The Human Cost
670,000
estimated total dead
The 670,000 display allocation preserves the traditional 620,000 military-death estimate plus a separate civilian estimate. Recent demographic scholarship places military deaths at roughly 750,000 or more; side and civilian allocations remain uncertain, so the chart is conservative rather than a current consensus total.
Each dot below represents 1,000 human lives. Scroll to watch the scale unfold.
Working allocation: 620,000 soldiers killed in combat, from wounds, or from disease. Each = 1,000 lives.
50,000 civilians killed — from violence, famine, disease, and displacement. Wars are not fought only by soldiers.
incl. 2,000 civilians
incl. 1,000 civilians
How Civil War's dead compare to other conflicts and events.
13,283 dead
Mexican-American War total dead (both sides)
25,000 dead
American Revolution: estimated total deaths
58,220 dead
All U.S. deaths in the Vietnam War
116,708 dead
All U.S. deaths in World War I
365,000 dead
Union dead — more than any other U.S. war until this point
405,399 dead
Passing U.S. deaths in World War II
620,000 dead
Total Civil War dead — equivalent to 7 million Americans today