The U.S. Veteran Population
Updated August 5, 2020 |
Infoplease Staff

The following table shows the number of military personnel who served in America's wars, from World War II through the Gulf War. Data is most recent available.
Period of service | Number in 2015 | Percentage of all veterans |
---|---|---|
All veterans, 18 years and over | 18,830,450 | 100.0% |
Gulf War Era | 6,774,268 | 36.0 16.6 (post 9/11) 19.4 (pre 9/11) |
Vietnam Era | 6,783,342 | 36.0 |
Korean Conflict | 1,778,326 | 9.4 |
World War II | 930,477 | 4.9 |
NOTE: The figures do not add up to 100 percent because veterans may have served in more than one time period.
Source: The U.S. Census Bureau.
Veterans |