How many Polish citizens died during World War II?
Around 6 million Polish citizens perished during World War II. This figure represents about one fifth of the entire pre-war population of Poland.
Questions about World War II casualties of Poland
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What was the official number of war dead published by the Polish government in 1947?
The Polish government's official report on war damages published in 1947 stated a total number of 6,028,000 war dead. That study counted 3.0 million ethnic Poles and 3.0 million Jews.
Who estimated total losses at 6.0 million people after the communist system collapsed?
Historian Czesław Łuczak disputed that figure when the communist system collapsed. He estimated total losses at 6.0 million people including 3.0 million Jews, 2.0 million ethnic Poles, and 1.0 million from other ethnic groups not included in the original 1947 report.
When did the Institute of National Remembrance publish their study titled Poland 1939 1945 Human Losses and Victims of Repression Under the Two Occupations?
In 2009 the Institute of National Remembrance published a study titled Poland 1939 1945 Human Losses and Victims of Repression Under the Two Occupations. Their research estimated Poland's war dead between 5.6 and 5.8 million Poles and Jews combined.
How many Polish military personnel died under Soviet custody during World War II?
Approximately 200,000 Polish military personnel held as prisoners of war died under Soviet custody. One hundred thousand Polish citizens including civic officials, military personnel, clergy, and educators were arrested and imprisoned as enemies of the people.