Veteran Suicide: The numbers are still high but expanded care is helping

Veteran suicide remains a serious national problem, but recently released data show that expanded access to care is helping save lives. Moral injury According to the September 2026 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, 6,488 veterans died by suicide in 2024 — an average of 17.7 a day, down from 18.2 a day in 2023. Still, the suicide rate remains far higher for veterans than nonveterans — roughly 57 percent higher for male veterans and nearly twice as high for female veterans. Iraq War veteran Danny O’Neel, a speaker on suicide prevention, posttraumatic stress disorder and mental health for the Independence Fund, has explained why veteran suicide is such a persistent problem. “War inflicts permanent psychic scars on survivors,” he wrote.

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