Warsaw - Polish casualties in World War II numbered 5.6 to 5.8 million, the Institute of National Remembrance said Wednesday, providing a smaller figure than that Polish authorities claimed in 1947 based on demographics.

The state-run institute, which investigates Nazi and Soviet crimes against Poland, published the findings Wednesday on victims from 1939-1945 to mark the upcoming 70th anniversary of the war's outbreak.

"This is the first summary in educational literature of several dozen years of studies by Polish historians and demographic scholars on Poland's losses in World War II," said institute head Janusz Kurtyka.

The figures include both Poles and Jews with Polish citizenship, as well as civilian and insurgent casualties. The findings are presented in a book titled Poland 1939-1945. (dpa)