does not take into account civilian deaths, the actual number may be much greater.
cells: Conquest of the Desert
30,000–35,000
32,404
1870s–1884
Patagonia
cells: Gulf War
25,456–40,456
32,100
1990–1991
Iraq
– Also known as the First Iraq War
cells: Greco-Italian War
27,080+
27,080
1940–1941
Southeast Europe
– Part of World War II
cells: Insurgency in Northeast India
25,000+
25,000
1964–present
Northeast India
[81]
cells: Houthi insurgency in Yemen
25,000+
25,000
2004–present
Yemen
[115] – Also known as the Sa'dah War
cells: Irish Rebellion of 1798
11,500–53,000
24,688
1798
Ireland
cells: Dominican Restoration War
22,000+
22,000
1863–1865
Dominican Republic
One estimate placed total Spanish deaths from all causes at 18,000. The fatal losses among the Dominican insurgents were estimated at 4,000.[50]
cells: Kurdish separatism in Iran
13,100–34,000
21,105
1918–present
Iran
[116]
cells: Six-Day War
21,000+
21,000
1967
Middle East
[1]
cells: War of the Quadruple Alliance
20,000+
20,000
1718–1720
Europe / North America
[50]
cells: Ragamuffin War
20,000+
20,000
1835–1845
Brazil
[117]
cells: Italo-Turkish War
20,000+
20,000
1911–1912
Southern Europe / North Africa
[1]

Questions about this table:
originalText: total number of deaths in the civil war
answer: answerTexts: 650,000–1,000,000