The Pentagon expects to spend about $250 million on suicide prevention in 2025, the largest amount of funds the Defense Department has ever invested.

Senior defense officials say suicides in the U.S. military increased in 2023, continuing a long-term trend that the Pentagon has struggled to abate

Though concerning, military suicide rates over that time period were comparable to those of the wider U.S. population.

The Pentagon's Annual Report on Suicide in the Military found that 523 service members died by suicide in 2023, an increase from 493 during the previous year. The Total Force suicide rate was 9% higher than in 2022.

Suicide rates in the military increased in 2023, a slight uptick from 2022 that adds to a larger, troubling rise over the past decade. The annual report shows 523 service members died by suicide in 2023,

Military suicides increased again in 2023, continuing a steady and concerning rise in self-inflicted deaths among servicemembers over more than a decade, according to statistics released by the Defense Department on Thursday.