Country reasoning

Context

Canada entered the First World War automatically as part of the British Empire following the United Kingdom’s declaration of war on 4 August 1914. Canadian forces served primarily on the Western Front and developed a distinct national identity during the conflict.

Rationale used for numbers used on the war statistics page

Measure	Selected value	Selected source	Rationale
Civilian deaths (direct, war-related)	1,963	canadian_war_museum Canada and the First World War Canadian War Museum, “Canada and the First World War,” accessed 31 Jan 2026.	Those killed as a result of the Halifax Explosion, 1918
Military deaths	65,003	cwgc_casualties Commonwealth War Graves Comm. Casualty and Burial Records Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Casualty and Burial Records	Individually verifiable burial and commemoration records.
Mobilized / served	628,964	can_war_office_1922 Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire Includes Dominion data Great Britain. War Office. Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire. HMSO, 1922	Only reputable source
Population (baseline)	7,879,000	Censuses_of_Canada_1665_to_1871 Estimated population of Canada, 1605 to present	Only official source
Wounded	149,710	can_war_office_1922 Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire Includes Dominion data Great Britain. War Office. Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire. HMSO, 1922	Only reputable source

What sources report

Civilian deaths (direct, war-related)

CWVMP uses: 1,963 from canadian_war_museum

Those killed as a result of the Halifax Explosion, 1918

Source	Value	Scope / notes	Citation
canadian_war_museum Canada and the First World War Canadian War Museum • CWM • 2024 high	1,963	Deaths due to the Halfax explosion	Canadian War Museum, “Canada and the First World War,” accessed 31 Jan 2026. Source link (accessed 2026-01-31)

Military deaths

CWVMP uses: 65,003 from cwgc_casualties

Individually verifiable burial and commemoration records.

Source	Value	Scope / notes	Citation
can_war_office_1922 Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire Includes Dominion data HMSO • 1922 medium	64,449	Official postwar return British War Office	Great Britain. War Office. Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire. HMSO, 1922 Source link
ellis_cox_1993 The World War I Databook John Ellis; Michael Cox • Aurum Press • 1993 medium	58,990	Dead and missing Secondary synthesis	Ellis, John & Cox, Michael. The World War I Databook. London: Aurum
canadian_war_museum Canada and the First World War Canadian War Museum • CWM • 2024 low	61,000	Rounded educational figure Approximate	Canadian War Museum, “Canada and the First World War,” accessed 31 Jan 2026. Source link (accessed 2026-01-31)
cwgc_casualties Commonwealth War Graves Comm. Casualty and Burial Records 2026 high	65,003	Deaths commemorated 1914–1923 Grave-based records	Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Casualty and Burial Records Source link

Mobilized / served

CWVMP uses: 628,964 from can_war_office_1922

Only reputable source

Source	Value	Scope / notes	Citation
can_war_office_1922 Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire Includes Dominion data HMSO • 1922 medium	628,964	—	Great Britain. War Office. Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire. HMSO, 1922 Source link
ellis_cox_1993 The World War I Databook John Ellis; Michael Cox • Aurum Press • 1993 medium	620,000	276,000 overseas, 154,000 in France/Belgium	Ellis, John & Cox, Michael. The World War I Databook. London: Aurum

Population (baseline)

CWVMP uses: 7,879,000 from Censuses_of_Canada_1665_to_1871

Only official source

Source	Value	Scope / notes	Citation
ellis_cox_1993 The World War I Databook John Ellis; Michael Cox • Aurum Press • 1993 medium	7,400,000	—	Ellis, John & Cox, Michael. The World War I Databook. London: Aurum
Censuses_of_Canada_1665_to_1871 Estimated population of Canada, 1605 to present Government of Canada • 2015 medium	7,879,000	—	— Source link (accessed 2026-02-01)

POW

Source	Value	Scope / notes	Citation
ellis_cox_1993 The World War I Databook John Ellis; Michael Cox • Aurum Press • 1993 medium	2,820	—	Ellis, John & Cox, Michael. The World War I Databook. London: Aurum

Wounded

CWVMP uses: 149,710 from can_war_office_1922

Only reputable source

Source	Value	Scope / notes	Citation
can_war_office_1922 Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire Includes Dominion data HMSO • 1922 medium	149,710	Approximate number, may include multiple wounds and/or those that died of wounds	Great Britain. War Office. Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire. HMSO, 1922 Source link
ellis_cox_1993 The World War I Databook John Ellis; Michael Cox • Aurum Press • 1993 medium	149,710	—	Ellis, John & Cox, Michael. The World War I Databook. London: Aurum

Editorial principles in selecting the figures to use

CWVMP does not treat any single published casualty figure as inherently authoritative.
Where multiple sources disagree, preference is given to figures derived from individual-level records, transparent inclusion criteria, and publicly documented revision processes.
For Canadian First World War military deaths, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is generally preferred because its figures are based on named individuals commemorated by grave or memorial, and because its scope explicitly includes post-Armistice deaths attributable to war service.

Discussion of discrepancies

Published casualty figures vary due to differing definitions, time ranges, and inclusion of postwar deaths attributable to war service.

Canada — WW1

Context

Rationale used for numbers used on the war statistics page

What sources report

Civilian deaths (direct, war-related)

Military deaths

Mobilized / served

Population (baseline)

POW

Wounded

Editorial principles in selecting the figures to use

Discussion of discrepancies