First World War statistics provide a useful indication of the scale of military mobilisation, the development of military technology and the human cost of the conflict.
First World War Military Statistics
The figures below show the military strength of the principal belligerent powers in 1914, the number of soldiers who served during the war and the military casualties suffered by several major combatants. They provide a useful comparison of the scale of mobilisation and the losses caused by the conflict.
Note on the figures: First World War casualty statistics vary between sources because governments and historians used different definitions and methods of recording deaths, wounds, prisoners and missing personnel. The tables below preserve a historical statistical series used widely in twentieth-century accounts of the war. They should therefore be treated as comparative figures rather than as definitive modern estimates.
Military Strength in 1914
The air forces of the major European powers were still relatively small in 1914. Aircraft were beginning to be used for reconnaissance and other military purposes, while airships provided another developing form of military aviation.
| Nation | Aircraft | Airships |
|---|---|---|
| Austria-Hungary | 35 | 1 |
| Britain | 110 | 6 |
| France | 160 | 4 |
| Germany | 246 | 11 |
| Russia | 300 | 11 |
Armies and Mobilisation
The size of armies in 1914 varied considerably between the belligerent powers. The total number of soldiers who fought during the war was much larger, reflecting mobilisation, conscription and the expansion of armed forces during the conflict.
| Nation | Army size in 1914 | Soldiers who fought during the war |
|---|---|---|
| Austria-Hungary | 3,000,000 | 7,800,000 |
| Belgium | 117,000 | 267,000 |
| Britain | 975,000 | 8,905,000 |
| France | 4,017,000 | 8,410,000 |
| Germany | 4,500,000 | 11,000,000 |
| Italy | 1,251,000 | 5,615,000 |
| Romania | 290,000 | 750,000 |
| Russia | 5,971,000 | 12,000,000 |
| Serbia | 200,000 | 707,000 |
| Turkey | 210,000 | 2,850,000 |
| United States | 200,000 | 4,355,000 |
Military Casualties
The human cost of the war was enormous. Millions of servicemen were killed, wounded, taken prisoner or reported missing. The figures also demonstrate the scale of casualties suffered by armies that fought for several years in industrialised warfare.
| Nation | Servicemen engaged | Deaths | Wounded | Prisoners or missing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria-Hungary | 7,800,000 | 1,200,000 | 3,620,000 | 2,200,000 |
| Britain (including Empire) | 8,904,467 | 908,371 | 2,090,212 | 191,652 |
| France | 8,410,000 | 1,357,800 | 4,266,000 | 537,000 |
| Germany | 11,000,000 | 1,773,700 | 4,216,058 | 1,152,800 |
| Italy | 5,615,000 | 650,000 | 947,000 | 600,000 |
| Russia | 12,000,000 | 1,700,000 | 4,950,000 | 2,500,000 |
| Turkey | 2,850,000 | 325,000 | 400,000 | 250,000 |
| United States | 4,355,000 | 126,000 | 234,300 | 4,500 |
The figures concern military personnel and should not be confused with the total human cost of the First World War. Civilian deaths resulting from warfare, displacement, hunger and disease are much harder to establish and are not included in these tables.
Explore the First World War
These figures provide context for the wider history of the First World War, including its battles and campaigns, the Western Front, the global conflict and the Home Front.