The Human Cost
23,000
estimated total dead
Each dot below represents 1,000 human lives. Scroll to watch the scale unfold.
20,000 soldiers killed in combat, from wounds, or from disease. Each = 1,000 lives.
3,000 civilians killed — from violence, famine, disease, and displacement. Wars are not fought only by soldiers.
How War of 1812's dead compare to other conflicts and events.
15,000 dead
U.S. military dead — the vast majority killed by disease, not combat
20,000 dead
Total military dead on both sides — a war that ended in a draw
23,000 dead
Including civilian deaths, mostly among Native American nations