Article
Two Years After the Invasion: Iraq by the Numbers
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Government Affairs
Two years after U.S. troops invaded Iraq and achieved a swift military victory, our armed forces and the people of Iraq are facing a dangerous and unstable situation. There has been good news: January's election, this month's inaugural session of the National Assembly, and strides in education stand out. But for every step forward there have been two steps back: U.S. troop presence in Iraq is at an all-time high, and the Army and Marines are stretched as never before. American taxpayers are spending almost $7 billion every month to maintain our presence in Iraq and Iraqi citizens are dying in attacks that come almost daily. Reconstruction of the country proceeds at a glacial pace. The following numbers help tell the story.*
| 200 | Lowest estimated number in billions of U.S. taxpayers dollars that have been spent on the war in Iraq |
| 152,000 | Estimated number of troops currently deployed in Iraq |
| 1,511 | U.S. troops killed in Iraq since the invasion |
| 11,285 | Americans wounded since the invasion was launched two years ago |
| 21,100- 39,300 |
Estimated number of Iraqi civilians killed since the invasion by violence from war and crime |
| 176 | Non-U.S. coalition troops killed in Iraq since the invasion |
| 339 | Coalition troops killed by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) |
| 70 | Daily average number of insurgent attacks on coalition forces in February 2005 |
| 14 | Daily average number of insurgent attacks on coalition forces in February 2004 |
| 18,000 | Estimated number of insurgents in Iraq today |
| 5,000 | Estimated number of insurgents in Iraq in June 2003 |
| 27 vs. 14 | Countries remaining in the "coalition of the willing" versus number of coalition troops that have withdrawn all their forces or announced their intention to do so |
| 25,000 | Non-U.S. coalition troops still in Iraq |
| 4,500 | Troops that Italy and the Netherlands have pledged to withdraw before the end of the year |
| 271,000 | Number of Iraqi security forces – including police, border, and national guard forces – that the U.S. says it wants to train by July 2006 |
| 142,472 | Iraqi security troops the Pentagon says it has trained and equipped |
| 40,000 | Iraqi troops that General Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said are adequately trained and equipped to handle most threats |
| 40 | Percent of U.S. troops in Iraq that belong to the National Guard and Reserve |
| 0 | Number of active Army combat units deployed to Iraq that have received the required year-long break from active duty required by Pentagon rules |
| 30 | Percent by which the U.S. National Guard missed its recruitment targets in November and December 2004 |
| 27 | Percent by which the U.S. Army missed its recruitment goals in the past month |
| 15 | Percent of military personnel, according to GAO, who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, who could develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) |
| 2 | Estimated output of Iraqi oil industry in millions of barrels per day |
| 2.8 | Estimated output of Iraqi oil industry in millions of barrels per day before the U.S. invasion |
| 8 | Average number of hours that Iraqis have electricity per day |
| 28-40 | Estimated Iraqi unemployment rate |
| 4.3 | Millions of children enrolled in primary school today |
| 3.6 | Millions of children enrolled in primary school in 2000 |
| 108 | Millions of dollars in Halliburton overcharges hidden from international auditors by the Pentagon |
| 9 | Billions of dollars the Coalition Provisional Authority cannot account for of all funds dispensed for Iraq reconstruction |
* Inspired by the Harper's Index, with thanks to the editors.
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