[Source: U.S. Census Bureau]
Percentage of veterans among the adult population.
November 11, 2016 - Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary marking the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 to change the name to Veterans Day as a way to honor those who served in all American wars. The day honors military veterans with parades and speeches across the nation and a remembrance ceremony takes place at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.
Veterans
18.8 million
The number of military veterans in the United States in 2015.Source:
2015 American Community Survey
1.6 million
The number of female veterans in the United States in 2015.Source:
2015 American Community Survey11.6%
The percentage of veterans in 2015 who were black. Additionally, 78.3 percent were non-Hispanic white, 1.5 percent were Asian, 0.7 percent were American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.2 percent were Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 1.3 percent were Some Other Race. (The numbers for blacks, non-Hispanic whites, Asians, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders, and Some Other Race cover only those reporting a single race.)Source:
2015 American Community Survey6.4%
The percentage of veterans in 2015 who were Hispanic.Source:
2015 American Community Survey9.3 million
The number of veterans age 65 and older in 2015. At the other end of the age spectrum, 1.6 million were younger than age 35.Source:
2015 American Community SurveyWhen They Served
6.8 million
The number of Vietnam Era veterans in 2015. Moreover, there were 5.6 million who served during the Gulf War (representing service from August 1990 to present); 930,000 who served in World War II; 1.8 million who served in the Korean War; and 4.3 million who served in peacetime only.Source:
2015 American Community SurveyThe number of living veterans in 2015 who served during three wartime periods:
- 61,997 served during the Vietnam Era and both periods of the Gulf War (August 1990 to August 2001 and September 2001 or later).
- 29,331 served during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam Era.
- 1,085,142 served during both periods of the Gulf War (August 1990 to August 2001 and September 2001 or later)
- 288,341 served during the Gulf War (August 1990 to August 2001) and the Vietnam Era.
- 152,416 served during the Korean War and the Vietnam Era.
- 65,704 served during World War II and the Korean War.
2015 American Community SurveyWhere They Live
3
The number of states with 1.0 million or more veterans in 2015. These states were California (1.6 million), Texas (1.5 million) and Florida (1.5 million).Source:
2015 American Community SurveyEducation
27.7%
The percentage of veterans 25 years and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2015. In comparison, 30.8 percent of nonveterans had a bachelor’s degree or higher.Source:
2015 American Community Survey
Income
$38,978
The annual median income of male veterans in 2015, compared with $34,168 for male nonveterans.Source:
2015 American Community Survey$32,446
The annual median income of female veterans in 2015, compared with $22,505 for female nonveterans.Source:
2015 American Community Survey7.2 million
The number of veterans 18 to 64 years old in the labor force in 2015. Of those veterans, 6.8 million were employed.Source:
2015 American Community SurveyService-Connected Disabilities
3.9 million
The number of veterans with a service-connected disability rating in 2015. Of this number, 1.2 million had a rating of 70.0 percent or higher. A “service-connected” disability is one that was a result of a disease or injury incurred or aggravated during active military service. Severity of one’s disability is scaled from 0.0 to 100.0 percent, and eligibility for compensation depends on one’s rating.Source:
2015 American Community SurveyVoting
11.5 million
The number of veterans who voted in the 2014 congressional election. In that election, 54.0 percent of veterans cast a ballot, compared with 41.0 percent of nonveterans. These rates reflect the citizen population.Source:
Reported Voting and Registration, by Sex, Veteran Status, and Age: November 2014, Table 13Business Owners
405,235
The number of all U.S. employer firms that are majority owned by veterans. Veteran-owned firms comprised 7.5 percent of the nation's 5.4 million employer businesses.Source:
2014 Annual Survey of Entrepreneurs
