The Nazi Body Count represents non-battle deaths caused by Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945. This includes genocide, execution of civilians and POWs, forced labor that resulted in deaths, bombing of civilian populations, imposed famine and resulting diseases, and “euthanasia.” These numbers do not include civilians who got caught in the cross-fire of battle.

The numbers are mid-estimates. The source for the numbers, R. J. Rummel’s Democide: Nazi Genocide and Mass Murder, uses of a method of accumulating all available estimates typically from government sources or scholarly examinations. The estimates are sorted by lows, mids, and highs. Averages are determined from the estimates to arrive at a low-estimate (the minimum), a mid-estimate (the more probable), and a high-estimate (the least likely). ((Rummel provides a more detailed explanation for his methods and procedures on his website. This same explanation is provided in each of his books related to death estimates. R. J. Rummel, “Estimating Democide: Methods and Procedures,” University of Hawaii, http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/METHOD.HTM.))

The Nazi body counts are grouped by country and sorted from highest to lowest. Also, an occupation death rate is provided for the countries that Nazi Germany actually occupied. This number was determined by dividing the 1939 population estimate by the body count to give the percentage that a citizen of that country was likely to be killed during that time period. An appendix at the end lists the sources for the population estimates.

Subsequent articles will examine each country in detail: Their relationship with Nazi Germany and more information on the numbers.

Rank		Country
1		USSR Body Count: 12,250,000 ((R. J. Rummel, Democide: Nazi Genocide and Mass Murder (New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers, 1992), 127-131.)) Occupation Death Rate: 18.85% Deaths caused between 1941-1945 6,500,000 died through imposed famine and resulting diseases 3,000,000 killed POWs 1,224,000 killed through executions, massacres, or bombing of civilian populations ((This number is determined by Rummel’s estimate that of the 3,600,000 that died in this category, about 2,376,000 were the responsibility of the Soviet government. Rummel 1992, 131.)) 876,000 killed Jews 650,000 died through forced labor
2		Poland Body Count: 5,400,000 ((After Rummel breaks down the causes of death, he comes up with a mid-estimate of 5,300,000. This is very close to the official Polish Report of 5,400,000, which Rummel chooses to rely on for the final mid-estimate. Rummel 1992, 124-125.)) Occupation Death Rate: 15.39% Deaths caused between 1939-1945 3,000,000 killed Jews 2,300,000 killed or died through forced labor.
3		Nazi Germany Body Count: 762,000 ((Rummel 1992, 116-118.)) Deaths caused between 1933-1945 288,000 killed through executions and purges, or died through forced labor 173,000 killed through “euthanasia” ((Those killed through the euthanasia program included the "malformed, old, diseased, senile, or mentally backward in the judgment of the doctors in charge." These were not people electing to die. Rummel 1992, 47.)) 160,000 killed Jews 88,000 Germans died in February, 1945 during forced evacuation from Eastern territories 55,000 killed homosexuals.
4		Yugoslavia Body Count: 625,000 ((This excludes those killed in the Independent State of Croatia. Rummel 1992, 132-133.)) Occupation Death Rate: 3.98% Deaths caused between 1941-1945 588,000 killed through massacres and bombing of civilian populations, died through forced labor, or killed Serbians 37,000 killed Jews
5		Hungary Body Count: 406,000 ((Rummel 1992, 119-120.)) Occupation Death Rate: 3.01% Deaths caused between 1941-1945 378,000 killed Jews 28,000 killed Gypsies
6		France Body Count: 256,000 ((Rummel 1992, 114-116.)) Occupation Death Rate: 0.61% Deaths caused between 1940-1945 158,000 killed or died through forced labor 98,000 killed Jews
7		Czechoslovakia Body Count: 214,000 ((Rummel 1992, 112-113.)) Occupation Death Rate: 1.41% Deaths caused between 1939-1945 150,000 killed Jews 56,000 killed or executed 8,000 killed Gypsies
8		Lithuania Body Count: 176,182 ((Rummel had estimates for Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Rummel took this sum and averaged it with a separate overall estimate for the Baltic States. In order to determine an estimate for a country, the country’s ratio of the first summed estimate was applied to the overall Baltic average. Lithuania’s portion of the new estimate would be about 176,182. Rummel 1992, 108-110.)) Occupation Death Rate: 7.21% Deaths caused between 1941-1945176,182 killed Jews and Gypsies, executed, or died during deportation.
9		Netherlands Body Count: 175,706 ((Rummel 1992, 122-123.)) Occupation Death Rate: 1.99% Deaths caused between 1940-1945 108,000 killed Jews 35,000 died through forced labor 17,000 killings and massacres of hostages 15,000 died through imposed famine and resulting diseases 706 killed through bombing of civilian populations
10		Greece Body Count: 140,000 ((Rummel 1992, 118-119.)) Occupation Death Rate: 1.94% Deaths caused between 1941-1945 73,000 killings and massacres of hostages, or died through imposed famine and resulting diseases 67,000 killed Jews
11		Austria Body Count: 133,000 ((Rummel 1992, 108.)) Occupation Death Rate: 1.97% Deaths caused between 1938-1945 65,000 killed Gypsies 58,000 killed Jews 10,000 killed or executed
12		United Kingdom Body Count: 87,600 ((Rummel 1992, 127.)) Deaths caused between 1940-194587,600 were killed through bombing of civilian populations or were killed POWs.
13		Latvia Body Count: 69,545 ((Rummel had estimates for Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Rummel took this sum and averaged it with a separate overall estimate for the Baltic States. In order to determine an estimate for a country, the country’s ratio of the first summed estimate was applied to the overall Baltic average. Latvia’s portion of the new estimate would be about 69,545. Rummel 1992, 108-110.)) Occupation Death Rate: 3.56% Deaths caused between 1941-194569,545 killed Jews and Gypsies, executed or died during deportation.
14		Romania Body Count: 70,000 ((Rummel 1992, 125-127.)) Deaths caused between 1941-194570,000 Jews were killed.
15		Italy Body Count: 64,000 ((Rummel 1992, 120-121.)) Occuaption Death Rate: 0.15% Deaths caused between 1943-1945 56,000 killed POWs and reprisal murders 8,000 killed Jews
16		Belgium Body Count: 50,500 ((Rummel rounds up to 51,000. Rummel 1992, 110.)) Occupation Death Rate: 0.60% Deaths caused between 1941-1945 40,000 killed Jews 10,000 died through forced labor or were executed 500 killed Gypsies
17		Spain Body Count: 21,600 ((Rummel 1992, 127.)) Deaths caused between 1937-1945 20,000 died through forced labor or were executed 1,600 bombing of civilian population in Guernica in 1938
18		Independent State of Croatia Body Count: 21,000 ((Rummel 1992, 111-112.)) Deaths caused between 1941-1945 20,000 rounded up and shot after the Battle of Kozara in July, 1942 1,000 killed Gypsies
19		Estonia Body Count: 9,272 ((Rummel had estimates for Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Rummel took this sum and averaged it with a separate overall estimate for the Baltic States. In order to determine an estimate for a country, the country’s ratio of the first summed estimate was applied to the overall Baltic average. Estonia’s portion of the new estimate would be about 9,272. Rummel 1992, 108-110.)) Occupation Death Rate: 0.83% Deaths caused between 1941-19459,272 killed Jews and Gypsies, were executed, or died during deportation.
20		Bulgaria Body Count: 7,000 ((Rummel 1992, 111.)) Deaths caused between 1941-19457,000 Jews were killed.
21		United States of America Body Count: 2,038 ((Rummel 1992, 107.)) Deaths caused between 1942-19452,038 POWs were killed.
22		Luxembourg Body Count: 2,200 ((Rummel rounds down to 2,000 in his final estimate. Rummel 1992, 121-122.)) Deaths caused between 1940-1945 2,000 killed Jews 200 killed Gypsies
23		Norway Body Count: 1,500 ((Rummel 1992,123- 124.)) Occupation Death Rate: 0.05% Deaths caused between 1940-19451,500 Jews were killed.
24		Denmark Body Count: 700 ((Rummel 1992, 114.)) Deaths caused between 1939-1945 500 killed Jews 200 killed
25		Italian Libya Body Count: 562 ((Rummel 1992, 121.)) Deaths caused between 1939-1945562 Jews were killed.
26		Albanian Kingdom Body Count: 200 ((Rummel 1992, 108.)) Deaths caused between 1943-1945200 Jews were killed.
27		Finland Body Count: 6 ((Rummel 1992, 114.)) Deaths caused between 1941-19456 Jews were killed.

 

Appendix: Populations of Countries Occupied by Nazi Germany

The following population estimates were used to determine the occupation death rates for the countries. Unless otherwise noted, the estimates come from International Statistical Year-Book 1940/1941 published by the League of Nations in 1941. ((Economic Intelligence Service, Economic Intelligence Service, International Statistical Year-Book 1940/1941 (Geneva: Series of League of Nations Publications, 1941), 14, 16, 17.))

Country	Year	Population
Austria	1937	6,760,000 ((League of Nations Economic Intelligence Service, International Statistical Year-Book 1937/1938 (Geneva: Series of League of Nations Publications, 1938), 20.))
Belgium	1939	8,396,000
Czechoslovakia	1937	15,213,000 ((League of Nations Economic Intelligence Service 1938, 20.))
Denmark	1939	3,825,000
Estonia	1939	1,122,000
France	1939	41,950,000
Greece	1939	7,201,000
Hungary	1939	13,500,000
Italy	1939	13,300,000
Latvia	1939	1,951,000
Lithuania	1939	2,442,000
Luxembourg	1939	301,000
Netherlands	1939	8,834,000
Norway	1939	2,937,000
Poland	1938	35,090,000
USSR	1942	65,000,000 ((This is the estimated population of USSR territory occupied by Nazi Germany. Leonid D. Grenkevich and Josef Washington Hall, The Soviet Partisan Movement 1941-1945: A Critical Historiographical Analysis (Portland: Frank Class, 1999), 98.))
Yugosolavia	1939	15,703,000

Notes