248 Years of American War
From the Revolutionary War to today's drone campaigns, the United States has been at war for over 225 of its 248 years of existence. Every conflict has a cost β in dollars, in lives, and in what it does to a republic.
37
Wars & Conflicts
$11.7T
Total Cost (2024$)
1,339,813
US Military Deaths
61,748,489
Civilian Deaths
π΄ Ongoing Conflicts (7)
Active US military operations right now.
GWOT (Other)
2001βpresent Β· War on Terror
$95B
Drone Wars
2004βpresent Β· War on Terror
$30B
Somalia (AFRICOM)
2007βpresent Β· War on Terror
$5B
Anti-ISIS
2014βpresent Β· War on Terror
$115B
Ukraine Aid
2022βpresent Β· War on Terror
$175B
Iran 2026
2026βpresent Β· War on Terror
$35B
Lebanon 2023
2023βpresent Β· War on Terror
$21.7B
π° Costliest Wars
π Deadliest Wars (US Deaths)
By Era
ποΈ
Founding & Early Republic
4 conflicts
$4.4B
Cost
40,549
US Deaths
βοΈ
Expansion & Civil War
2 conflicts
$82.5B
Cost
668,283
US Deaths
β’οΈ
Cold War
9 conflicts
$1.4T
Cost
94,884
US Deaths
π©οΈ
Post-Cold War & War on Terror
18 conflicts
$5T
Cost
7,540
US Deaths
π The Numbers Don't Lie
The US has been at peace for fewer than 20 years in its entire history. Since 1945, the country has bombed or invaded over 30 nations without a single formal declaration of war. The βWar on Terrorβ alone has cost over $8 trillion β more than the entire New Deal, Marshall Plan, and Apollo program combined, adjusted for inflation.
37
Conflicts
$11.7T
Total Cost
1,339,813
US Deaths
7
Ongoing
Era:
Type:
Outcome:
Sort:
Victory Defeat Ongoing/Inconclusiveβ
Congressional authorizationβ No authorization
| Conflict | Years | Era | Cost (2023 $) | US Deaths | Civilian Deaths | Outcome | Congress? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iran 2026 | 2026βPresent | War on Terror | $35B | 15 | 1,701 | Ceasefire (Day 39) β Trump declares war 'over' β Blockade tightening | β |
| Red Sea (Houthis) | 2023β2025 | War on Terror | $4.6B | β | 30 | Ceasefire | β |
| Lebanon 2023 | 2023βPresent | War on Terror | $21.7B | β | 5,048 | Developing | β |
| Ukraine Aid | 2022βPresent | War on Terror | $175B | β | β | Ongoing | β |
| Yemen | 2015β2025 | War on Terror | $10B | 2 | 150,000 | Ongoing humanitarian catastrophe | β |
| Syria | 2014β2025 | War on Terror | $30B | 22 | 12,000 | Ongoing / ISIS territorial defeat | β |
| Anti-ISIS | 2014βPresent | War on Terror | $115B | 93 | 13,000 | Partial Victory | β |
| Niger/Sahel | 2013β2024 | War on Terror | $750M | 4 | 10 | Withdrawal | β |
| Libya | 2011β2011 | War on Terror | $1.5B | β | 30,000 | Regime change / State collapse | β |
| Somalia (AFRICOM) | 2007βPresent | War on Terror | $5B | 8 | 200 | Ongoing | β |
| Drone Wars | 2004βPresent | War on Terror | $30B | β | 22,000 | Ongoing | β |
| Iraq War | 2003β2011 | War on Terror | $2T | 4,431 | 300,000 | Pyrrhic victory / Strategic defeat | β |
| Afghanistan | 2001β2021 | War on Terror | $2.3T | 2,461 | 176,000 | Defeat | β |
| GWOT (Other) | 2001βPresent | War on Terror | $95B | 65 | 800 | Ongoing | β |
| Kosovo | 1998β1999 | Post-Cold War | $10B | 2 | 500 | Objective Met | β |
| Bosnia | 1995β2004 | Post-Cold War | $35B | 12 | 500 | Dayton Accords | β |
| Somalia | 1992β1994 | Post-Cold War | $3.3B | 43 | 1,000 | Withdrawal | β |
| Gulf War | 1990β1991 | Post-Cold War | $136B | 382 | 3,500 | Victory | β |
| Panama | 1989β1990 | Cold War | $400M | 23 | 500 | Victory | β |
| Grenada | 1983β1983 | Cold War | $400M | 19 | 24 | Victory | β |
| Chile Coup | 1970β1973 | Cold War | $80M | β | 3,200 | Regime change | β |
| Dominican Republic | 1965β1966 | Cold War | $2.8B | 44 | 3,000 | Regime installed | β |
| Bay of Pigs | 1961β1961 | Cold War | $460M | 4 | 176 | Defeat | β |
| Vietnam War | 1955β1975 | Cold War | $1T | 58,220 | 2,000,000 | Defeat | β |
| Guatemala Coup | 1954β1954 | Cold War | $33M | β | 200,000 | Regime change | β |
| Iran Coup | 1953β1953 | Cold War | $11M | β | 300 | Regime change | β |
| Korean War | 1950β1953 | Cold War | $389B | 36,574 | 2,000,000 | Stalemate / Armistice | β |
| World War II | 1941β1945 | World Wars | $4.8T | 405,399 | 50,000,000 | Victory (Allied) | β |
| World War I | 1917β1918 | World Wars | $380B | 116,516 | 6,500,000 | Victory (Allied) | β |
| Philippine War | 1899β1902 | Imperial Era | $14B | 4,196 | 250,000 | Victory (US) | β |
| Spanish-American War | 1898β1898 | Imperial Era | $9.6B | 2,446 | β | Victory | β |
| Civil War | 1861β1865 | Civil War | $80B | 655,000 | 50,000 | Victory (Union) | β |
| Mexican-American War | 1846β1848 | Expansion Era | $2.5B | 13,283 | 25,000 | Victory | β |
| War of 1812 | 1812β1815 | Early Republic | $1.8B | 15,000 | β | Inconclusive / Status Quo | β |
| Barbary War | 1801β1805 | Early Republic | $80M | 35 | β | Victory | β |
| Quasi-War | 1798β1800 | Early Republic | $160M | 514 | β | Treaty / Inconclusive | β |
| Revolutionary War | 1775β1783 | Founding Era | $2.4B | 25,000 | β | Victory | β |
Data Sources
- β’ Congressional Research Service (CRS) β βInstances of Use of United States Armed Forces Abroadβ (updated annually)
- β’ Department of Defense (DoD) β Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS)
- β’ Brown University Costs of War Project β war cost and casualty estimates
- β’ National Archives β official war declarations and authorizations
- β’ Government Accountability Office (GAO) β war cost reports
- β’ Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR)
- β’ Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR)