Male Veterans Aged 25-44 at Higher Risk of Suicide Than General Population Reveal ONS

An air insertion operation mounted by British soldiers and Afghan police in Afghanistan, in an undated handout photo. MoD/PA

Male veterans aged 25 to 44 are at a higher risk of suicide than the general male population in the same age range, analysis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed.

On Friday, the ONS’s analysis showed that in 2021, the suicide rate for male UK veterans in England and Wales aged 25 to 34 was 38.2 deaths per 100,000 and for those aged 35 to 44 years was 33.5 deaths per 100,000. This is a far higher rate than for men in those age brackets in the general population, at 18.0 and 18.8 deaths per 100,000, respectively.

The ONS said that while there was no evidence of a difference in rate of suicide between the veteran population and general population, it was through analysis by age that these stark figures were revealed.

This is the first time the ONS published analysis of suicides among British veterans in England and Wales, with the statistics office hoping it will aid in the understanding of where support is needed for when military personnel leave the armed forces.

Every Veteran Suicide ‘a Tragedy’

Veterans’ Affairs Minister Johnny Mercer said in response to the figures: “Every veteran suicide is a tragedy, and my heart goes out to the families and friends of those affected.

“Whilst today’s findings mostly reinforce our existing understanding—that veterans are at no greater risk of suicide than the general population—it does provide new insight that we will consider carefully.”

“That is why we continue to invest record amounts into Op Courage, our bespoke mental health pathway for veterans, in addition to publishing a new five-year Suicide Prevention Strategy which sets out over 100 actions, including for veterans, that will be taken to reduce the suicide rate in England,” he added.

Out of 5,175 suicides in 2021 in England and Wales in those aged 16 and over, 253 armed forces veterans took their own lives, equaling 4.9 percent of all suicides.

The victims were overwhelmingly male, with 237 (93.7 percent) men taking their own lives compared to 16 (6.3 percent) women. Because of this predominantly male composition, the analysis focused on men.

Suicides Rose Among Serving Military Personnel

In separate statistics published on Thursday, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) revealed that there had been a rise in suicides among UK regular armed forces personnel.

The coroner confirmed seven suicides in 2023, compared to six in both 2022 and 2021, and one suicide in 2019. The MoD added, however, that another 12 deaths from last year may result in suicide verdicts once inquests are done. Between 2004 and 2023, there had been 283 suicides in the armed forces and the vast majority (260) were men.

Despite an increase in recent years, the MoD pointed out that suicides in the regular armed forces were consistently lower than the general population.

Suicide rates in the military were highest among males aged 24 and under, the MoD said, noting that suicide was the leading cause of death among males aged 24 and under in the general population.

However, the MoD said that “since 2017 the number of army male suicides has increased, and the risk of suicide among army males was the same as the UK general population for the first time since the mid 1990’s.” Suicide rates for the Royal Navy (including Royal Marines) and the Royal Air Force were lower than that of the general population.

The MoD stressed that “suicide remains a rare event in the UK armed forces,” suggesting that several factors may play a role in reducing the risk of suicide compared to the rest of the population, including “the strong group loyalty, bonding and mutual dependence encouraged at all levels in the services, particularly in small combat units.”

Military vehicles, including trucks and support vehicles, all belonging to the 7 Light Mechanised Brigade unit of the British Army, aka 'The Desert Rats,' at the Marchwood Military Sea Mounting Centre near Southampton, England, on Feb. 13, 2024. Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images

Half of England’s Veterans Suffer Mental or Physical Health Issues

Last week, a survey of 4,910 veterans commissioned jointly by the Royal College of GPs and the Office for Veterans’ Affairs found that 55 percent of veterans had experienced a mental or physical health issue potentially related to their military service since returning to civilian life.

More than four in five said their condition had deteriorated since then. Despite this, one in seven said they had not sought medical support.

The most common reasons for not getting help was that respondents “prefer to manage their issues on their own” and that they believed civilian medical professionals “won’t understand their experiences.”

Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) said they would be more likely to get professional help if they knew their GP practice was signed up to the Veteran Friendly Accreditation scheme, a programme which accredits more than 3,000 of England’s 6,313 GP practices.

Military personnel participate in the NATO Steadfast Defender 2021 exercise on the deck of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth off the coast of Portugal, on May 27, 2021. Ana Brigida /AP Photo

Mr. Mercer has urged more practices to sign up to the scheme, which he said “will help encourage more veterans to contact their GP and say they served.”

“Doing so will help to ensure that they receive the care that’s right for them, which includes access to veteran-specific NHS health services, such as Op Courage,” the veterans’ affairs minister said.

Op Courage is an NHS mental health specialist service that helps active military personnel who are preparing to leave the military to transition to civilian life, as well as supporting reservists, veterans, and their families. It provides support to those with mental health issues, substance abuse, and wider wellbeing support such as housing, finances, and employment.

For mental health support, please call Samaritans for free on 116 123 (UK and the Republic of Ireland) or contact other sources of support, such as those listed on the NHS help for suicidal thoughts webpage.

PA Media contributed to this report.