Estimates of the casualties from the Iraq War (beginning with the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and the ensuing occupation and insurgency and civil war) have come in several forms, and those estimates of different types of Iraq War casualties vary greatly.
Estimating war-related deaths poses many challenges. Experts distinguish between population-based studies, which extrapolate from random samples of the population, and body counts, which tally reported deaths and likely significantly underestimate casualties. Population-based studies produce estimates of the number of Iraq War casualties ranging from 151,000 violent deaths as of June 2006 (per the Iraq Family Health Survey) to 1,033,000 excess deaths (per the 2007 Opinion Research Business (ORB) survey). Other survey-based studies covering different time-spans find 461,000 total deaths (over 60% of them violent) as of June 2011 (per PLOS Medicine 2013), and 655,000 total deaths (over 90% of them violent) as of June 2006 (per the 2006 Lancet study). Body counts counted at least 110,600 violent deaths as of April 2009 (Associated Press). The Iraq Body Count project documents 186,901–210,296 violent civilian deaths in their table. All estimates of Iraq War casualties are disputed.
Tables
The tables below summarize reports on Iraqi casualty figures.
Scientific surveys: Source Estimated violent deaths Time period Iraq Family Health Survey 151,000 violent deaths March 2003 to June 2006 Lancet survey 601,027 violent deaths out of 654,965 excess deaths March 2003 to June 2006 PLOS Medicine Survey 460,000 deaths in Iraq as direct or indirect result of the war including more than 60% of deaths directly attributable to violence. March 2003 to June 2011 Body counts: Source Documented deaths from violence Time period Associated Press 110,600 violent deaths. March 2003 to April 2009 Iraq Body Count project 186,901 – 210,296 civilian deaths from violence.Iraq Body Count database . From the Iraq Body Count project. The database page says: "Gaps in recording and reporting suggest that even our highest totals to date may be missing many civilian deaths from violence." March 2003 onwards Classified Iraq War LogsStaff writer (October 23, 2010). "Iraq War Logs: What the Numbers Reveal" . Iraq Body Count.Rogers, Simon (October 23, 2010). "Wikileaks Iraq: Data Journalism Maps Every Death – Data Journalism Allows Us To Really Interrogate the Wikileaks Iraq War Logs Release. Here Is the Statistical Breakdown – and Data for You To Download" . Data Blog – Facts Are Sacred (blog on The Guardian). Retrieved November 20, 2010."Iraq: The War Logs" . The Guardian.Carlstrom, Gregg (October 22, 2010; last modified October 24, 2010 (at November 21, 2010)). "WikiLeaks Releases Secret Iraq File – Al Jazeera Accesses 400,000 Secret US Military Documents, Which Reveal the Inside Story of the Iraq War" . Al Jazeera. Retrieved November 21, 2010. 109,032 deaths including 66,081 civilian deaths.Leigh, David (October 22, 2010). "Iraq War Logs Reveal 15,000 Previously Unlisted Civilian Deaths – Leaked Pentagon Files Contain Records of More than 100,000 Fatalities Including 66,000 Civilians" . The Guardian. Retrieved November 20, 2010. January 2004 to December 2009
Overview: Iraqi death estimates by source Summary of casualties of the Iraq War. Possible estimates on the number of people killed in the invasion and occupation of Iraq vary widely,Editors – Katz, Jeffrey; Doug Roberts, Doug; Sutherland, J.J. (undated). "The Toll of War – U.S. Troop Fatalities in Iraq since March 2003 – A Month-by-Month Count of U.S. Troops Killed in the Conflict" (bar chart of various death toll estimates). NPR. Retrieved November 21, 2010. and are highly disputed. Estimates of casualties below include both the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the following Post-invasion Iraq, 2003–present.