America's Veteran Population

The United States celebrates Veterans Day on November 11 each year to honor and recognize the service and sacrifices of all U.S. military veterans. The holiday was originally known as Armistice Day, marking the end of World War I on November 11, 1918, when an armistice (ceasefire) was signed between the Allies and Germany. In 1954, after World War II and the Korean War, Congress renamed the holiday Veterans Day to honor veterans of all wars, not just those who served in WWI. Unlike Memorial Day, which honors those who died in service, Veterans Day celebrates all who have served in the U.S. armed forces.

Considering that the last survivors of WWI have long passed away and that veterans who served in WWII are now in their 90s, it’s no surprise that the U.S. veteran population is fast declining. According to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, there were almost 22 million veterans, including two million who served during WWII, in the country in 2010. By 2023, that number had fallen to just over 18 million according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, including less than 100,000 survivors of World War II. As our chart, based on the latest data from the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, shows, the largest number of veterans now stems from the gulf war era, including roughly 3 million who served in the pre-9/11 gulf war era, 4 million who served in the post 9/11 era and 1.7 million who served in both eras.