The United States had approximately 15.7 million military veterans in 2025, representing 5.9 percent of the civilian population aged 18 and over, according to figures released by the Census Bureau on November 4, 2026. The numbers, published in the bureau’s annual Veterans Day facts release, give the scale of the population being honoured on Wednesday, November 11, when the country marks Veterans Day.
Veterans Day is observed every year on November 11, the anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting in the First World War. It is a federal holiday honouring everyone who has served in the United States Armed Forces, in wartime and in peacetime, living and deceased. The national ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, including a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at 11am, is the centrepiece of the day, with parades and ceremonies in cities and towns nationwide.
Who America’s veterans are
The Census Bureau’s release covers the size and shape of the veteran population, including the states with the largest veteran populations, the share of veterans who served in each era, and the industries and occupations where veterans work. The bureau publishes the figures each year ahead of Veterans Day, drawing on the American Community Survey, the largest household survey in the country.
The 15.7 million figure is the headline number, but the release also shows a veteran population that is ageing and changing. Veterans of the Gulf War era, including those who served after September 11, 2001, now make up a growing share of the total, while the number of Second World War and Korean War veterans continues to fall as those generations pass away. Women are a growing share of the veteran population, although men still make up the large majority.
What the day means for them
Many restaurants and retailers offer free meals or discounts to veterans and active-duty service members on Veterans Day, with identification or proof of service usually required. Federal offices are closed, there is no regular US Postal Service delivery, and most banks and schools are closed. National parks offer free admission to veterans, and the Battleship Missouri Memorial in Hawaii is hosting its annual Veterans Day Sunset Ceremony at 4.30pm, with this year’s theme “America at 250 — Honoring Generations of Service”.
The White House proclamation for this year’s observance notes that for more than 250 years, the liberties and freedoms of every American have been safeguarded by the men and women who have served in the Armed Forces. For the 15.7 million veterans counted by the Census Bureau, the day is a public recognition of that service — and for the families of those who did not come home, a day of remembrance.
Related reading: Veterans Day Wednesday: Free Parks and the Arlington Wreath Change
