The human and economic cost of the war on Lebanon has continued to mount, with nearly 9,000 people killed and more than 30,000 wounded since October 2023, while about 100,000 housing and other units were destroyed or damaged during the first four months of renewed fighting in 2026, official data and assessments show as per Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.

Lebanon's Health Ministry recorded 8,953 deaths and 30,643 injuries between Oct. 8, 2023, and Sept. 17, 2026, for a total of 39,596 casualties.

Since March 2, 2026, 4,386 people have been killed and 12,407 wounded, accounting for about 49% of the deaths and 40% of the injuries recorded since October 2023.

The losses in 2026 have been concentrated in southern Lebanon and the Nabatiyeh region, where 3,755 people were killed and 10,503 wounded, representing about 85% of the casualties recorded during the latest phase of the conflict.

The Health Ministry has also documented 180 attacks on ambulance and emergency medical teams, damaging 184 vehicles and 40 facilities. A total of 135 health and emergency workers were killed and 416 wounded, while 17 hospitals were damaged and three were forced to close.

The ministry's figures show how sharply the toll has increased since December 2024. At that point, it had recorded 4,047 deaths and 16,638 injuries, or 20,685 casualties in total. By Sept. 17, the figures had risen by 4,906 deaths and 14,005 injuries, an increase of about 91% in total casualties.

The updated figures may include revisions to previously recorded cases, however, meaning the entire increase cannot necessarily be attributed to casualties sustained after December 2024. The 4,386 deaths recorded during the 2026 phase alone have nevertheless surpassed the death toll reported for 2023-2024 at the time.

2026 costs still being assessed

Rabih Al-Haber, chief executive of Statistics Lebanon, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the company's data showed more than 4,000 people were killed and around 17,000 wounded during the 2024 war.

The published toll for the 2026 conflict had reached about 4,386 deaths and 12,407 injuries by Sept. 18, he said, meaning that the human losses this year had reached a level comparable to the number of people killed in 2024, but over a shorter period, while the number of wounded was approaching the previous war's figure.

The scale of displacement has also been similar.

About 1 million people were displaced at the height of the 2024 war, while the beginning of the 2026 escalation also forced around 1 million people to flee their homes within Lebanon. Another 100,000 people crossed into Syria.

As of Sept. 1, about 329,240 people remained internally displaced in Lebanon, according to Al-Haber.

But he cautioned against treating the two displacement waves as identical.

The 2026 displacement affected communities in which some people were still recovering from the previous wave, he said. Some families forced to leave their homes this year may have returned only months earlier, while others had moved into alternative housing after losing their homes in 2024.

A decline in the number of registered displaced people does not necessarily mean that people have fully returned, Al-Haber said. Returning requires habitable housing, functioning roads, water and electricity supplies and opportunities to earn a living.

Repeated displacement also increases the burden of rent and transportation, makes it harder for people to maintain employment and disrupts children's education, he said.

Billions of dollars in damage

The physical damage from the 2024 war was estimated at about $6.8 billion nationwide, including $4.6 billion in the housing sector, Al-Haber said.

There is no comparable final nationwide assessment for 2026 yet. Partial assessments through April, however, indicate that direct damage to buildings has exceeded $1.745 billion, including more than $1.38 billion in southern Lebanon and more than $365 million in Beirut and Mount Lebanon.

The same assessments estimate that 11,095 buildings were completely destroyed south of the Litani River and another 146 in Beirut and Mount Lebanon.

They also put the number of destroyed housing units at 17,891 in southern Lebanon and 3,168 in Beirut and Mount Lebanon. The volume of rubble was estimated at about 3.1 million cubic meters in the south and 649,000 cubic meters in Beirut and Mount Lebanon.

Al-Haber stressed that the 2024 and 2026 figures cannot be directly combined.

The $6.8 billion estimate for 2024 represents direct physical damage across the country, while the 2026 figure covers building damage identified in regional and interim assessments through April. It therefore cannot be treated as a final estimate of the cost of the 2026 war.

The economic impact of the 2024 war was estimated at another $7.2 billion in losses to economic activity, bringing total physical damage and economic losses to about $14 billion. Reconstruction and recovery needs were estimated at around $11 billion.

Lebanon's real gross domestic product contracted by 7.1% in 2024, Al-Haber said. After signs of recovery in 2025, the 2026 war has again altered the economic trajectory, with the economy expected to contract by 6.4%.

The conflict is estimated to have reduced economic growth by about 10.4 percentage points compared with a scenario in which the war had not occurred, while inflation is expected to reach about 17.5%.

Agriculture suffered an estimated $1.2 billion in damage and losses during the 2024 war, while trade, industry and tourism together recorded about $3.4 billion in losses. No final nationwide estimates are yet available for those sectors for 2026.

The health sector has also suffered extensive damage. Compiled data cited by Al-Haber point to about 190 attacks on health care during the first months of the 2026 escalation and more than 100 health workers killed.

Seventeen hospitals were partially damaged, while 42 primary health-care centers were closed during the initial phase.

100,000 units damaged or destroyed

Data from Lebanon's National Center for Natural Risks and Early Warning (NCNE) and the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) show that about 100,000 units were destroyed or damaged between March 2 and July 2, 2026.

The amount of rubble generated during the period was estimated at between 10 million and 14 million tons.

Nabatiyeh district recorded the largest number of damaged or destroyed units, at 26,874, with between 2.7 million and 3.5 million tons of rubble.

It was followed by Bint Jbeil, with 22,350 units and between 2.5 million and 3.5 million tons of rubble; Tyre, with 19,782 units and about 2 million to 3 million tons; and Marjayoun, with 10,296 units and between 1.3 million and 1.8 million tons.

Damage was also recorded in Baabda district, with 8,112 units, Sidon with 4,077 and Jezzine with 2,817. Western Bekaa, Baalbek, Hasbaya, Beirut, Aley, Chouf, Hermel, Zahle and Metn also recorded damage, although in smaller numbers.

Nabatiyeh , Bint Jbeil, Tyre and Marjayoun together accounted for about four-fifths of all destroyed and damaged units.

The final cost of the conflict remains unclear. Officials and experts say a comprehensive assessment will require further examination of damage and losses across Lebanon's regions and economic sectors.