On 8th December, news of the year’s 100th British military fatality in Afghanistan cemented 2009’s unwelcome status as Britain’s bloodiest year of conflict since the Falklands war. Yet the fighting has been still more punishing than this suggests. At the time of writing, a total of 237 British servicemen had died since 2003 in Afghanistan, compared to 179 in Iraq and 255 in the Falklands. When fatalities are adjusted for numbers of troops, however, 2009 in Afghanistan emerges as the most deadly year for Britain since 1945, with approximately 11.1 fatalities per thousand troops: greater than comparable fatality rates for US and Canadian troops in Afghanistan, as well as than US and British fatality rates during 2007, the worst year of the Iraq war.
The information
Comparative fatality rates
December 16, 2009
On 8th December, news of the year’s 100th British military fatality in Afghanistan cemented 2009’s unwelcome status as Britain’s bloodiest year of conflict since the Falklands war. Yet the fighting has been still more punishing than this suggests. At the time of writing, a total of 237 British servicemen had died since 2003 in Afghanistan, compared to 179 in Iraq and 255 in the Falklands. When fatalities are adjusted for numbers of troops, however, 2009 in Afghanistan emerges as the most deadly year for Britain since 1945, with approximately 11.1 fatalities per thousand troops: greater than comparable fatality rates for US and Canadian troops in Afghanistan, as well as than US and British fatality rates during 2007, the worst year of the Iraq war.
