A total of 2,977 people were killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks, a figure that does not include the 19 terrorist hijackers. This official count encompasses all fatalities at the three main sites of the attacks in New York City, Arlington, Virginia, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The victims were citizens of more than 90 countries, ranging in age from two to 85 years old. The figure represents the immediate loss of life on the day of the attacks and is the most commonly cited statistic for the direct human cost of the event.
The distribution of fatalities across the attack sites provides a more detailed understanding of the tragedy. In New York City, 2,753 people died when hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 were crashed into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center. This number includes 2,184 civilians in the towers, 343 firefighters, 72 law enforcement officers, and 154 passengers and crew on the two aircraft. At the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, 184 people were killed when hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building, comprising 125 military and civilian personnel on the ground and 59 individuals on the flight. In Shanksville, Pennsylvania, all 40 passengers and crew members aboard hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 died when they fought back against the hijackers, causing the plane to crash in a field.
The total death toll directly attributable to the September 11th attacks continues to increase. In the years since 2001, thousands of first responders, cleanup workers, and lower Manhattan residents have been diagnosed with and have died from cancers and other severe illnesses linked to their exposure to the toxic dust and debris at the World Trade Center site. The World Trade Center Health Program and the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund have certified thousands of these subsequent deaths as 9/11-related, officially recognizing them as victims of the attacks. Therefore, while the number of deaths on the day itself is fixed at 2,977, the true human toll of the event is a continuously growing figure.
