War's 25-Year Toll: 4.5 Million Dead, 38 Million Displaced

Twenty-five years after 9/11, US-led wars have killed an estimated 4.5–4.7 million people and displaced more than 38 million, with Afghanistan and Iraq bearing heavy direct casualties and widespread civilian harm from hunger, disease and unexploded ordnance. Air campaigns and drone strikes have also hit Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya and ISIL-held lands. The Costs of War project cites about 176,000 direct deaths in Afghanistan and 315,000 in Iraq, along with hundreds of thousands of indirect deaths; more than 800,000 US troops served in Afghanistan and thousands of coalition casualties occurred. Cumulatively, the US has spent roughly $5.8 trillion on fighting wars, plus about $2.2 trillion for veterans’ care, totaling at least $8 trillion, with interest costs looming by 2030. The piece underscores long-term impacts on veterans’ mental health and ongoing displacement, while noting public support for new interventions remains low and that some leaders continue to push for escalation.