The report documents 6,398 Veteran suicides in 2023, down from 6,442 in 2022; average daily Veteran suicides fell to 17.5 in 2023 from 17.6 in 2022.
61% of Veterans who died by suicide in 2023 were not receiving VA health care in the last year of their lives.
Suicide rates per 100,000 rose slightly in 2023 for both women (13.7 → 13.9) and men (37.3 → 37.8).
Rates are elevated among Veterans aged 18–34 and those with risk factors such as homelessness, health problems and pain; pain was the most frequently identified risk factor among deaths reported by VA teams (2021–2023).
VA described multiple prevention efforts and metrics: an outreach campaign since January 2025 that led over 33,000 unenrolled Veterans to sign up for VA care and a Veterans Interoperability Pledge that identified and contacted 140,000 at‑risk Veterans (40% not recently to VA).
Additional program data: 1.3 million Veterans Crisis Line calls/chats/texts in FY2025 (39% increase) with 97% Veteran satisfaction, more than 5.3 million RISK ID screenings in 2025, and grants program referrals and new $52 million grant funding announced.
Follow Up Questions
How does VA calculate the "suicide rate per 100,000 Veterans" and what population is used as the denominator?Expand
VA reports suicide rates as the number of Veteran suicide deaths per 100,000 Veterans in the specified population. For trend and comparison tables they present both crude (unadjusted) rates and age-adjusted rates (direct standardization) using an internal Veteran population denominator (annual Veteran population estimates used by VA), i.e., VA’s estimated Veteran population for the year(s) examined. (Age-adjusted rates are calculated by weighting age‑specific Veteran suicide rates to a standard population.)