The rate of suicide among military veterans has remained consistent in recent years, despite efforts to drive it down.
Nearly 18 veterans died by suicide every day in 2024, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ annual report on the topic. The report found that 6,488 veterans killed themselves in 2024, slightly fewer than a revised number the VA now says died in 2023.
The report, released last week, looked at trends in veteran suicide from 2001-2024, the most recent year for which the VA has data. Notably, the report added close to 300 suicide deaths to its previously released 2023 estimate for veteran suicides. In February, the department’s 2023 report said 6,398 veterans took their own lives that year, but the new 2024 report revises that 2023 figure up to 6,662.
A note in the new report said the revised numbers reflected new information about deaths in 2023 that the VA collected after the 2023 report was published.
The VA also found that the average number of suicides per day declined to 17.7 per day, down from 18.2 suicides per day in 2023.
The report noted that firearms were overwhelmingly the method used most often by male and female veterans, accounting for 74.3% of deaths in 2024, followed by suffocation. According to the VA, all suicides were the 11th-leading cause of death among veterans that year.
As in recent years’ reports, suicide was more prevalent among younger veterans, with veterans between the ages of 18-34 seeing the highest suicide rates. Data collected by the VA also found that the suicide rates for female veterans ages 55-74 and male veterans ages 75 and older rose in 2024 over 2023, although rates for other age groups decreased.
The findings also noted differences for those who were enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration services and those who were not. Veterans who were enrolled for VA health benefits saw suicide rates drop 4.8% over 2023, but those who were not enrolled saw the suicide rate rise 3.7% over the previous year.
The report also noted that most of the veterans who killed themselves had been in some level of contact with the VA in the previous five years. The rate of suicide for male veterans was 56.5% higher than non-veteran adults, while it was 99.9% higher for female veterans than non-veteran women. Homelessness remained a major contributing factor. For veterans who were receiving VA care, the suicide rate for those experiencing homelessness was 118.5% higher than those who were not homeless; that was down from being 146% higher in 2023. Recent traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) also played more of a factor, with a suicide rate for veterans with recent TBIs being 111% higher than those without.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins said in a statement accompanying the report that the department is looking for new ways to reach veterans not enrolled in the VA, as well as “screening them for suicide risk and expanding suicide prevention training both inside and outside VA.”
“There is much more work to be done, however, and we will continue to improve our efforts to fight the scourge of veteran suicide,” Collins said.
There were some positive trends over a wider timeline. For veterans who left the military in 2023, their rate of suicide in 2024 was 36.1 per 100,000 people, the lowest rate since 2016. Since 2001, the highest rate was in 2019, with 51.1 per 100,000 for recently separated vets.
Revised 2023 figures show more suicides that year
The data comes only months after the VA released its figures for 2023. That report, with data more than two years old, was delayed until February. Both the original and updated figures show that the number of deaths by suicide dropped slightly compared to 2022, but the new numbers show it was only a slight decrease. Initial figures showed the year-over-year numbers dropped by 44 deaths, but revised numbers show only a drop of 37.
This year’s report showed revised data for recent years, with the number of veterans who died by suicide at 6,662; the report released in February noted 6,398 suicides that year. That in turn was only slightly down from 6,699 in 2022, although part of a general decline from a high of 7,015 in 2018.
The new report notes that data sources are “updated over time, and each annual VA suicide report includes the most current available data. Consequently, annual report information is updated and enhanced with each new report.”
The new VA findings noted that in the just-wrapped 2026 fiscal year, the number of calls or texts to the Veterans Crisis Line increased by 7% over the previous year, to roughly 1.3 million conversations. Under the Veterans Health Administration, there are programs meant to screen veterans for suicide risk, interventions, safety counseling and other options.
The VA’s release noted several efforts launched since 2025, such as efforts to better the transition process out of the military, working with civilian healthcare providers to connect veterans with the VA and try to reduce veteran homelessness. This new report does not reflect the impact of those efforts, which won’t show up until next year’s findings.
If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States. Reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling or texting 988 and you’ll be connected to trained counselors.
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