The Iraq war — by the numbers

Monday marks the 20th anniversary of the start of the Iraq war, which began on March 20, 2003. 

Here are some key statistics on the war and its aftermath: 

$728 billion: The Defense Department’s estimate of how much the U.S. spent directly on the war in Iraq from the 2003 through 2012 fiscal years (the official withdrawal happened at the end of 2011, a few months into the 2012 fiscal year).    

$1.6 trillion: The estimated amount spent — combined — on the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria from fiscal years 2001 through 2021. 

4,492: The number of U.S. servicemembers killed in Iraq.

32,292: The number of U.S. servicemembers wounded in Iraq. 

Approximately 200,000: The number of Iraqi civilians killed in the war. 

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170,300: The number of U.S. troops in Iraq at its peak (in Nov. 2007). 

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About 2,000: The number of U.S. military forces presently deployed in Iraq (at invitation of Iraqi government), per a report from the Congressional Research Service updated last month.

45%: The percentage of Americans who said that removing Saddam Hussein from power was worth the casualties and cost, according to the Nov. 2003 NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll 

26%: The percentage who said that the Iraq war was worth it the last time the NBC/WSJ poll asked this question (in Oct. 2014).

66%: The percentage who said the war wasn’t worth it (per that same 2014 survey).