By the Numbers: 23 November 2020
6,435
The number of U.S. Veterans who died by suicide in 2018, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention -- 2020 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report.
Key data points include the following:
• Suicide continues to increase in the U.S. adult population. 46,510 American adults died by suicide in 2018, compared with 45,390 in 2017 and 31,610 in 2005.5 Across the nation, the number of suicide deaths has been rising since the turn of the millennium.
• From 2005 to 2018, there was a 47.1% increase in the number of suicide deaths in the general population, coinciding with an increase in the U.S. adult population from approximately 215 million to 253 million during this period. From 2017 to 2018, there was a 2.5% increase in the number of suicide deaths in the general population (from 45,390 to 46,510) and a 0.7% increase in the U.S. adult population (from 251 to 253 million).
• In each year since 2008, the number of Veteran suicides has exceeded 6,300. 6,435 Veterans died by suicide in 2018, compared with 6,056 in 2005, an increase of 6.3%, despite a decrease in the Veteran population during this time period from 24.5 million to 20.1 million.6 The annual total number of Veteran suicide deaths increased by 36 from 2017 to 2018, an increase of 0.6% (from 6,399 in 20177 to 6,435 in 2018), while the Veteran population fell by 1.5% (from 20.4 million to 20.1 million).
• Within the years 2005–2018, the number of Veteran suicides per year was lowest in 2006 and highest in 2014. The total in 2018 was lower than in six of the years from 2005 to 2017.
• In 2018, Veterans accounted for a lower proportion of suicide deaths among U.S. adults than in prior years. Veterans accounted for 13.8% of all deaths by suicide in 2018, compared to 19.2% in 2005 and 14.1% in 2017.
6,435
The number of U.S. Veterans who died by suicide in 2018, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention -- 2020 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report.
Key data points include the following:• Suicide continues to increase in the U.S. adult population. 46,510 American adults died by suicide in 2018, compared with 45,390 in 2017 and 31,610 in 2005.5 Across the nation, the number of suicide deaths has been rising since the turn of the millennium.• From 2005 to 2018, there was a 47.1% increase in the number of suicide deaths in the general population, coinciding with an increase in the U.S. adult population from approximately 215 million to 253 million during this period. From 2017 to 2018, there was a 2.5% increase in the number of suicide deaths in the general population (from 45,390 to 46,510) and a 0.7% increase in the U.S. adult population (from 251 to 253 million).• In each year since 2008, the number of Veteran suicides has exceeded 6,300. 6,435 Veterans died by suicide in 2018, compared with 6,056 in 2005, an increase of 6.3%, despite a decrease in the Veteran population during this time period from 24.5 million to 20.1 million.6 The annual total number of Veteran suicide deaths increased by 36 from 2017 to 2018, an increase of 0.6% (from 6,399 in 20177 to 6,435 in 2018), while the Veteran population fell by 1.5% (from 20.4 million to 20.1 million).• Within the years 2005–2018, the number of Veteran suicides per year was lowest in 2006 and highest in 2014. The total in 2018 was lower than in six of the years from 2005 to 2017.
• In 2018, Veterans accounted for a lower proportion of suicide deaths among U.S. adults than in prior years. Veterans accounted for 13.8% of all deaths by suicide in 2018, compared to 19.2% in 2005 and 14.1% in 2017.