America had 24 million veterans in 2000.
17.4 million veterans are in 2020.
13 million veterans will be in 2040.

8.5% of Americans were veterans in 2000.
5.3% are veterans today.
3.4% of Americans in 2040 will be veterans.

This is a big difference from 1960, where 1 in 6 Americans was a veteran, but there’s something good happening with this.

The VA’s budget was 47 billion dollars in 2000.
Today, it’s 214 billion dollars.
455% higher.

VA spending was $1,960 a veteran in 2000.
Today, it’s $12,300.

At the current growth rate of the VA projected over the next 5 years, if that holds, VA spending will be 714 billion by 2040.

$55,000 a year per veteran.

America hasn’t had the best history in the last 50 years of treating veterans well.

7,300 vets die yearly from suicide.
40,000 veterans are homeless.
12% unemployment with COVID.

These problems exist, but have been dropping the last 20 years and will continue to drop in the next 20.