2021 Survey of Active Duty Spouses

The 2021 Survey of Active Duty Spouses asked participants about eight key areas: COVID-19, employment, food security, PCS moves, child care, deployment, well-being and satisfaction and retention.

Key findings include:

• There was a significant increase in the percentage of spouses who reported they were employed in their area of education/training.
• One in four active-duty spouses were experiencing low or very low food security.
• The percentage of spouses who favored their service member staying on active duty continued to drop from previous years.

The survey included a supplemental portion that allowed spouses to provide input on their experiences with military life. Visit the Spouse Voices page to see spouses’ thoughts on spouse employment, child care, PCS moves, rising costs, relationships and health care.

The Spouses Voices page includes links to resources in each key area of concern.