Twelve percent of the U.S. population served in World War II.
When Congress declared war on Japan on December 8, 1941, more Americans than ever before heard the call of duty. Some 16.1 million U.S. citizens served in the military by the time World War II ended in 1945, representing 12% of the total population of 132 million at the time. Around 39% of U.S. service members were volunteers, while the remaining 61% were draftees. It was the second-deadliest conflict in U.S. history, with the 407,316 fatalities surpassed only by the 620,000 or more who fell during the Civil War.
The average duration of service was 33 months, with 73% of Americans serving overseas in countries such as France and Germany for an average of 16 months. An enlisted soldier earned an average of $71.33 per month, while officers made $203.50 per month — equivalent to about $1,436 and $4,107 today, respectively.
The number of service members was even higher in Germany, where 18.1 million aided the Nazis’ effort out of a population of 69 million — a whopping 31%. No nation bore the brunt of the conflict quite like the Soviet Union, however, where 34.5 million people, including 35% of the male population, mobilized during the war.
