Military Suicide Statistics by Year

DoD reports three non-overlapping components: the Active Component (full-time Service members), the Reserve (Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force Reserve) and the National Guard (Army and Air National Guard). Reserve and Guard members are counted regardless of duty status. Coast Guard members are not included because the Coast Guard is part of the Department of Homeland Security.

In 2024, DoD reported 302 Active Component, 64 Reserve and 105 National Guard suicide deaths.

Why These Categories Matter

The components differ in size, age, deployment experience and daily structure. A larger death count in one component does not by itself mean higher individual risk; rates, and especially adjusted rates, are the better comparison.

For this data, VA defines Veterans as people who had been activated for federal military service and were not currently serving at the time of death. Deaths are identified from death certificates through the National Death Index.

2024 reference point: VA’s 2026 annual report recorded 6,488 Veteran suicide deaths in 2024, an average of 17.7 per day. These are 2024 data reported in 2026 (2026 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report (2026)).

From 2001 to 2024, the estimated Veteran population fell from 25,903,000 to 17,820,000, while the unadjusted rate rose from 24.3 to 36.4 per 100,000 and the age-adjusted rate from 25.8 to 39.3. Annual counts changed far less than rates because the population shrank. These changes cannot be attributed to any single program or policy.

Revision note: VA’s 2026 report updated how Veteran status is confirmed and applied the change to every year, so its figures supersede earlier reports. For example, 2023 was reported as 6,398 deaths in the 2025 report and is 6,662 in the 2026 data.

• Population: current military figures describe people serving at the time of death; veteran figures describe people who had served and were no longer serving.
• Reporting agency: DoD and VA use different data systems and population definitions.
• Mortality rate: deaths per 100,000 people per year, which accounts for population size.
• Daily average: derived from the annual count; it does not measure any individual’s risk.

Do not add DoD and VA counts into one national total: the systems were not built to be combined, and definitions and timing differ.

• Annual suicide deaths: the count for a calendar year.
• Average daily deaths: annual deaths divided by 365 (366 in a leap year).
• Rate per 100,000: annual deaths relative to population size.
• Suicide attempts and suicidal ideation: non-fatal acts and thoughts, measured separately (for example in the DoD Suicide Event Report) and not included in these death counts.

Illustrative example, not an actual statistic: if a report recorded 365 deaths in a non-leap year, the average would be one death per day.

In 2024, 471 Service member suicide deaths average about 1.3 per day; 6,488 Veteran deaths average 17.7 per day. A daily average does not mean the same number of people die each day. Headlines differ because they use different populations, definitions and data years. For the public discussion of daily veteran figures, see veteran suicide statistics.

VA methodology

VA builds a list of all known Veterans and current and former Service members with DoD’s Defense Manpower Data Center, matches it against the CDC National Death Index, and counts deaths whose underlying cause is suicide (ICD-10 codes X60-X84, U03 and Y87.0) for all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

America’s Warrior Partnership methodology

America’s Warrior Partnership’s Operation Deep Dive reviewed deaths of former service members in a sample of states and added a broader category, self-injury mortality, which includes some deaths such as accidental overdoses that are not certified as suicide. Its commonly cited “44 per day” combines suicide and self-injury mortality and is extrapolated nationally. It is not equivalent to VA’s official suicide-only count.

• Different populations and data sources.
• Different death classifications.
• Different reporting periods.
• Different methods and levels of uncertainty.

Red Star has referred to upwards of 300,000 deaths since 2001 using the broader 44-per-day framework. That figure is an extrapolation from AWP’s estimate, not an official count of confirmed suicides. See how the 300,000 estimate is calculated and the Operation Deep Dive report. AWP figures are never mixed into the official tables on this page.

DoD reports suicide deaths among military spouses and dependents separately from Service members. The latest family data year is 2023, one year behind Service member data. These figures include some family members who were themselves Service members, so they must not be added to Service member totals. Veteran family data is not part of these reports.

DoD reports that Active Component suicide rates gradually increased from 2011 to 2024 (adjusted 16.9 to 22.3 per 100,000), while Reserve and National Guard rates remained stable. DoD also reports that, after accounting for age and sex, military suicide rates have been similar to U.S. population rates in most years since 2011 (DoD release). For veterans, rates rose while the population declined.

Why Suicide Counts and Rates Can Move Differently

A rate divides deaths by population. When a population shrinks, as the Veteran population has, the rate can rise even if the count is flat or falls.

What Year-to-Year Changes Do Not Tell Us

A single year’s change cannot be credited to one policy, program or organization. DoD notes it is too early to tell whether the lower 2024 rate signals a change in long-term trends. Crude and adjusted rates can also point in different directions.

Why Data Is Published Later Than the Year It Describes

Deaths must be investigated, certified and matched to records before they can be counted. DoD counts suspected suicides as of March 31 of the following year and revises them later; VA waits for National Death Index matching. That is why a 2026 report contains 2024 data.

The CSV contains every value on this page (163 records plus DoD trend rates), with year, population, component or branch, deaths, rate and rate type, calculated daily average, data status, source agency, report, table, publication year and notes. Blank cells mean the value is not published.

Dataset version 2026.1. Please cite the original agency report along with this page.

Department of Defense

Counts come from the Table 1 of the newest DoD report covering each year, because DoD revises prior-year counts as investigations close. Long-term rates come from the CY 2024 report’s Appendix C. Archive: DSPO reports; congressional version: Reports on Suicide Among Members of the Armed Forces.

Department of Veterans Affairs

Veteran figures come from the National Suicide Data Appendix released with the 2026 annual report (VA suicide prevention data).

Reports used

• 2026 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, National Suicide Data Appendix 2001-24: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, published September 2026. Sheet "Veteran" (Veteran Deaths by Suicide: Unadjusted and Adjusted Rates by Sex, 2001-24).
• 2026 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, published September 2026. Table 1 and Section D: Methods Summary.
• 2025 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, Part 2: Report Findings: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, published 2025. Key findings.
• Calendar Year 2024 Annual Report on Suicide in the Military: U.S. Department of Defense (Department of War), Defense Suicide Prevention Office, published March 2026. Table 1; Appendix C, Tables 10-12; Table 5 (family members).
• Calendar Year 2023 Annual Report on Suicide in the Military: U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Suicide Prevention Office, published 2024. Table 1.
• Calendar Year 2022 Annual Report on Suicide in the Military: U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Suicide Prevention Office, published 2023. Table 1.
• Calendar Year 2021 Annual Report on Suicide in the Military: U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Suicide Prevention Office, published 2022. Table 1.
• Calendar Year 2020 Annual Suicide Report: U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Suicide Prevention Office, published 2021. Table 1.
• Calendar Year 2019 Annual Suicide Report: U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Suicide Prevention Office, published 2020. Table 1.
• Calendar Year 2018 Annual Suicide Report: U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Suicide Prevention Office, published 2019. Table 1.

Rules for this dataset

• Values are copied from official tables; nothing is estimated or interpolated.
• Missing values are shown as “Not available”, never as zero.
• Daily averages are calculated and labeled; agency-reported daily figures are shown as published.
• Calendar-year data only; no fiscal-year records are mixed in.
• Automated checks confirm components and Services sum to the totals each report gives.

Data not available

• DoD Service member counts for 2011-2015: earlier DoD Suicide Event Report (DoDSER) annual reports use different component definitions and reporting dates, so they are not merged into this series until reviewed.
• Total Force suicide rate for 2016-2021: DoD did not publish a combined rate in those reports.
• Rates for groups with fewer than 20 deaths (Space Force; Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force Reserve; Air National Guard): not reported by DoD.
• Military family data before 2021 and for 2024: not in the current DoD report (2023 is the latest family year).
• Veteran figures by military branch: not published in the VA national appendix.

Revisions to historical figures

• 2023 Veterans: earlier 6,398 Veteran suicide deaths (2025 VA report); now 6,662 (2026 VA report and appendix). The 2026 report updated Veteran status identification to include VA indicators for decedents in both VA and DMDC data and applied the change to all years; VA states the 2026 findings supersede earlier reports.
• 2023 current military: earlier 523 (Active 363, Reserve 69, National Guard 91) in the CY 2023 report; now 531 (Active 363, Reserve 75, National Guard 93) in the CY 2024 report. DoD updates prior-year counts as cause-of-death investigations close.
• 2022 current military: earlier 492 (331, 64, 97) in the CY 2022 report; 493 in the CY 2023 report; now 496 (333, 65, 98) in the CY 2024 report. DoD prior-year count updates.
• 2021 current military: earlier 519 (328, 74, 117) in the CY 2021 report; 524 in the CY 2022 report; now 523 (328, 74, 121) in the CY 2023 report. DoD prior-year count updates.
• 2020 current military: earlier 580 (384, 77, 119) in the CY 2020 report; 582 in the CY 2021 report; now 581 (383, 77, 121) in the CY 2022 report. DoD prior-year count updates.
• 2019 current military: earlier 498 (344, 65, 89) in the CY 2019 report; 504 in the CY 2020 report; now 505 (349, 66, 90) in the CY 2021 report. DoD prior-year count updates.
• 2018 current military: earlier 541 (325, 81, 135) in the CY 2018 report; now 543 (326, 81, 136) in the CY 2019 and CY 2020 reports. DoD prior-year count updates.
• 2017 current military: earlier 511 (285, 93, 133) in the CY 2018 report; now 513 (287, 93, 133) in the CY 2019 report. DoD prior-year count updates.

Change log

• 2026-11-13 (version 2026.1): Initial dataset: DoD CY 2016-2024 counts (latest revision for each year), DoD CY 2011-2024 trend rates, VA 2001-2024 (2026 appendix), DoD military family 2021-2023.

Behind every number is a person and a family. Red Star Foundation works for hope, recognition and connection. It does not provide clinical treatment.

• National Suicide Prevention & Support Resource Directory: find support by location and need.
• Red Star Families: recognition and connection for families who lost a loved one who served.
• Peer-to-Peer Network: a planned network; its chapters and online tools are still in development.
• Red Star Voices: video interviews with families who lost someone who served.
• Veteran Suicide Prevention and ways to help with veteran suicide awareness.