The Pentagon says fewer American service members died by suicide in 2024. The number of deaths fell by 11% to 471 from a year earlier. The rate of suicides per 100,000 service members also dropped. The decrease emerged under Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during the Biden administration and followed a rise in the number of military suicides in 2023. Despite the drop in 2024, suicide rates among active duty troops overall still have gradually increased between 2011 and 2024. The military’s statistics generally reflect suicide rates for society as a whole, when adjusted for age and gender. That's because a majority of those in the military are young and male.
