Suicide rate fell for veterans enrolled in U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare in 2024 but rose for unenrolled veterans.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on Sept. 30 released the 2026 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, which analyzes veteran suicide from 2001 to 2024, the most recent year for which data is available.
The report shows there were 6,488 suicides among veterans in 2024, and the average number of veteran suicides per day was 17.7.
Other key findings from the report include:
· VA has expanded access to better reach and serve veteran needs, and from 2001 to 2024, the percentage of veterans enrolled with VHA rose from 19.5% to 50.1%.
· 62% of veterans who died by suicide in 2024 were not receiving VA healthcare in the year they died or the year prior.
· While suicide rates for VHA enrollees fell 2.2% from 2001 to 2024, rates for unenrolled veterans increased by 70.8%.
· From 2023 to 2024 — the most recent year for which data is available – veteran suicide rates fell 4.8% for VHA enrollees while rising 3.7% for unenrolled veterans.
Suicide prevention is VA’s top clinical priority, and all VA healthcare facilities provide veterans same-day emergency mental health care access if they need it. VA has conducted a review of its suicide prevention programs to better measure their impact, expand on efforts that are delivering results, and refine programs that need improvement.
This approach has already resulted in several improvements, including many aimed at encouraging veterans to sign up for VA care and seek help at VA to lower the risks of suicide:
· VA is conducting a new outreach campaign that has helped enroll more than 280,000 new veterans in VA healthcare in 2026 alone.
· VA teamed with several large civilian health care providers in February 2025 to launch the Veterans Interoperability Pledge to identify at-risk veterans and help them get the care they’ve earned at VA. This effort has helped VA identify and contact 140,000 at-risk veterans, 40% of whom had not recently been to VA.
· In May 2025, VA and the U.S. Department of Defense signed a memorandum of understanding committing both agencies to improving the transition process for veterans exiting the military.
“VA healthcare saves lives, so we’re making every effort to get more veterans into the system to get the care and benefits they’ve earned,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “That means deploying innovative new ways of reaching unenrolled veterans, 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.”
If you’re a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one, contact the Veterans Crisis Line to receive 24/7, confidential support. You don’t have to be enrolled in VA benefits or healthcare to connect. To reach responders, Dial 988 then Press 1, chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or text 838255.
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