Nazi Germany’s reign of terror is marked by mass murder on an unprecedented scale. Leading up to and during World War II, the Nazi regime orchestrated the Holocaust and numerous other horrific atrocities. Understanding the sheer number of victims is crucial for historical accuracy, legal accountability, ethical reflection, and education.
The figures presented below are compiled from various reliable sources. These include surviving Nazi German records, pre-war and post-war demographic studies, Jewish community records from the period, documentation from resistance groups, and other credible archival materials.
These statistics serve as a stark reminder of the immense human cost of the Holocaust and other Nazi crimes. They are essential for grasping the magnitude of loss inflicted by Nazi Germany.
The Devastating Toll on Jewish People During the Holocaust
The Holocaust witnessed the systematic murder of six million Jewish men, women, and children by the Nazi German regime, along with its allies and collaborators. This genocide was fueled by antisemitism, a core tenet of Nazi ideology and a pervasive prejudice across Europe.
During the Holocaust, Jews were murdered in various locations and through different methods. The primary methods were poison gas in specialized killing centers and mass shootings. Jews also perished due to deliberate deprivation of food, shelter, medical care, and other necessities, as well as through other acts of extreme violence.
The following table breaks down the estimated number of Jewish victims murdered in killing centers, mass shooting operations, camps and ghettos, and other acts of violence.
Table 1. Breakdown of the Six Million Jewish Holocaust Victims by Site and Method of Murder
| Number of Jews Murdered (by Site and Method) | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Approximately 2.7 million Jews were murdered at killing centers. | The Nazi regime established five killing centers with the express purpose of exterminating Jews using poison gas. These centers were Chełmno, Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka, and Auschwitz-Birkenau. See Table 2 for a detailed breakdown by killing center. |
| About 2 million Jews were murdered in mass shooting operations and related massacres. | German forces, along with allies and collaborators, conducted mass shooting operations and massacres targeting Jews in over 1,500 cities, towns, and villages across occupied Eastern Europe. |
| Between 800,000 and 1,000,000 Jews were murdered in ghettos, labor camps, and concentration camps. | In ghettos, concentration camps, and labor camps created by the Nazis and their collaborators, Jews were systematically murdered through starvation, disease, brutal treatment, and arbitrary violence. |
| At least 250,000 Jews were murdered in other acts of violence outside of camps and ghettos. | Jews were killed in acts of violence and deprivation beyond detention sites, including antisemitic riots, individual executions, as partisans, and during forced marches and transports between locations. |
While no single Nazi document lists every Holocaust victim, a vast collection of Nazi records documents these atrocities. The transports to and gassing operations at killing centers are particularly well-documented. This allows for relatively precise figures for the death toll at each of the five killing centers.
Table 2 details the estimated 2.7 million Jewish victims murdered in these killing centers.
Table 2. Jewish Victims Murdered at Nazi Killing Centers
| Killing Center | Number of Jewish Victims |
|---|---|
| Chełmno | at least 167,000 |
| Belzec | approximately 435,000 |
| Sobibor | at least 167,000 |
| Treblinka II | approximately 925,000 |
| Auschwitz camp complex (including Auschwitz-Birkenau) | approximately 1,000,000 |
| Subtotal | approximately 2.7 million Jewish people murdered at killing centers |
The overall figure of six million Jewish deaths in the Holocaust is derived from Nazi German documentation combined with pre-war and post-war demographic data analysis.
Beyond Jewish Victims: Non-Jewish People Murdered by the Nazis
In addition to the six million Jewish people murdered in the Holocaust, the Nazi regime and its collaborators were responsible for the deaths of millions of non-Jewish people between 1933 and 1945.
Table 3 provides estimated numbers of non-Jewish victims murdered by Nazi Germany and its allies for racial, biological, political, or ideological reasons.
Table 3. Non-Jewish Victims of Nazi Germany and its Allies
| Non-Jewish Groups Persecuted by the Nazis | Number of Non-Jewish Victims |
|---|---|
| Soviet prisoners of war | around 3.3 million |
| Non-Jewish (ethnic) Poles | around 1.8 million |
| Romani people and others labeled “Gypsies” | at least 250,000, possibly up to 500,000 |
| Serb civilians murdered by Ustaša authorities in Croatia | more than 310,000 |
| People with disabilities in institutions and care facilities | 250,000–300,000, including at least 10,000 children |
| German political opponents and dissenters | tens of thousands |
| Germans imprisoned as “professional criminals” and “asocials” | about 35,000 |
| Jehovah’s Witnesses | about 1,700 |
| Gay men and others accused of homosexuality | Hundreds, possibly thousands |
| Black people in Germany | Unknown, perhaps hundreds |
World War II, initiated and waged by Nazi Germany, brought immense devastation across Europe. Beyond the groups listed above, millions more perished as a direct consequence of the war. The Nazis and their allies perpetrated massacres of civilians under the guise of reprisal actions and anti-partisan operations.
Furthermore, millions of Allied soldiers, resistance fighters, and civilians from various nations lost their lives combating Nazi tyranny. Millions of German and Axis soldiers and civilians also perished in the conflict.
Documenting Nazi Atrocities: Evidence of Unspeakable Crimes
As defeat became imminent, the Nazis desperately attempted to erase evidence of their atrocities. They exhumed mass graves and burned bodies and tried to destroy the vast paper trail documenting their crimes.
However, the scale of Nazi mass murder was so immense that complete concealment proved impossible. The deaths of millions and the disappearance of entire communities were undeniable. Despite Nazi efforts, crucial documents and eyewitnesses survived, providing irrefutable proof of the Holocaust and other mass atrocities. These documents and testimonies formed the basis of evidence in post-war trials.
Nazi Germany’s extensive records became central to the prosecution of Nazi leaders and organizations at the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. In subsequent trials, Nazi documents served as crucial evidence to prove individual culpability. Survivor testimonies further contributed to the conviction of perpetrators.
Survivors have played a vital role in documenting their experiences through memoirs, diaries, and oral and written testimonies. Even when survivors did not live, their written accounts remained. Survivors were instrumental in establishing archives, memorials, and museums, including the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Memorializing the Victims of Nazi Germany
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is dedicated to preserving the stories and fates of the six million Jewish individuals murdered in the Holocaust and the millions of other victims of Nazi Germany and its collaborators.
Accurately calculating the number of victims of the Holocaust and other Nazi crimes is a critical act of memorialization, acknowledging the personhood of those whose names and stories may never be fully known.
Footnotes
Last Edited: Sep 26, 2023
Author(s): United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC
