AIHW report helps paint a picture of the veteran community

A new report released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) titled Serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members who have served since 1985: population characteristics 2019, provides new insights into the veteran community.

DVA commissioned the report to build a more complete picture of the ex-service community and to inform the services and support required.

The report builds a broad demographic profile of Australia’s veteran population that the department will draw on to inform policy and improve service delivery ensuring veterans and their families receive the best possible support.

AIHW will continue to work with DVA and Department of Defence to build a growing picture of the health and welfare of veterans.

Some key findings from the report include:

• As of 31 December 2019, almost 373, 500 Australians had served at least one day of service in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) since 1 January 1985. Of these, more than 358,000 are still alive. They comprise 59,000 permanent members, 38,700 reservists and nearly 261,000 ex-serving.
   
• Of the 261,000 living ex-serving members:
  • The majority were male (84%) and aged 40 years and over (79%).
     
  • The majority (68%) had separated from the Army, while 16% had separated from the Navy and 16% from the Air Force.
     
  • Around one in seven (14%) had been commissioned officers.
     
  • The average length of service was 10 years with 28% having between 1 and 5 years of service, while 20% had served over 20 years.
     
  • The most common reason for leaving the ADF was voluntary separation (45%).
     
  • The average time since separation as at 31 December 2019 was nearly 19 years.

For more information, visit the AIHW website.