Suicides among military members drops in 2024, report says

By SUZANNE DOWNING

April 20, 2026 – A newly released annual report from the US Department of Defense shows a notable drop in suicides among US service members in 2024, while acknowledging there are persistent long-term challenges, especially relevant for states like Alaska, which has one of the highest per-capita military populations in the nation.

According to the Defense Department’s seventh Annual Report on Suicide in the Military, 471 service members died by suicide in 2024, down from 531 in 2023. The overall suicide rate for the total force also declined from 26.0 to 23.2 per 100,000 service members. The most significant improvement came among active-duty personnel, where the suicide rate dropped by roughly 16%—a statistically significant decrease.

• The Total Force suicide rate decreased by approximately 11%.
• The Active Component suicide rate decreased by approximately 16%.
• The Reserve suicide rate decreased by approximately 14%.
• The National Guard suicide rate increased by approximately 13%.

The report attributes the progress in part to expanded mental health access, including telehealth services, and new policies such as the Brandon Act, which allows service members to seek mental health care confidentially without going through their chain of command. Still, Defense officials caution against declaring a turning point.

While 2024’s numbers are trending in a positive direction, the report notes that suicide rates among active-duty personnel have risen steadily over the long term, from 16.9 per 100,000 in 2011 to 22.3 in 2024, when adjusted for age and sex. This suggests the recent decline may represent a short-term improvement within a broader upward trend rather than a sustained reversal.

Since Donald Trump took office in January,2025, there are not yet reports to show whether or not the trend downward is holding.

The 2024 findings carry particular weight for Alaska, where the military footprint is unusually large. As of late 2025, the state had approximately 24,957 active and reserve service members, ranking second-highest in the nation per capita, behind only Hawaii. That population, combined with a significant number of veterans, means national military trends often have an outsized local impact. Alaska has long struggled with high suicide rates in its civilian population, and the overlap between military, veteran, and rural communities adds complexity to prevention efforts.

The Defense Department report highlights consistent demographic patterns among those who died by suicide in 2024, with 56% identified as enlisted males under age 30 and junior enlisted ranks (E1–E4) representing the highest-risk group. Relationship stress and workplace issues were frequently cited contributing factors. Firearms remained the leading method, accounting for 66% of deaths across the total force, with most involving personally owned weapons, reinforcing the department’s emphasis on safe storage initiatives.

When adjusted for age and sex, military suicide rates have generally tracked closely with the US civilian population over the past decade, suggesting the issue reflects broader national mental health trends as well as military-specific stressors. The report also notes more than 1,500 suicide attempts among active-duty personnel in 2024, with many individuals having recent contact with health care providers.

The Defense Department says it is continuing to expand a public health approach to suicide prevention, including increased access to behavioral health care, efforts to reduce stigma around seeking help, expanded crisis response services, and continued focus on lethal-means safety. Officials emphasize that year-to-year changes should be interpreted cautiously, given the relatively small size of the military population and the volatility that can come with relatively small shifts in raw numbers.