More than 2 million Black Americans have served in the U.S. military and returned to civilian life, making up 13.0% of the nation’s veterans in 2024, according to the Census Bureau. Among veterans who served since the first Gulf War began in 1990, the Black share rises to about 18%, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Key Takeaways
- The Census Bureau counted 2,035,520 Black alone civilian veterans in the United States in 2024.
- Black veterans made up 13.0% of all U.S. veterans in 2024, up from 12.3% in 2019.
- About 18% of Gulf War–era veterans were non-Hispanic Black in 2023, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
- In North Carolina, 23.9% of the state’s 615,440 veterans were Black or African American alone in 2023.
- Among working-age male Gulf War–era veterans studied by CBO, 19% of Black veterans in the labor force held federal jobs.
- In fiscal year 2019, 49% of Black male veterans and 47% of White male veterans ages 25 to 54 used at least one VA benefit.
Black Veterans Make Up 13% of All U.S. Veterans
Veterans Day honors everyone who has served, and the latest federal data offers a clearer picture of who Black veterans are today. The Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey counted 2,035,520 Black alone civilian veterans in the United States. Black or African American veterans made up 13.0% of the veteran population, alongside 70.9% who were White alone and not Hispanic, 2.2% who were Asian American alone, and smaller shares of other groups.
That share has edged up over the past five years. In 2019, the Census Bureau reported that 12.3% of veterans were Black. The Congressional Budget Office, using the Department of Veterans Affairs’ “non-Hispanic Black” category rather than the Census Bureau’s “Black or African American alone,” puts the figure at about 13% for 2023. The definitions differ slightly, but both sources land in the same place.
The data arrives days after Black Veterans Day, observed four days earlier on November 7, which centers the history of Black military service. The numbers below show what that service looks like in the present.
Black Veterans Are a Larger Share of Recent Service Eras
The share of Black veterans grows among those who served more recently. In 2023, non-Hispanic Black veterans made up 13% of all veterans but 18% of veterans who served during the Gulf War era, which began in August 1990 and continues today, according to CBO. The agency describes Black veterans as the largest minority group ever to have served in the U.S. military.
That pattern points to a veteran population that will keep changing. CBO, citing VA projections, reports that non-White veterans are expected to make up more than 35% of all veterans by 2040, up from about 26% in 2022.
Black Veterans Are Concentrated in the South
Where Black veterans live shapes the communities they return to. Among the working-age male Gulf War–era veterans in CBO’s study, 69% of Black veterans lived in the South, compared with 43% of White veterans. The South is also where the largest share of both Black Americans and veterans tend to live.
North Carolina shows how that concentration plays out at the state level. According to the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, using 2023 American Community Survey estimates, 23.9% of the state’s 615,440 veterans are Black or African American alone. That is nearly double the national share, in a state with a strong HBCU presence highlighted this fall by North Carolina A&T’s centennial homecoming.
Military Service and Income: What CBO Found
The Congressional Budget Office’s 2024 report on Black veterans’ income focuses on a specific group: working-age men, ages 22 to 54, who served during the Gulf War era, using data from 2017 to 2019. Within that group, the findings show both the economic value of military service and the gaps that remain.
Compared With Black Nonveterans
Black veterans in CBO’s study averaged $52,000 in annual personal income, 30% more than the $39,900 averaged by Black men who never served. Black veterans also had greater educational attainment, higher rates of marriage and homeownership, and lower poverty rates.
When CBO adjusted for age, marital status, education, and region, it found no difference in average earnings between Black veterans and Black nonveterans. The agency notes that this adjustment may understate the effect of military service, since serving can help people attain more education in the first place.
Compared With White Veterans
Black and White veterans in the study had about the same levels of education. Even so, among men with similar demographic characteristics, Black veterans earned about 20% less than White veterans on average. CBO identified several possible contributing factors, including differences in where veterans live within regions, labor force participation, racial discrimination, and the quality of primary or secondary education. The agency did not attribute the gap to any single cause.
One in Five Working Black Veterans Holds a Federal Job
Federal employment stands out in the CBO data. Among the working-age Black male veterans studied, 19% of those in the labor force were federal workers, compared with 3% of Black nonveterans. CBO points to statutory hiring preferences for veterans, along with skills the Department of Defense and VA value in their civilian workforce.
How Black Veterans Use VA Benefits
VA data shows similar overall benefit use between groups, but different patterns in which benefits they use. In fiscal year 2019, 49% of Black male veterans and 47% of White male veterans ages 25 to 54 used at least one VA benefit, according to CBO’s analysis of VA administrative data. A larger share of Black veterans received VA health care and disability compensation, while a smaller share used VA-supported home loans.
VA disability ratings, which determine disability compensation, also differed. About 31% of Black veterans and 25% of White veterans in that age group had a VA disability rating in fiscal year 2019.
A separate VA Office of Health Equity report found that Black or African American veterans made up 16.0% of all veterans using Veterans Health Administration care from fiscal years 2016 through 2019. The same report found that women make up a proportionately greater share of Black veterans than of non-Hispanic White veterans.
What the Numbers Leave Out
Each data source has limits worth keeping in mind. The Census figures count only veterans who reported a single race. The CBO findings cover working-age men from the Gulf War era, not all Black veterans. And the VA health equity figures cover fiscal years 2016 through 2019.
Even with those limits, the data shows a population that is growing as a share of the nation’s veterans, concentrated in the South, and well represented in federal service. On Veterans Day, those numbers describe more than 2 million people still shaping the communities they came home to.
FAQs
How many Black veterans are there in the United States?
The Census Bureau counted 2,035,520 Black alone civilian veterans in 2024, based on the American Community Survey.
What percentage of U.S. veterans are Black?
Black or African American veterans made up 13.0% of all U.S. veterans in 2024, according to the Census Bureau. That share was 12.3% in 2019.
What share of Gulf War–era veterans are Black?
About 18% of Gulf War–era veterans were non-Hispanic Black in 2023, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Do Black veterans earn more than Black nonveterans?
In CBO’s study of working-age male Gulf War–era veterans from 2017 to 2019, Black veterans averaged 30% more personal income than Black nonveterans. After adjusting for demographic factors, CBO found no difference in average earnings.
