How Many People Died in the Black Death?: A Detailed Summary

  • Last Updated: September 19, 2026
  • Publisher: History Crunch
Excavated human skeletal remains in a mass grave from a 1720 bubonic plague outbreak in southern France
Mass grave in southern France that dates from 1720. The remains showed evidence of infection from the bubonic plague.

Table of Contents

How many people died in the Black Death? Historians have struggled with this question for centuries. This article details the estimated death tolls in the Black Death.

How many people died in the Black Death is one of history’s most staggering questions, with estimates suggesting millions of deaths across Europe and Asia. Globally, including Asia and the Middle East, the death tollThe total number of people who died from a specific cause or event. may have reached as high as 200 million people. The massive loss of life had lasting effects on economies, societies, and the structure of medieval life.

The plague of Florence in 1348.
400
deaths per day in Florence at the plague's peak
At the height of the Black Death in Florence in the summer of 1348, city records and contemporary accounts estimate that roughly 400 people died every single day. The city had held about 120,000 people before the plague arrived; by 1351 that count had fallen to around 50,000.
Source: Biblioteca Comunale degli Intronati, Siena© factsthatcrunch.comFacts that Crunch

What Was the Black Death?

The Black Death is the term that historians use to describe the spread of the bubonic plagueA deadly infectious disease spread by fleas living on rodents that killed millions of people in the medieval world..  It is believed that the plague first began in Central Asia and spread to Europe through vast trade routesEstablished paths used by merchants to move goods between distant regions, such as the Silk Road. such as the Silk Road.  Historians studying the spread of the plague discovered that the disease was spread by fleas that are commonly found on rodentsSmall mammals such as rats and mice that carried the fleas responsible for spreading the plague. such as rats and mice.  As such, it is now understood that the plague spread via trade routes as the rodents traveled in caravansGroups of merchants and animals traveling together across land trade routes. and on merchant ships.

Map showing the spread of the Black Death across Europe and Asia
Spread of the Bubonic Plague

How Many People Died in the Black Death?

The death toll of the Black Death is a debated topic and different historians have offered different views on the issue.  Regardless, the reported death tolls are massive, with some suggesting that it resulted in the deaths of between 75 million and 200 million people in Europe and Asia.  These high numbers suggest that between 30% and 60% of people died due to the infectious disease.  Some regions suffered more than others, but in general it is widely accepted that approximately half of Europeans died as a result of the disease.  For example, it has been recorded that both Paris, France and London, England saw half of their populations succumb to the pandemicA disease outbreak that spreads across a very large area, affecting huge numbers of people..

The death tolls of the Black Death were devastating and led to several major impacts on European society.  It had equally devastating results in the Middle East and Asia with similarly dramatic death tolls.  The reasons why the death tolls were so high are many and included poor hygienePractices that keep people and their surroundings clean in order to prevent disease. and lack of medical understanding.

People of Tournai burying victims of the Black Death, 1353 illuminated manuscript
The people of Tournai bury victims of the Black Death. (1349)

One-third to one-half of Europe's population died during the Black Death.

Myth or fact? Tap your call.
The truthHistorians estimate that between roughly a third and half of Europe's people died between 1347 and 1353. Some regions, such as Florence and Siena in central Italy, lost closer to two-thirds of their residents.
A medieval Danse Macabre illustration depicting death leading the living, one of the most iconic artistic expressions of the Late Middle Ages and the devastating impact of the Black Death on European society.
A medieval Danse Macabre illustration depicting death leading the living, one of the most iconic artistic expressions of the Late Middle Ages and the devastating impact of the Black Death on European society.
Source: Biblioteca Comunale degli Intronati, Siena© factsthatcrunch.comFacts that Crunch

Black Death timeline · 1347 – 1351 CE

In four years the plague moved from a Sicilian port to the edge of Russia, killing perhaps a third of Europe. The timeline follows it season by season, from Messina to Paris to London.
View Timeline →

Key Vocabulary

Bubonic plague
A deadly infectious disease spread by fleas living on rodents that killed millions of people in the medieval world.
Trade routes
Established paths used by merchants to move goods between distant regions, such as the Silk Road.
Caravans
Groups of merchants and animals traveling together across land trade routes.
Pandemic
A disease outbreak that spreads across a very large area, affecting huge numbers of people.
Hygiene
Practices that keep people and their surroundings clean in order to prevent disease.
Death toll
The total number of people who died from a specific cause or event.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the Black Death happen?

The Black Death struck Europe mainly between 1347 and 1351 CE. It arrived after spreading west from Central Asia along busy trade routes. The disease returned in smaller waves for many years after that first deadly outbreak.

What percent of Europe’s population died in the Black Death?

Most historians agree that about half of Europe’s people died from the disease. In some crowded cities the losses were even higher. Large towns like Paris and London each lost roughly half of their residents.

Why did so many people die from the plague?

So many people died because medieval doctors did not understand how the disease spread. Poor hygiene let infected fleas and rats move freely through homes and towns. Without medicine or a cure, the plague passed quickly from person to person.

How was the Black Death spread?

The Black Death spread mostly through fleas that lived on rats and mice. These rodents traveled with merchants in caravans and aboard trading ships. Routes like the Silk Road carried the disease from Asia into the Middle East and Europe.

Did the Black Death affect places outside Europe?

Yes, the Black Death caused heavy losses across the Middle East and Asia too. When both regions are counted, the global death toll may have reached 200 million people. The disease first began in Central Asia before it ever reached Europe.

Cite This Article

To cite this article as a source, use one of the formats below.

MLA: Beck, Elias. “How Many People Died in the Black Death?: A Detailed Summary.” HistoryCrunch, 15 September 2026, https://historycrunch.com/how-many-people-died-in-the-black-death/.

APA: Beck, E. (2026). How Many People Died in the Black Death?: A Detailed Summary. HistoryCrunch. https://historycrunch.com/how-many-people-died-in-the-black-death/

Chicago: Beck, Elias. “How Many People Died in the Black Death?: A Detailed Summary.” HistoryCrunch. September 15, 2026. https://historycrunch.com/how-many-people-died-in-the-black-death/

Sources

  • J.M. Roberts & Odd Arne Westad, The Penguin History of the World.
  • Fordham Medieval Sourcebook
  • John Aberth, The Black Death (Bedford brief history with documents).
  • Ole J. Benedictow, The Black Death 1346-1353: The Complete History.
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AUTHOR INFORMATION
Picture of Elias Beck

Elias Beck

I'm a passionate history and geography teacher with over 15 years of experience working with students in the middle and high school years. I have an Education Degree with a focus in World History. I have been writing articles for History Crunch since 2015 and love the challenge of creating historical content for young learners!
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