How many communist troops survived the Long March to Shaanxi?

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Mao Zedong smiling and waving with his right hand while standing outdoors in front of large lanterns and a crowd. — Mao Zedong Mao Zedong.

When the Long March began in October 1934, approximately 86,000 troops departed from the Jiangxi-Fujian border base. By the time Mao Zedong arrived in northern Shaanxi in October 1935, only about 8,000 survivors remained.1

The significant reduction in troop numbers was primarily due to combat, disease, and starvation, though some individuals left the march to mobilize the peasantry. Following their arrival, these survivors joined a local Red Army contingent of 7,000 men, and by late 1936, the arrival of additional units brought the total strength to approximately 30,000 troops.1