In the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz , there were about 120+ little people hired to play the Munchkins, most modern sources putting the number at around 122–124 , plus about a dozen average‑height children as background extras.

Quick Scoop

First, about the wording

The word used in your question is now widely considered offensive when referring to people with dwarfism or short stature; the respectful term is little people or dwarfs , and film histories use that language when discussing the Munchkin cast.

How many were in the movie?

Most film historians and studio-era records line up on roughly the same figures:

  • A trade article in 1938 reported 124 little people were signed to play the Munchkins.
  • Some researchers say 122–124 , reflecting small discrepancies in how extras and stand‑ins are counted.
  • Around 10–12 average‑height children were added to fill out the crowd scenes in Munchkinland.

So if you include everyone in the Munchkin crowd, you are looking at roughly 130–135 performers on that set.

Who were they?

Many of the Munchkins came from a well‑known vaudeville troupe:

  • The core group was the Singer Midgets , a traveling company of little people managed by Leo Singer that MGM hired en masse for the film.
  • Additional little people from across the United States were brought in through a nationwide casting search to reach MGM’s requested number for the Munchkin scenes.

Why does the number differ in some sources?

Different sources count the performers in slightly different ways:

  • Some include only contracted little-person actors billed as Munchkins.
  • Others also count child stand‑ins and background extras in the Munchkin village.
  • Studio paperwork from the 1930s was not always perfectly consistent, which is why today’s books and articles usually give a small range instead of a single “official” number.

Short answer version

  • Little people playing Munchkins: about 122–124.
  • Plus kids in background: roughly 10–12 children.
  • Total Munchkin crowd on screen: around 130+ performers.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.