In 2021, the leading causes of death among veterans in the United States were heart disease, cancer, and COVID-19. Heart disease and cancer account for the majority of deaths among U.S. veterans, which is also true for people in the United States in general.
The leading causes of death among veterans vs the U.S. as a whole
Although the leading causes of death for U.S. veterans are similar to the overall leading causes of death in the United States, there are some differences. For example, even though heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death for the entire United States and veterans specifically, death rates for both heart disease and cancer are much higher among veterans. In 2021, the death rate for heart disease among veterans was 267 per 100,000 population, compared to an overall rate of 167 per 100,000 population for the United States in 2022. Another clear difference is that while suicide was the seventh leading cause of death among veterans in 2021, it was not even among the leading ten causes of death for the United States as a whole.
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US Department of Veterans Affairs. (November 16, 2023). Leading causes of death among veterans in the United States from 2019 to 2021 (per 100,000 veterans) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 02, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1367468/us-leading-causes-of-death-among-veterans/
US Department of Veterans Affairs. "Leading causes of death among veterans in the United States from 2019 to 2021 (per 100,000 veterans)." Chart. November 16, 2023. Statista. Accessed December 02, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1367468/us-leading-causes-of-death-among-veterans/
US Department of Veterans Affairs. (2023). Leading causes of death among veterans in the United States from 2019 to 2021 (per 100,000 veterans). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 02, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1367468/us-leading-causes-of-death-among-veterans/
US Department of Veterans Affairs. "Leading Causes of Death among Veterans in The United States from 2019 to 2021 (per 100,000 Veterans)." Statista, Statista Inc., 16 Nov 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1367468/us-leading-causes-of-death-among-veterans/
US Department of Veterans Affairs, Leading causes of death among veterans in the United States from 2019 to 2021 (per 100,000 veterans) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1367468/us-leading-causes-of-death-among-veterans/ (last visited December 02, 2024)
Leading causes of death among veterans in the United States from 2019 to 2021 (per 100,000 veterans) [Graph], US Department of Veterans Affairs, November 16, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1367468/us-leading-causes-of-death-among-veterans/