A new report, titled Trends in Veteran Disability Status and Service-Connected Disability 2008-2022 from the U.S. Census Bureau finds that the number of veterans suffering from service-connected disabilities is on the rise. Between 2008 and 2022 the number of veterans with service-connected disabilities rose from 15 percent to 30 percent. These figures include post-9/11 veterans and those who have served since September 2001. 

In addition to these figures, new data shows the share of veterans with neither a service-connected disability nor another type of disability decreased from 65 percent in 2008 to approximately 52 percent in 2022. The report noted, that after accounting for the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of veterans, the chance of post-9/11 veterans having a service-connected disability increased from about 18 percent in 2008 to 31 percent in 2022.

The report also found that in 2022, post-9/11 veterans were 8.9 percent more likely to have a cognitive disability while the same type of disability among other veterans was 4.8 percent. 

Post-9/11 veterans in 2022 were more likely to report a high service-connected disability rating. Those with a service-connected disability had a 50 percent chance of reporting a high service-connected disability at a rate of 70 percent or greater, up from 27 percent in 2008.