We analyzed 4,743,108 veterans who have a current service-connected VA rating of 0% or higher to better understand the prevalence of mental health conditions and the average VA disability rating for PTSD.
We also looked at the 2019 data overall regarding the total veteran population in the US, which is currently 19.2M veterans.
Digging in deeper, we wanted to know the average VA disability rating for PTSD.
With the help of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) FY 2018 Annual Report to Congress and the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, we uncovered some very interesting findings.
And now it’s time to share what we discovered.
Summary of Our Key Findings:
- According to the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, the total U.S. military veteran population is predicted to decline from 20.8 million in 2015 to 12.0 million by 2045. The total annual change is -1.8%.
- The veteran population is slowly declining and will reach a low of 12.0M by 2045.
- California was the #1 state for veterans in 2017, but Texas will overtake California for the top spot by 2027.
- The top 4 states where most veterans live are Texas, California, Florida, and North Carolina
- 50% of all veterans live in one of the top 10 states, mainly in the Southern and Western parts of the US.
- A total of 4,743,108 veterans out of an eligible 19,602,316 veterans or just 24.2% of veterans are currently receiving some sort of VA disability compensation benefits with a service connected VA rating of at least 0%.
- 75.8% of veterans do NOT receive any sort of disability compensation benefits from the VA
- Tinnitus or “ringing in the ear syndrome” is the #1 most commonly claimed and service connected disability.
- The average VA disability rating for PTSD is 70%.
- The average mental health rating for any one of 31 ratable conditions under the law is 70%.
Total Number of Veterans in the US By Year Chart (Estimated)
How Many Veterans Are There in the US?
- In 2017, the total US veteran population was 20.0M.
- In 2019, the total US military veteran population in the US was 19.2M.
- By the end of 2020, there will be an estimated 18.8M veterans in the US.
- By 2037, there will be an estimated 13.6M veterans in the US.
- The veteran population is slowly declining and will reach a low of 12.0M by 2045.
- Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964) are the largest veteran demographic, but will be overtaken by Millennials (Born 1977-1995) in 2037.
Where Do Veterans Live by State?
- 50% of all veterans live in one of the top 10 states, mainly in the Southern and Western parts of the US.
- California was the #1 state for veterans in 2017, but Texas will overtake California by 2027.
Top 10 Veteran Populations by State
- #1 California
- #2 Texas
- #3 Florida
- #4 Pennsylvania
- #5 New York
- #6 Ohio
- #7 North Carolina
- #8 Virginia
- #9 Georgia
- #10 Illinois
Where Veterans Live Chart
- The top 4 states for veterans are Texas, California, Florida, and North Carolina, and this isn’t expected to change anytime soon.
How Many Veterans Are Receiving VA Disability Compensation Benefits?
- As of Fiscal Year 2018, a total of 4,743,108 veterans out of an eligible 19,602,316 veterans are receiving some sort of VA disability compensation benefits AND have a service connected VA rating of at least 0%.
- 24.2% of veterans receiving VA compensation benefits have a service-connected VA rating of 0% or higher.
- 75.8% of veterans do NOT receive any sort of disability compensation benefits from the VA for a variety of reasons (e.g., didn’t know they are eligible, didn’t know how to file a VA claim, don’t want to deal with the VA, got frustrated with the VA and gave up, or filed for VA compensation benefits and got denied).
What is the Average VA Disability Rating?
Currently, 18.6% or 883,629 of the 4,743,108 veterans receiving VA disability compensation benefits have a 10% combined VA rating.
This is insanely low, and according to our data, 8/10 (80%) of veterans deserve a higher VA disability rating by law.
The average combined VA disability rating for all veterans, across all demographics, is currently 10%, which equates to $140.05/month in 2019.
>> Click HERE to see the NEW 2020 VA disability pay rates in detail. <<
On the other end, the second most common VA rating across all demographics is 100% or 14.4% of all veterans receiving VA disability compensation benefits.
Average Combined VA Disability Rating Chart by Gender
Average Combined VA Disability Rating by Body System
List of Overall Average Combined VA Ratings by Body System:
The overall average combined VA disability rating for all body systems is 10% while the average VA disability rating for PTSD and other mental health conditions is 70%.
- Musculoskelatal: 10%
- Auditory: 10%
- Neurological: 10%
- Skin: 0%
- Mental Health: 70%
- Respiratory: 0%
- Digestive: 0%
- Cardiovascular: 10%
- Genitourinary: 0%
- Endocrine: 20%
- The Eyes: 0%
- Gynecological: 0%
- Dental and Oral: 10%
- Hemic and Lymphatic: 0%
- Disease, Infection, Immune, and Nutrition: 0%
What Are the Most Common Service Connected VA Disabilities?
- Tinnitus or “ringing in the ear syndrome” is the #1 most commonly claimed and service connected disability.
- 7.8% of veterans with a disability rating are service connected for Tinnitus with a 10% VA rating.
- Male veterans are more than 2x as likely to be service connected for Tinnitus than female veterans.
- Male veterans are nearly 7x as likely to be service connected for Hearing Loss than female veterans.
- Female veterans are more than 3x as likely to be service connected for Migraines than male veterans.
Did you know there are more than 833 ratable VA disability conditions under the law? Click >> HERE to download my FREE eBook, which contains the complete VA disability claims list. <<
Most Common Service Connected VA Disabilities for All Veterans
>> Click HERE to see the Top 10 Most Common VA Disability Claims in more detail <<
Most Common VA Claims Data for World War II Veterans
List of the Top 10 Most Common VA Disability Claims in World War II Era Veterans:
- #1 Hearing Loss
- #2 Tinnitus
- #3 Residuals of Cold Injury
- #4 PTSD
- #5 Scars, General
- #6 Scars, Superficial (tender)
- #7 Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- #8 Traumatic Arthritis
- #9 Scars, Head, Face or Neck
- #10 Paralysis of the Sciatic Nerve (Sciatica)
Most Common Service Connected VA Disabilities in Korean War Veterans
Top 10 Most Common VA Disability Claims in Korean War Veterans:
- #1 Hearing Loss
- #2 Tinnitus
- #3 Residuals of Cold Injury
- #4 PTSD
- #5 Scars, General
- #6 Scars, Superficial (tender)
- #7 Paralysis of the Sciatic Nerve (Sciatica)
- #8 Scars, Head, Face or Neck
- #9 Lumbosacral or Cervical Strain
- #10 Traumatic Arthritis
Top Service Connected VA Claims in Vietnam Veterans
List of 10 Most Common VA Claims in Vietnam Veterans:
- #1 Tinnitus
- #2 Hearing Loss
- #3 PTSD
- #4 Diabetes Mellitus
- #5 Paralysis of the Sciatic Nerve (Sciatica)
- #6 Scars, General
- #7 Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease (Coronary Artery Disease)
- #8 Penile Deformity (Loss of Erectile Power)
- #9 Malignant Growths of Genitourinary System
- #10 Paralysis of the Median Nerve
Most Common VA Disabilities Chart for Gulf War Veterans
List of 10 Most Common VA Disabilities in Gulf War Veterans:
- #1 Tinnitus
- #2 Limitation of Flexion, Knee
- #3 Lumbosacral or Cervical Strain
- #4 Scars, General
- #5 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- #6 Limitation of Range of Motion of the Ankle
- #7 Migraines
- #8 Limitation of Motion of the Arm
- #9 Degenerative Arthritis of the Spine
- #10 Hearing Loss
10 Most Common VA Claims Chart for GWOT Veterans
Top 10 Service Connected VA Claims for GWOT Veterans:
- #1 Tinnitus
- #2 Limitation of Flexion, Knee
- #3 Lumbosacral or Cervical Strain
- #4 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- #5 Scars, General
- #6 Limitation of Range of Motion of the Ankle
- #7 Migraines
- #8 Degenerative Arthritis of the Spine
- #9 Limitation of Motion of the Arm
- #10 Sleep Apnea
Commonly Claimed VA Disabilities for Peacetime Veterans
10 Most Common VA Disability Claims for Peacetime Veterans:
- #1 Tinnitus
- #2 Hearing Loss
- #3 Scars, General
- #4 Lumbosacral or Cervical Strain
- #5 Limitation of Flexion, Knee
- #6 Paralysis of the Sciatic Nerve (Sciatica)
- #7 Impairment of the Knee, General
- #8 Limitation of Range of Motion of the Ankle
- #9 Degenerative Arthritis of the Spine
- #10 Hypertensive Vascular Disease
What is the Average VA Disability Rating for PTSD?
- The average VA rating for PTSD is currently 70%.
- The average VA rating for ANY mental health condition is 70%.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is currently the #3 most commonly claimed and compensated VA disability claim overall and the #1 most commonly claimed and service connected mental health condition in veterans, followed by Major Depressive Disorder and Chronic Adustment Disorder.
3 Most Common Service Connected VA Mental Health Conditions:
Top 3 most common VA mental health conditions across all veterans are:
About the Author
Brian Reese is nationally recognized VA disability claim expert, former military officer, and founder of VA Claims Insider.
His frustration with the 8-step VA disability claims process led him to create “VA Claims Insider,” which provides U.S. military veterans with FREE high-value resources for successfully submitting or re-submitting a winning VA disability compensation claim.
Brian is also the CEO of Military Disability Made Easy, which is the world’s largest free searchable database for all things related to DoD disability and VA disability claims and has served more than 4,600,000 military members and veterans since its founding in 2013.
His eBook, the “9 Secrets Strategies for Winning Your VA Disability Claim” has been downloaded more than 300,000 times in the past three years and is the #1 rated free VA disability claims guide for veterans.
He is a former active duty Air Force officer with extensive experience leading hundreds of individuals and multi-functional teams in challenging international environments, including a combat tour to Afghanistan in 2011.
Brian is a Distinguished Graduate of Management from the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO and he holds an MBA from Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business, Stillwater, OK, where he was a National Honor Scholar (Top 1% of Graduate School class).
