Fewer American service members died by suicide in 2024, with the number of deaths falling by 11% to 471 from a year earlier, according to a Pentagon report released Tuesday.
The rate of suicides per 100,000 service members also dropped that year compared to 2023, the report said. 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, while the National Guard and Reserve have stayed largely stable, the report said.
