About 2,400 Americans were killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, including both military personnel and civilians. Most sources place the figure at either 2,403 or 2,404 U.S. dead, with around 1,100–1,200 more wounded.

Key numbers

  • About 2,403–2,404 U.S. military personnel and civilians killed in the attack.
  • This includes 68 civilians killed.
  • Around 1,178 Americans were wounded.
  • The single greatest loss of life was on the battleship USS Arizona , where 1,177 sailors, Marines, and officers died when the ship exploded and sank.

A bit of context

The surprise Japanese air assault on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor lasted roughly 90 minutes on the morning of December 7, 1941. It destroyed or damaged battleships, other vessels, and hundreds of aircraft, and the scale of the casualties shocked the United States and contributed directly to its entry into World War II the following day.

TL;DR: Around 2,400 Americans were killed and about 1,200 wounded in the Pearl Harbor attack, with the USS Arizona accounting for nearly half of the deaths.