The number of soldiers killed in Afghanistan in 2021 amounted to 13 from the Western coalition, as of October 2021. Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) is a large military operation, being carried out within the framework of the War on Terror.

Afghanistan War

As mentioned above, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, which began in October 7, 2001, caused the deaths of many soldiers during the period from 2001 to 2020. Operation Enduring Freedom is an American term for the Afghanistan War, used by the U.S. government.

Operation Enduring Freedom was a response to the terror attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 and the beginning of the Global War on Terrorism.

Although it has been nearly 20 years since the Americans started the Global War on Terror, there are still many terrorist attacks in Afghanistan. About 1,750 terrorist attacks were counted in the country 2019.

Due to terrorism in Afghanistan, the number of deaths has increased from 1,952 killed people in 2007 up to 5,312 killed people in 2015 by terrorists. In 2019, the number stood at 8,681.

This statistic shows the fatalities of the United States' military in Iraq and Afghanistan as of **************, by state. As of ***************, the United States had lost a total of ***** soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, with *** coming from California.

Civilian casualties spiked in 2021 compared to the previous few years. As of June 30, an estimated 5,183 civilians had been killed in Afghanistan in 2021.

As of March 2021, 11 U.S. soldiers died in Iraq in 2020. This is a decrease from a peak of 904 casualties in 2007.

Additional information on fatalities in the Iraq War

The invasion of Iraq by the United States and coalition forces in March 2003 saw the beginning of the Iraq War, a conflict that would continue beyond the end of the decade. Fatalities of American forces were highest in the first five years of conflict as soldiers grappled with the Al Qaeda as well as civil war between those groups seeking to fill the power vacuum left by the removal of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Casualties progressively decreased from 2008, in part due to attempts by Barack Obama who made the removal of troops from Iraq a central promise of this successful campaign to succeed George W. Bush. In 2013, the majority of Americans considered sending troops to fight in Iraq to be a mistake.

While the number of civilian deaths in the Iraq War was much higher, the trend of numbers decreasing from 2008 onward was in line with the trend for American solider losses. However, civilian deaths rose again from 2013 onward as Iraq returned to heavy conflict with Islamic State.

The high number of American fatalities in the first five years of the Iraq War could be seen as influencing the reluctance of the United States to commit ground troop support in the battle against Islamic State when the issue was discussed in 2015. Not only is the loss of life a tragedy in itself, but the political discourse in the United States surrounding the involvement of their troops in Middle Eastern conflicts has made further involvement unattractive to elected officials. However calls for further ground support are likely to continue as Iraq remained in the top five countries with the most terrorist attacks as of 2019.

The statistic shows the cost of the war in Iraq and in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2015. In 2013, the costs of the war in Afghanistan amounted to 91.5 billion U.S. dollars. The costs include all of the funding that has been requested by the President and appropriated by Congress for the wars through the end of the current fiscal year on Sept. 30, 2013. These figures include both military and non-military spending, such as reconstruction. Spending includes only incremental costs – those additional funds that are expended due to the war. For example, soldiers' regular pay is not included but combat pay is included. Potential future costs, such as future medical care for soldiers and veterans wounded in the war, are not included. These figures also do not include interest payments on the national debt that will result from higher deficits due to war spending. The war in Afghanistan and Iraq The war in Afghanistan is an ongoing conflict that was initiated when the United States launched Operation Enduring Freedom in October 7, 2001, in order to remove the Taliban regime from power and to dismantle the Islamic terrorist organization Al-Qaeda. The war was a direct consequence of the terrorist attacks that occurred in the United States on September 11, 2001. The United States and its allies quickly captured major cities and towns in the country and drove the Taliban from power. In December 2001, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was established by the United Nations Security Council, to oversee security in Afghanistan. In 2003 the NATO assumed leadership of ISAF troops. ISAF forces include troops from 43 different countries. After the killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. forces, NATO-member countries endorsed an exit strategy for the withdrawal of soldiers from Afghanistan. Up to today, the Afghan war has resulted in more than 10,000 casualties. The Iraq War was an armed conflict between forces from several countries, led by the United States (named “coalition of the willing”), and the Iraqi government. The conflict was initiated on March 20, 2003, when international forces invaded Iraq and officially ended when in December 18, 2011 the U.S. completed its withdrawal of military personnel. The intention of the invasion was to overthrow the existing regime of the Ba’ath party under President Saddam Hussein, establishing democratic elections and forming a new government. The invading forces succeeded, destroying Saddam Hussein’s regime on April 9, 2003. The subsequent emergence of insurgent militancy and display of opposition to invading forces and the newly formed government still continues and causes many fatalities.

Between 2003 and 2024, the annual number of civilian deaths due to the Iraq war has fluctuated significantly. As of July, there were 210 deaths in 2024. Civilian Deaths in the Iraq WarCivilian casualties are the deaths of non-military individuals as a result of military operations. The number of documented civilian deaths in the Iraq war peaked in 2006 at 29,526 casualties. Since then, the number had fallen to 4,162 casualties documented in the year 2011, and the number of casualties has been decreasing again since 2014. Due to the nature of the Iraq war and of war reporting, data cannot be considered exact. Many civilian deaths that occurred during the war in Iraq may remain unaccounted for. The Iraq war was launched in March 2003 upon the invasion of Iraq by U.S. forces. Eight years later, in December 2011, the U.S. formally declared an end to the Iraq war. From the start of the war in 2003 until September 30, 2015, it is estimated that the United States spent a total of over 819 billion US dollars on war costs in Iraq. This number includes funding requested by the President and appropriated by Congress, and accounts for both military and non-military spending. Spending was highest in 2008, that year over 142 billion US dollars were spent in Iraq by the United States government. As of 2022, around 6,561 U.S. active-duty military personnel were deployed in North Africa, the Near East, and South Asia. The number of US American soldiers killed in Iraq peaked in 2007 with just over nine hundred causalities. In the same year, there were over 25,000 civilian deaths in Iraq.

This statistic shows the 20 countries* with the highest infant mortality rate in 2024. An estimated 101.3 infants per 1,000 live births died in the first year of life in Afghanistan in 2024. Infant and child mortality Infant mortality usually refers to the death of children younger than one year. Child mortality, which is often used synonymously with infant mortality, is the death of children younger than five. Among the main causes are pneumonia, diarrhea – which causes dehydration – and infections in newborns, with malnutrition also posing a severe problem. As can be seen above, most countries with a high infant mortality rate are developing countries or emerging countries, most of which are located in Africa. Good health care and hygiene are crucial in reducing child mortality; among the countries with the lowest infant mortality rate are exclusively developed countries, whose inhabitants usually have access to clean water and comprehensive health care. Access to vaccinations, antibiotics and a balanced nutrition also help reducing child mortality in these regions. In some countries, infants are killed if they turn out to be of a certain gender. India, for example, is known as a country where a lot of girls are aborted or killed right after birth, as they are considered to be too expensive for poorer families, who traditionally have to pay a costly dowry on the girl’s wedding day. Interestingly, the global mortality rate among boys is higher than that for girls, which could be due to the fact that more male infants are actually born than female ones. Other theories include a stronger immune system in girls, or more premature births among boys.

Since 1970, the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. is the deadliest terrorist attack worldwide, claiming almost 3,000 lives. Moreover, except for the Musha Church massacre during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, all of the 10 most lethal terrorist attacks between 1970 and January 2024 happened after 2001. ISIL stood behind four of these.

Afghanistan was the country most ridden by terrorism

In 2022, Afghanistan topped the Global Terrorism Index, which ranks terrorist activity across the world. While the rise and fall of the Islamic State and its caliphate in Syria and Iraq received much attention during the 2010s, there has been increased terrorist activity in other parts of the world in recent years, particularly in some African countries such as Burkina Faso, Somalia, and Mali.

Taliban was the most active terrorist organization

In 2021, Taliban, which mainly operates in Afghanistan, was the most active terrorist organization that year, being responsible for nearly 800 attacks. The attacks resulted in nearly 4,500 fatalities. Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021 after the NATO-mission in the country ended that year.

In 2023, the state of Mississippi had the highest infant mortality rate in the United States, with around 8.94 deaths per 1,000 live births. Infant mortality is the death of an infant before the age of one. The countries with the lowest infant mortality rates worldwide are Slovenia, Singapore, and Iceland. The countries with the highest infant mortality rates include Afghanistan, Somalia, and the Central African Republic. Infant mortality in the United States The infant mortality rate in the United States has decreased over the past few decades, reaching a low of 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022. The most common causes of infant death in the United States are congenital malformations, low birth weight, and sudden infant death syndrome. In 2023, congenital malformations accounted for around 111 infant deaths per 100,000 live births.

The leading cause of death in low-income countries worldwide in 2021 was lower respiratory infections, followed by stroke and ischemic heart disease. The death rate from lower respiratory infections that year was 59.4 deaths per 100,000 people. While the death rate from stroke was around 51.6 per 100,000 people. Many low-income countries suffer from health issues not seen in high-income countries, including infectious diseases, malnutrition and neonatal deaths, to name a few. Low-income countries worldwide Low-income countries are defined as those with per gross national incomes (GNI) per capita of 1,045 U.S. dollars or less. A majority of the world’s low-income countries are located in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia. Some of the lowest-income countries as of 2023 include Burundi, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan. Low-income countries have different health problems that lead to worse health outcomes. For example, Chad, Lesotho, and Nigeria have some of the lowest life expectancies on the planet. Health issues in low-income countries Low-income countries also tend to have higher rates of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases as a consequence of poor health infrastructure and a lack of qualified health workers. Eswatini, Lesotho, and South Africa have some of the highest rates of new HIV infections worldwide. Likewise, tuberculosis, a treatable condition that affects the respiratory system, has high incident rates in lower income countries. Other health issues can be affected by the income of a country as well, including maternal and infant mortality. In 2023, Afghanistan had one of the highest rates of infant mortality rates in the world.

This graph displays female veterans by period of military service in 2009. 6,6 percent of the female veterans served the U.S. army during World War 2. The number of fatalities among Western coalition soldiers that were involved in the Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan can be found here.

Turks and Caicos Islands saw a murder rate of ***** per 100,000 inhabitants, making it the most dangerous country for this kind of crime worldwide as of 2024. Interestingly, El Salvador, which long had the highest global homicide rates, has dropped out of the top 29 after a high number of gang members have been incarcerated. Meanwhile, Colima in Mexico was the most dangerous city for murders. Violent conflicts worldwide Notably, these figures do not include deaths that resulted from war or a violent conflict. While there is a persistent number of conflicts worldwide, resulting casualties are not considered murders. Partially due to this reason, homicide rates in Latin America are higher than those in Afghanistan or Syria. A different definition of murder in these circumstances could change the rate significantly in some countries. Causes of death Also, noteworthy is that murders are usually not random events. In the United States, the circumstances of murders are most commonly arguments, followed by narcotics incidents and robberies. Additionally, murders are not a leading cause of death. Heart diseases, strokes and cancer pose a greater threat to life than violent crime.

Niger had the highest birth rate in the world in 2024, with a birth rate of 46.6 births per 1,000 inhabitants. Angola, Benin, Mali, and Uganda followed. Except for Afghanistan, all 20 countries with the highest birth rates in the world were located in Sub-Saharan Africa. High infant mortality The reasons behind the high birth rates in many Sub-Saharan African countries are manyfold, but a major reason is that infant mortality remains high on the continent, despite decreasing steadily over the past decades, resulting in high birth rates to counter death rates. Moreover, many nations in Sub-Saharan Africa are highly reliant on small-scale farming, meaning that more hands are of importance. Additionally, polygamy is not uncommon in the region, and having many children is often seen as a symbol of status. Fastest-growing populations As the high fertility rates coincide with decreasing death rates, countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have the highest population growth rates in the world. As a result, Africa's population is forecast to increase from 1.4 billion in 2022 to over 3.9 billion by 2100.