Veteran Suicide Statistics: What the Numbers Show

Veteran suicide figures by source and year

Each row names what was measured, the year or period of the data, and who published it. Rows from different sources measure different things and should not be added together or swapped for one another.

Note on timing: national mortality data is delayed because death records must be collected and verified across the country. The latest VA report covers deaths in 2024 and was published September 30, 2026. The VA may revise earlier-year counts as records are completed. These figures should be updated when the VA releases its next annual report.

The VA’s official count vs. a broader estimate

Two organizations are often quoted on this topic, and they are answering different questions.

In plain language: the VA reports the deaths its records classify as suicide. America’s Warrior Partnership looked more widely. It also counted self-injury mortality, deaths that researchers grouped with suicide because the cause suggests self-harm but the death may not be officially classified as suicide. It studied former service members, not only veterans in the VA’s count, and used a different time span. The 44 figure is therefore a broader measure of loss, not a higher count of the same thing and not the VA’s official suicide count.

How many veterans die by suicide each day?

According to the VA, an average of 17.7 veterans died by suicide each day in 2024.

• How the average works: 6,488 deaths divided by the 366 days of 2024 (a leap year) is about 17.7 per day, or roughly one death every 81 minutes. That division is our arithmetic on the VA’s published count.
• It is an average, not a daily tally. Some days have more deaths and some fewer. It describes veterans who died by suicide in 2024 and does not predict any future day or year.
• Compared with 2023: the previous VA report showed 6,398 deaths, about 17.5 per day. Counts for earlier years can be revised as records are completed.
• If you see “44 per day”: that is the Operation Deep Dive estimate of suicide plus self-injury mortality among former service members. It answers a broader question than “how many veterans die by suicide.”

Why the older “22 per day” figure is still in use

The “22 veterans a day” figure traces to the VA’s 2012 Suicide Data Report, released in 2013. It estimated daily veteran suicides from death certificates reported by 21 states for 1999 to 2011. Military Times noted that the calculation left out several states with large veteran populations, including California, Texas, Arizona, and North Carolina, and could not account for deaths that were never recorded as suicide. The report’s authors also advised readers to interpret the estimate with caution because it drew on only a sample of states.

In July 2016 the VA released an analysis of about 55 million veteran records from all states. It found 7,403 veteran suicides in 2014, about 20 per day, according to PolitiFact. VA annual reports since then have reported lower daily averages, down to 17.7 per day for 2024.

The 22 figure stayed in public use for three practical reasons. It was short and easy to remember. It was adopted by veteran groups, lawmakers, and news outlets and built into awareness walks and campaigns long before the data were updated. And repeated quotations rarely carried the year or the 21-state limit with them. When citing a daily figure, state the year and the publisher. The current VA figure is 17.7 per day for 2024.

How can families affected by veteran suicide find help?

Families who have lost a current military member, veteran, or first responder to suicide can connect with Red Star Foundation and search our national resource directory for grief, peer, and family support.

Red Star Foundation calls these families Red Star Families. Our Red Star Families page explains how to connect with others through the Peer-to-Peer Network, and families can request a Red Star Service Banner to honor their loved one. The national suicide prevention resource directory lists grief, counseling, financial, and family support organizations by state. Red Star Foundation is not a clinical or crisis service; it works alongside licensed counselors and crisis lines.

Sources

Links open in a new tab. The VA and America’s Warrior Partnership are the primary sources for the current figures; the two news sources document the history of the older estimates.

• 2026 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report

  U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Covers deaths in 2024; published September 30, 2026.

• VA announcement of the 2026 report

  U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs news release summarizing the findings.

• Operation Deep Dive research archive

  America's Warrior Partnership. Suicide and self-injury mortality among former service members.

• Operation Deep Dive interim report (PDF)

  Eight-state study of suicide and self-injury mortality in earlier years.

• Military Times: accurate veterans suicide data not expected for months

  May 2016 reporting on where the 22-per-day estimate came from and its limits.

• PolitiFact: average of 20 veterans die by suicide daily

  July 2016 fact check of the VA's 2014 figure and the earlier 22-per-day estimate.

Keep reading

• Veteran suicide: the complete overview covers causes, warning signs, prevention, and how to help.
• Red Star Families offers connection and support for families who have lost a loved one to suicide.
• Veteran suicide prevention is the companion guide: warning signs, how to check in, and how to help someone reach qualified support.
• Red Star News: the VA 2026 report and the 17.7-per-day figure

Need help? Veterans and their loved ones can call 988 and press 1, or text 838255, to reach the Veterans Crisis Line. In an emergency, call 911.