Nearly 20 years of war, 10 days to fall: Afghanistan, by the numbers

The United States has spent an estimated $2,261,000,000,000, or more than $2 trillion, on the war effort.

President Biden struck a defiant tone as he defended the withdrawal of American troops after the Taliban’s lightning fast takeover of Afghanistan. “I stand squarely behind my decision,” the president told the nation in a televised address from the White House on Monday.

Still, Biden acknowledged the “gut-wrenching” images emerging from the country where the United States has fought its longest foreign war. “After 20 years, I’ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw U.S. forces,” he said.

Here is a close look at the cost in lives, dollars and resources spent in Afghanistan over the last two decades.