Chinese soldier 1940s; Wikimedia Commons

 

The number of casualties in the Second Sino-Japanese War was shocking:

Chinese casualties

  • 3.22 million soldiers
  • 9.13 million civilians killed in crossfire
  • 8.4 million non-military casualties.
  • Chinese sources claim ~35 million total casualties (most Western historians estimate at least 20 million).
  • In addition, the war created 95 million refugees.

Japanese casualties

  • Estimated 1.1-1.9 million military casualties, killed, wounded & missing
  • Japan defense ministry claimed only about 200,000, but this is believed to be extremely low considering the length of the conflict
  • Chinese forces claimed 1.77 million Japanese soldiers killed