23.2 million
The
number of military veterans in the United States in 2008.
Female
Vets
1.8 million
The number of female
veterans in 2008.
Race and Hispanic
Origin
2.3 million
The number of black
veterans in 2008. Additionally, 1.1 million veterans are Hispanic, 276,000
are Asian, 160,000 are American Indian or Alaska Native, and 27,000 are
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. (The numbers for blacks, Asians,
American Indians, and Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific
Islanders cover only those reporting a single race.)
When They
Served
9.2 million
The number of veterans
age 65 or older in 2008. At the other end of the age spectrum, 1.9 million
were younger than 35.
7.8 million
Number of
Vietnam-era veterans in 2008. Thirty-three percent of all living veterans
served during this time (1964–1975). In addition, 5.2 million served during
the Gulf War (representing service from Aug. 2, 1990, to present); 2.6
million in World War II (1941–1945); 2.8 million in the Korean War
(1950-1953); and 6 million in peacetime.
50,000
In 2008, number of living veterans who
served during both the Vietnam era and in the Gulf War.
Other
living veterans in 2008 who served in two or more wars:
92,000 served during World War II, the Korean war, and Vietnam
era.
740,000 served during both Gulf War eras.
245,000 served
during both the Korean War and the Vietnam Era.
182,000 served
during both World War II and the Korean War.
Where They Live
5
Number of states with 1 million or more veterans
in 2008. These states are California (2.1 million), Florida (1.7 million),
Texas (1.7 million), New York (1 million), and Pennsylvania (1 million).
Education
26%
Percent of veterans 25 years and over with at least a bachelor's degree in
2008.
91%
Percent of veterans 25 and older
with a high school diploma or higher in 2008.
Income
On the
Job
10.4 million
Number of veterans 18 to 64
in the labor force in 2008.
Disabilities
5.5
million
Number of veterans with a disability in 2008.
Service-Connected Disability Ratings
3.4
million
Number of veterans with a service-connected disability rating. Of this number, 588,000 have a rating of 70 percent or higher.
Voting
15.8 million
Number of veterans who voted in the
2008 presidential election. 71% of veterans cast a ballot, compared with 63%
of nonveterans.
Business Owners
14.5%
Percentage of owners of firms that responded to the 2002 Survey of Business
Owners who were veterans. Respondent veteran business owners totaled 3
million.
68%
Percentage of veteran owners of
respondent firms who were 55 and older. This compares with 31% of all owners
of respondent firms. Similarly, in 2002, 55% of veteran-owned respondent
firms with employees reported that their businesses were established,
purchased, or acquired before 1990, compared with 36% of all employer
respondent firms.
7%
Percentage of all
respondent veteran owners who were disabled as the result of injury incurred
or aggravated during active military service.
Benefits
2.9 million
Number of veterans who received
compensation for service-connected disabilities as of 2008. Their
compensation totaled $36.2 billion.
$84.4 billion
Total amount of federal government spending for veterans benefits programs in fiscal year 2008. Of this total, $40.2 billion went to compensation and pensions, $37.9 billion for medical programs and the remainder to other programs, such as vocational rehabilitation and education.
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