Iraq by numbers

The figures behind the Iraq war.

Table of contents

1. Dead and wounded
2. Foreign troops in Iraq
3. Bombings and violence
4. Reconstruction
5. Security
6. Cost
7. Society
8. Iraq refugees


1. Dead and wounded

There have been 3933 US military deaths and 29, 005 US military have been injured since the start of the war.
Source: Brookings Institute from US Department of Defense

And, according to the US Department of Defence there have been 118 US military personnel suicides (as of 31 July 2007).
Source: Dept of Defense figures as of 29 August

The most deadly months for US troops are currently:
1. April 2004 - 135 dead
2. November 2004 - 137 dead
3. May 2007 - 127 dead
Source: icasualties.org

British and coalition forces killed since start of war
There have been 174 British military deaths (Ministry of Defence figures as of 9 August 2007).

A total of 133 coalition forces have been killed. The heaviest hit countries have been Italy (33 deaths) and Poland (23) closely followed by the Ukraine (18) and Bulgaria (13).
Source: Iraq Coalition Casualty Count (icasualties.org)

Iraqi lives lost
The New England Journal of Medicine published a study carried out by the Iraq Family Health Survey Study Group in which they estimated the number of violent civilian deaths in Iraq from March 2003 through June 2006. Based on a survey of 1,086 household clusters throughout Iraq, they estimated that there were 151,000 such deaths during this period.

Iraqi military and police killed (from June 2003-27 January 2008): 7,829.
Source: Brookings Institution - Iraq Index

Journalists killed since start of war
125 - those killed 'on duty' ie as a result of hostile action, reprisal for their work or crossfire while on assignment.


Of these the vast majority are Iraqi (103) followed by European journalists (12).

Of these 82 were murdered, 43 were caught in crossfire or other acts of war. Source: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

Return to top

2. Foreign troops in Iraq

US troops in Iraq - 162,000
No of UK troops in Iraq - 5,500
South Korean - 1,200
From all other nations - 4,808
TOTAL: 173,508
Source: Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, as of September 2007

The number of coalition nations contributing troops in Iraq decreased from 33 in Dec 2003 to 25 in May 2007.

28,829 US troops have been committed (not necessarily deployed) to the surge. Of which:

• January 2007 - 21,500 (for combat)
• March 1 2007 - 2,400 (for support)
• March 7 2,200 (military police)
• March 10 - 129 (reconstruction in provinces)
• March 17 - 2, 600 (for combat aviation)

Source: Bush speech January 2007 and DOD

Return to top

3. Bombings and violence

There have been 1,464 multiple fatality bombings between May 2003 and 27 January 2008 of which 591 (35.9 per cent) were suicide bombs.

They have left 15,444 dead and 31,222 injured.

Attacks have steadily risen in frequency from, on average, three daily attacks in June 2003 to over a hundred in 2006 and 2007.

Source: compiled from press reports by The Brookings Institution, Iraq Institute

Foreign fighters in the Insurgency
Jan 04: 300-500
Jan 05: "Fewer than 1,000"
Jan 06: 700 - 2,000
Nov 06: 800 - 2,000


Estimated number of foreigners illigally crossing into iraq to support the insurgency 2007
Jan to May: 80-90 per month
Jun to Aug: 40-60 per month
Sep to Nov: 40 per month

By nationality
Saudi Arabia: 244.44 per cent
Syria 49.8 per cent
Libya 112.19 per cent
Algeria 43.7 per cent
Yemen 48.8 per cent
Morocco 36.6 per cent
Tunisia 32.5 per cent
Egypt 5.1 per cent
Jordan 11.2 per cent
other 15.3 per cent


Col. Sean MacFarland, Commander of 1st Brigade Combat Team, in Ramadi, said in a DoD news briefing: "[foreign fighters] are very few in number, although as far as we can tell, they constitute about 100 percent of suicide bombers."

Source: Brookings Institution - Iraq index

Return to top

4. Reconstruction

Because Saddam's regine focused on providing electricity in Baghdad rather than other regions, before the war Baghdad had 16 to 24 hours of electricity per day, whereas nationwide the average was 4-8 hours.

After the US invasion, the whole of Iraq, including Baghdad, had only 4-8 hours per day.

Since then it is Baghdad that has suffered the smallest electricity supply, while nationwide supply is generally greater than before the war. The country is currently producing less than half the megawatts it needs.

Electricity demand has increased 70 per cent since 2003 invasion (because Iraqis have more TVs, computers, refrigerators etc...). But in January 2008, Baghdad had 7.2 hours and nationwide Iraqis had 8.7 hours.

Source: Brookings Institute, Iraq Index

The number of Electricity Ministry employees killed - 400 (mostly engineers working in field)
Electricty workers injured in attacks during their work - 300
Electricity workers kidnapped - 300 were kidnapped
Source: Iraqi Electricity Minister in press reports

Crude oil export accounts for 97 per cent of the Iraqi government's revenue.

The US has spent $6bn on Iraq's oil and electricity sectors between 2003 - 2007. 80 per cent of these funds for the oil sector have already been spent. According to the US Government Accountability Office around $50bn is still needed.

$1.8 to $5.5bn per year is lost in oil industry due to poor security, metering problems, re-injection, corruption, theft, and sabotage.

Iraqi government has spent less than three per cent of the $3.5bn it has approved for oil reconstruction projects in 2006.
Source: US Government Accountability Office - July 2007

Return to top

5. Security

The US government has spent $19.2bn to develop Iraqi security forces since 2004.

The Department of Defense (DOD) recently requested a further $2 bn to continue this effort.

Source: US government accountability office (GAO)

180,000 American, Iraqi and other foreign contractors are working in Iraq under US government contracts.

And, according to the department of defence, 159 US civilian contractors have been killed during reconstruction. But the US Department of Labor says that, based oninsurance claims, the actual figure is more than 400 with over 4,000 injured.

Source: LA Times based on State and Defense department figures

Return to top

6. Cost

Cost of UK military operations in Iraq as of September 2007: 2002-3 - £848m
2003-4 - £1311m
2004-5 - £910m
2005-6 - £958m
2006-7 - approx £956m

$602 billion - amount allocated in budgets by US lawmakers for military/diplomatic operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and other war on terror operations, veterans benefits and other services.


Of that amount, about 70 per cent has been allocated for the war in Iraq.

Source: Congressional Budget Office - CBO)

Return to top

7. Society

The number of doctors in Iraq has declined since 2003. 12,000 doctors are believed to have left the country, 2,000 murdered and 250 kidnapped.

At the same time 40 per cent of the professional class has left since the invasion.

TV, however has flourished. before the war there were no commercial TV stations in Iraq. By March 2006 there were 54.

And politics, too, is flourishing. Over 300 political parties were registered for the December 2005 election.

The law has also changed enormously. There were no trained judges in Iraq before the war. By January 2007 there were 870.

Before the war there were an estimated 4,500 internet users in Iraq. By April 2007 there were an estimated 261,000 surfers. And this doesn't include those who access the web at internet cafes.

Source: Brookings Institution, Iraq Index

Return to top

8. Iraqi refugees

4.2 million Iraqis have been displaced since 2003. At the moment it is estimated that 60,000 are displaced each month.

Internally displaced: 2 million inside Iraq (1 million since the Feb 2006 Samarra bombings) comprising:

North - 680,000 displaced
South - 790,000 displaced
Centre - 650,000 displaced

Externally displaced: 2.2 million in neighbouring countries:

Syria - 1.4 million Iraqis
Jordan - 500,000 to 750,000 Iraqis

No of Iraqi asylum seekers in Europe in 1st quarter of 2007: 20,000 (same number as received for all of 2006)

Source: UNHCR and the Iraqi Red Crescent, as of September 2007

Return to top

Send this article by email

Recipient's email address

Your name