Australian veterans are taking their own lives at a higher rate but charity Wounded Heroes says the numbers are higher. 

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare the death rate for ex-servicemen between 2002 and 2017 was 18 per cent higher than other Australian men.

From 2001 to 2017, there were a total of 419 deaths, including 21 women.

But Wounded Heroes CEO Martin Shaw tells Deborah Knight he thinks the numbers are “understated”.

“I believe that there’s a lot of veterans that have taken their lives that might have been seen as a car accident for instance.

“I think it’s only going to get worse, there’s a wave coming.”

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview

You can find out more about Wounded Heroes HERE

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Image: Getty/Mark Kolbe