Washington, August 5 (RHC)-- The suicide rate among U..S military veterans has increased by more than 30 percent since 2001, a larger rise than in the wider population of the United States, according to a new government study.

The study, released by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, found that between 2001 and 2014, veteran suicides increased by 32 percent, while civilian suicides increased by 23 percent in the same time period.

The report estimated that an average of 20 veterans a day died from suicide in 2014, or about 7,300 throughout the whole year. There is an estimated 21.6 million veterans currently in the United States.

The study found that veterans faced a 21 percent greater risk for suicide than those who had not served in the military or fought in a war. Male veterans faced an 18 percent higher risk for suicide than their civilian counterparts in 2014. By contrast, the risk of suicide among female veterans was 2.4 times higher than among civilian women in the same year.