World War II casualties in Yugoslavia

The [[Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslav]] government estimated the number of human losses during [[World War II in Yugoslavia]] at 1,706,000. This figure was submitted to the International Reparations Commission in Paris in 1946. The Commission then requested a documented estimate of the number of casualties. The Yugoslav government gave the task of providing a "significant, but scientifically and statistically founded" death toll to a mathematician of the Federal Bureau of Statistics. The results of this research were demographic losses, encompassing deaths during the war, declining birth-rates, and migration, of around 1,700,000. [[Deputy Prime Minister of Yugoslavia|Deputy Prime Minister]] [[Edvard Kardelj]] presented the demographic losses as actual war losses to support Yugoslavia's request for reparations.{{sfn|Žerjavić|1993|pp=2–3}} This number, equalling to 10.8% of its population, stayed the official estimate in Yugoslavia during its existence.{{sfn|Sindbaek|2012|p=42}}

The [[Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslav]] government estimated the number of human losses during [[World War II in Yugoslavia]] at 1,706,000. This figure was submitted to the International Reparations Commission in Paris in 1946. The Commission then requested a documented estimate of the number of casualties. The Yugoslav government gave the task of providing a "significant, but scientifically and statistically founded" death toll to a mathematician of the Federal Bureau of Statistics. The results of this research were demographic losses, encompassing deaths during the war, declining birth-rates, and migration, of around 1,700,000. [[Deputy Prime Minister of Yugoslavia|Deputy Prime Minister]] [[Edvard Kardelj]] presented the demographic losses as actual war losses to support Yugoslavia's request for reparations.{{sfn|Žerjavić|1993|pp=2–3}} This number, equalling to 10.8% of its population, stayed the official estimate in Yugoslavia during its existence.{{sfn|Sindbaek|2012|p=42}}

The Yugoslav censuses of war losses, conducted in 1944/1947, 1950 and 1964, did not confirm the claim of 1,706,000 deaths. The 1964 victims census was conducted for the purpose of negotiating war reparations for human losses and damage to infrastructure with [[West Germany]].{{sfn|Geiger|2013|pp=153–155}} The census was requested by Germany as its government did not agree with negotiations on the basis of the official Yugoslav estimate at the time. The 1964 census resulted in a death toll of 597,323 for Yugoslavia. The results were declared a secret and were first revealed to the public in 1989.{{sfn|Žerjavić|1993|pp=5–6}} The census committee claimed that the census covered around 56-59%, or 60-65% of deaths.{{sfn|Geiger|2013|p=157}} The Yugoslav censuses did not cover the deaths of Axis troops and the victims of Yugoslav Partisans.{{sfn|Geiger|2012|p=79}}

The Yugoslav censuses of war losses, conducted in 1944/1947, 1950 and 1964, did not confirm the claim of 1,706,000 deaths. The 1964 victims census was conducted for the purpose of negotiating war reparations for human losses and damage to infrastructure with [[West Germany]].{{sfn|Geiger|2013|pp=153–155}} The census was requested by Germany as its government did not agree with negotiations on the basis of the official Yugoslav estimate at the time. The 1964 census resulted in a death toll of 597,323 for Yugoslavia. The results were declared a secret and were first revealed to the public in 1989.{{sfn|Žerjavić|1993|pp=5–6}} The census committee claimed that the census covered around 56-59%, or 60-65% of deaths.{{sfn|Geiger|2013|p=157}} The Yugoslav censuses did not cover the deaths of Axis troops and the victims of [[Yugoslav Partisans]].{{sfn|Geiger|2012|p=79}}

In 1954, the [[United States Census Bureau]] estimated the war related deaths of Yugoslavia at 1,067,000. Estimates and calculations of the wartime population losses of Yugoslavia from Ivo Lah, a Slovene statistician, Croatian demographers Ivan Klauzer and [[Vladimir Žerjavić]], and Serb statistician [[Bogoljub Kočović]], ranging between 900,000 and 1,150,000, showed that the official Yugoslav government's figure was highly exaggerated.{{sfn|Tomasevich|2001|pp=734–737}} The most detailed estimates are those of Kočović and Žerjavić. The differences between them were very small, the calculated total number of victims for the pre-war territory of the [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia]] by Kočović was 1,014,000, and 1,027,000 by Žerjavić.{{sfn|Bogosavljević|2000|p=150}} The post-war borders of Yugoslavia included an additional 8,262 square kilometers of territory that was ceded from Italy.{{sfn|Bogosavljević|2000|p=156}}

In 1954, the [[United States Census Bureau]] estimated the war related deaths of Yugoslavia at 1,067,000. Estimates and calculations of the wartime population losses of Yugoslavia from [[Ivo Lah]], a Slovene statistician, Croatian demographers Ivan Klauzer and [[Vladimir Žerjavić]], and Serb statistician [[Bogoljub Kočović]], ranging between 900,000 and 1,150,000, showed that the official Yugoslav government's figure was highly exaggerated.{{sfn|Tomasevich|2001|pp=734–737}} The most detailed estimates are those of Kočović and Žerjavić. The differences between them were very small, the calculated total number of victims for the pre-war territory of the [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia]] by Kočović was 1,014,000, and 1,027,000 by Žerjavić.{{sfn|Bogosavljević|2000|p=150}} The post-war borders of Yugoslavia included an additional 8,262 square kilometers of territory that was ceded from Italy.{{sfn|Bogosavljević|2000|p=156}}

From 2003, the [[Belgrade Museum of Genocide Victims]] has conducted a revision of the 1964 victims list, excluding deaths that occurred after 15 May 1945. As of 2019, the identified number of human losses is 657,290.{{sfn|Cvetković|2019|p=95}} Dragan Cvetković, a historian working at the museum, estimates between 1,042,000–1,092,000 human losses for the territory of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and 28,000 for areas ceded after the war to Yugoslavia.{{sfn|Cvetković|2011|p=165}}

From 2003, the [[Belgrade Museum of Genocide Victims]] has conducted a revision of the 1964 victims list, excluding deaths that occurred after 15 May 1945. As of 2019, the identified number of human losses is 657,290.{{sfn|Cvetković|2019|p=95}} Dragan Cvetković, a historian working at the museum, estimates between 1,042,000–1,092,000 human losses for the territory of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and 28,000 for areas ceded after the war to Yugoslavia.{{sfn|Cvetković|2011|p=165}}