INTRODUCTION
The second world war was the deadliest war in human history. Around 70 million people died, most of them civilians, including direct military deaths and deaths by other causes such as famine. This page shows statistics about the Second World War including the percentage of population killed in each country, weapons production and other interesting facts.
Charts
1. Percentage of Population Killed in WW2 by Major Participants and Type of Death
2. German Wartime Tank Production by Model
3. German Tank Production by Year and Model
4. German and Soviet Tank Production by Type 1940 – 1945
5. US WW2 Combat Aircraft Production by Type
6. Recipients of US WW2 Aircraft Production by Type
This chart shows the percentage of each country’s 1939 population killed during World War II, broken down into military deaths, civilians killed directly by violence, and civilians who died from war-related famine and disease. It highlights how the war affected different countries in very different ways.
The Soviet Union suffered the greatest overall losses, with extremely high military casualties and enormous civilian deaths. In addition to direct killings by the German invasion, millions also died from starvation, disease, and the destruction of infrastructure across occupied territories. Germany also experienced very heavy losses, particularly among military personnel, reflecting the scale of its involvement on multiple fronts and the intense fighting on the Eastern Front late in the war.
China’s casualties were dominated by civilian deaths, both from direct violence and from famine and disease during the long conflict with Japan. Japan also suffered significant military losses, though civilian casualties were lower proportionally than in the Soviet Union.
In contrast, the United States and the United Kingdom lost a much smaller percentage of their populations, largely because the fighting did not take place on their home territory to the same extent.
This chart shows the distribution of German tank production during the Second World War by model. The largest share of production came from the Panzer IV and Panzer III, which together account for over 60% of all tanks produced. These were the backbone of Germany’s armored forces for much of the war, especially during the early campaigns in Poland, France, and the Soviet Union.
Later in the war, Germany introduced more advanced and powerful tanks such as the Panther and the Tiger series. The Panther alone represents about 14% of production and was widely considered one of the most effective tanks of the war due to its strong armor and powerful gun. However, these heavier tanks were far more complex and expensive to manufacture and maintain than earlier models.
Germany’s shift toward producing increasingly sophisticated tanks may have had strategic consequences. While technically impressive, these vehicles required more resources, time, and maintenance. Allied countries, particularly the Soviet Union and the United States, focused on producing large numbers of simpler, more reliable tanks such as the T-34 and Sherman.
This difference in production strategy contributed to the Allies’ ability to field far greater numbers of armored vehicles, which ultimately played an important role in Germany’s defeat.
The chart shows how dramatically German tank production expanded during the Second World War. Before the war, production was relatively modest and concentrated heavily on the Panzer I and Panzer II. Output then increased rapidly after 1940, reaching around 5,500 tanks in 1942 and more than 11,000 in 1943.
The peak came in 1944, when German factories produced almost 19,000 tanks according to the figures shown. This was also when production became increasingly concentrated in newer and heavier designs. The Panzer III and Panzer IV were major contributors, while the Panther (Panzer V) became increasingly important from 1943 onward. The Tiger I also appears in the later years, although its production was tiny compared with the mass-produced medium tanks.
Interestingly, production fell sharply in 1945 despite the continued development of increasingly sophisticated vehicles. This reflects the deteriorating German war situation, with Allied bombing, shortages of raw materials and fuel, disruption of transportation, and the loss of industrial territory increasingly constraining production.
The chart compares German and Soviet tank production from 1940 to 1945 and shows the enormous expansion of Soviet armoured production as the war progressed. In 1940, both countries were producing relatively modest numbers, but Soviet output rapidly overtook Germany, particularly from 1942 onward. The Soviet Union’s production was dominated by medium tanks, reflecting the importance of vehicles such as the T-34, while light tanks became a much smaller proportion of production as the war continued. By 1944, Soviet production reached almost 29,000 tanks, substantially exceeding German output.
Germany also shifted increasingly toward medium and heavy tanks. German production peaked at roughly 24,000 tanks in 1943 before falling sharply in 1944 and 1945, as Allied bombing, resource shortages and the deteriorating military situation increasingly affected industry. The growing Soviet advantage in production was therefore not simply numerical: it reflected an ability to concentrate resources on relatively standardised, mass-produced designs, while Germany increasingly devoted resources to heavier and more complex vehicles.
This chart shows the distribution of U.S. World War II combat aircraft production by type. Fighters make up the largest single category, accounting for about 49.6% of total production. Aircraft such as the P-51 Mustang, P-47 Thunderbolt, and P-38 Lightning played crucial roles in achieving air superiority, escorting bombers, and supporting ground operations.
Although fighters dominate as a single category, the combined production of bomber aircraft was nearly as large. When very heavy, heavy, medium, and light bombers are added together, they account for a substantial share of total output. This reflects the central role of strategic and tactical bombing in U.S. military strategy during the war. Aircraft such as the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, and later the B-29 Superfortress were key to long-range bombing campaigns against Germany and Japan.
Light bombers and medium bombers were also important for tactical missions, including close air support and attacks on supply lines and infrastructure. Reconnaissance aircraft make up only a small portion of production but were essential for gathering intelligence and directing military operations.
Overall, the production mix highlights how the United States built a massive and versatile air force capable of both gaining air superiority and conducting large-scale bombing operations.
The chart shows how the United States distributed its enormous aircraft production during the Second World War, separating combat and support aircraft among American and Allied recipients. Combat aircraft made up the larger total, reaching roughly 200,000, compared with just under 100,000 support aircraft. In both categories, the overwhelming majority went to the US Army Air Forces, reflecting the enormous expansion of American air power during the war. The US Navy and Marine Corps were the next major recipients, particularly for combat aircraft.
The chart also highlights the importance of the United States as an industrial supplier to its allies. Britain and the Soviet Union received significant numbers of American-built aircraft, although their shares were far smaller than those retained by US forces. Other nations received comparatively modest amounts. The contrast between combat and support aircraft also illustrates the scale of the American war effort: production was not limited to fighters and bombers, but also included transports, trainers, reconnaissance aircraft and other support types needed to operate a modern air force.
OTHER PAGES ABOUT MILITARY AND WARFARE
Sources:
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission | CWGC
VE-Day | U.S. Department of War
Mitter, Rana (2013). Forgotten Ally: China’s World War II, 1937-1945. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 381.
Clodfelter, Micheal (2002). Warfare and Armed Conflicts – A Statistical Reference to Casualty and Other Figures, 1500–2000 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 582. ISBN 0-7864-1204-6.
John W. Dower. War Without Mercy, 1986; ISBN 0-394-75172-8, pp. 297–99
Ishikida, Miki (2005). Toward Peace: War Responsibility, Postwar Compensation, and Peace Movements and Education in Japan. Universe, Inc. (July 13, 2005). p. 30. (figures of Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare)
Overmans, Rüdiger (2000). Deutsche militärische Verluste im Zweiten Weltkrieg (in German). Oldenbourg. p. Bd. 46. ISBN 3-486-56531-1.
The Statistisches Jahrbuch für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland 1960, p. 78