What actually happens to each kind of issue at the Board — granted, denied, or remanded — computed at the issue level from the full text of public BVA decisions. Every rate shows its raw counts.
| All parsed issues | Issues | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board-wide | 3,086,734 | 21.2% (654,153/3,086,734) | 32.3% (995,556/3,086,734) | 38.6% (1,192,030/3,086,734) |
This single figure blends every year below, weighted by how much of each year is currently in the corpus — so it moves as the ingest proceeds. The per-year rows are the number to quote.
| Year | Issues | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 1 | 0.0% (0/1) | 0.0% (0/1) | 0.0% (0/1) | still filling |
| 2008 | 5,170 | 14.9% (768/5,170) | 57.0% (2,948/5,170) | 24.5% (1,267/5,170) | still filling |
| 2009 | 80,673 | 18.0% (14,517/80,673) | 54.6% (44,019/80,673) | 23.6% (19,001/80,673) | complete |
| 2010 | 76,502 | 21.1% (16,179/76,502) | 48.4% (37,003/76,502) | 25.7% (19,625/76,502) | complete |
| 2011 | 72,361 | 23.1% (16,708/72,361) | 45.2% (32,733/72,361) | 26.4% (19,078/72,361) | complete |
| 2012 | 67,141 | 23.2% (15,577/67,141) | 43.6% (29,284/67,141) | 27.2% (18,249/67,141) | complete |
| 2013 | 66,000 | 21.5% (14,219/66,000) | 43.2% (28,544/66,000) | 28.8% (19,030/66,000) | complete |
| 2014 | 96,971 | 22.4% (21,676/96,971) | 38.1% (36,901/96,971) | 33.7% (32,686/96,971) | complete |
| 2015 | 96,976 | 23.3% (22,638/96,976) | 36.1% (34,971/96,976) | 34.0% (32,965/96,976) | complete |
| 2016 | 87,583 | 24.2% (21,227/87,583) | 36.5% (32,000/87,583) | 32.2% (28,180/87,583) | complete |
| 2017 | 112,003 | 23.9% (26,736/112,003) | 41.0% (45,975/112,003) | 28.1% (31,433/112,003) | complete |
| 2018 | 130,795 | 26.2% (34,321/130,795) | 31.5% (41,171/130,795) | 35.2% (45,980/130,795) | complete |
| 2019 | 291,483 | 17.9% (52,136/291,483) | 29.9% (87,297/291,483) | 46.2% (134,588/291,483) | complete |
| 2020 | 279,854 | 18.1% (50,750/279,854) | 31.4% (87,932/279,854) | 43.9% (122,933/279,854) | complete |
| 2021 | 263,004 | 19.2% (50,562/263,004) | 29.4% (77,418/263,004) | 43.7% (115,059/263,004) | complete |
| 2022 | 269,812 | 20.5% (55,268/269,812) | 25.1% (67,764/269,812) | 46.2% (124,780/269,812) | complete |
| 2023 | 301,495 | 20.1% (60,743/301,495) | 25.3% (76,232/301,495) | 45.4% (136,844/301,495) | complete |
| 2024 | 317,811 | 21.9% (69,610/317,811) | 27.4% (87,194/317,811) | 39.8% (126,542/317,811) | complete |
| 2025 | 333,150 | 22.4% (74,782/333,150) | 31.1% (103,668/333,150) | 35.5% (118,280/333,150) | complete |
| 2026 | 124,149 | 26.0% (32,301/124,149) | 29.7% (36,869/124,149) | 33.3% (41,401/124,149) | year in progress |
The trend is the finding. Across complete years, the issue-level grant rate moves from 18.0% in 2009 to 22.4% in 2025, while remands move from 23.6% to 35.5%. Those years behave differently enough that a single all-years average describes none of them well — read the row for the year you care about, not the headline.
| Condition | Issues | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back | 262,859 | 22.0% (57,832/262,859) | 34.2% (89,917/262,859) | 37.8% (99,398/262,859) |
| Knee | 244,757 | 21.4% (52,457/244,757) | 34.7% (84,994/244,757) | 37.8% (92,598/244,757) |
| Ankle Foot | 158,260 | 20.0% (31,579/158,260) | 34.9% (55,266/158,260) | 37.8% (59,866/158,260) |
| Hearing Loss | 152,580 | 22.0% (33,496/152,580) | 45.3% (69,166/152,580) | 25.8% (39,313/152,580) |
| Radiculopathy | 147,417 | 24.9% (36,725/147,417) | 34.6% (50,974/147,417) | 32.8% (48,423/147,417) |
| Psychiatric | 129,529 | 31.3% (40,546/129,529) | 29.3% (37,964/129,529) | 32.3% (41,828/129,529) |
| Hand Wrist | 119,466 | 10.1% (12,072/119,466) | 24.2% (28,858/119,466) | 60.7% (72,488/119,466) |
| PTSD | 110,252 | 28.8% (31,800/110,252) | 28.3% (31,154/110,252) | 34.0% (37,458/110,252) |
| Depression | 82,066 | 32.9% (27,033/82,066) | 27.9% (22,917/82,066) | 31.6% (25,893/82,066) |
| Respiratory | 77,695 | 19.8% (15,352/77,695) | 36.6% (28,421/77,695) | 35.6% (27,636/77,695) |
| Tinnitus | 76,450 | 45.6% (34,867/76,450) | 30.9% (23,646/76,450) | 16.4% (12,532/76,450) |
| Shoulder | 72,727 | 17.3% (12,605/72,727) | 35.2% (25,609/72,727) | 40.2% (29,217/72,727) |
| Sleep Apnea | 66,093 | 25.1% (16,614/66,093) | 22.9% (15,134/66,093) | 44.7% (29,521/66,093) |
| Hypertension | 64,813 | 20.7% (13,392/64,813) | 36.1% (23,391/64,813) | 35.9% (23,264/64,813) |
| Headache | 59,475 | 30.2% (17,980/59,475) | 28.7% (17,064/59,475) | 33.3% (19,816/59,475) |
| Hip | 57,806 | 15.3% (8,823/57,806) | 35.0% (20,241/57,806) | 42.1% (24,337/57,806) |
| GI | 52,322 | 21.1% (11,063/52,322) | 32.8% (17,157/52,322) | 37.9% (19,840/52,322) |
| Diabetes | 51,886 | 21.4% (11,087/51,886) | 40.3% (20,892/51,886) | 30.9% (16,043/51,886) |
| Skin | 51,317 | 19.4% (9,970/51,317) | 39.8% (20,422/51,317) | 32.4% (16,625/51,317) |
| Heart | 50,417 | 21.5% (10,844/50,417) | 35.4% (17,831/50,417) | 35.1% (17,704/50,417) |
| Cancer | 44,623 | 27.2% (12,155/44,623) | 32.6% (14,534/44,623) | 32.6% (14,549/44,623) |
| Anxiety | 42,705 | 29.8% (12,711/42,705) | 27.3% (11,660/42,705) | 35.0% (14,968/42,705) |
| Eye | 33,725 | 15.7% (5,297/33,725) | 41.6% (14,024/33,725) | 33.6% (11,347/33,725) |
| Neck | 26,850 | 18.7% (5,013/26,850) | 33.3% (8,942/26,850) | 40.6% (10,891/26,850) |
| Elbow Arm | 23,467 | 14.1% (3,298/23,467) | 38.5% (9,043/23,467) | 39.1% (9,182/23,467) |
| Erectile Dysfunction | 17,619 | 16.5% (2,914/17,619) | 36.5% (6,438/17,619) | 37.5% (6,599/17,619) |
| TBI | 13,948 | 17.0% (2,378/13,948) | 32.5% (4,528/13,948) | 41.3% (5,763/13,948) |
| Liver | 12,811 | 17.1% (2,185/12,811) | 44.2% (5,662/12,811) | 30.8% (3,949/12,811) |
| Kidney | 11,543 | 15.4% (1,774/11,543) | 35.7% (4,118/11,543) | 39.7% (4,583/11,543) |
| Thyroid | 7,488 | 18.8% (1,410/7,488) | 32.4% (2,427/7,488) | 40.8% (3,054/7,488) |
| Arthritis | 6,964 | 13.4% (931/6,964) | 40.7% (2,836/6,964) | 36.8% (2,563/6,964) |
| Herbicide | 6,337 | 11.7% (743/6,337) | 39.2% (2,482/6,337) | 45.1% (2,856/6,337) |
| Fibromyalgia | 5,741 | 20.5% (1,177/5,741) | 33.8% (1,943/5,741) | 37.4% (2,147/5,741) |
| Gulf War | 5,568 | 11.0% (610/5,568) | 41.3% (2,301/5,568) | 42.0% (2,337/5,568) |
| Insomnia | 4,684 | 18.1% (849/4,684) | 33.5% (1,570/4,684) | 37.1% (1,739/4,684) |
| Prostate | 4,432 | 7.2% (318/4,432) | 41.3% (1,829/4,432) | 42.1% (1,865/4,432) |
| Gyn | 3,136 | 21.0% (660/3,136) | 30.2% (948/3,136) | 41.5% (1,303/3,136) |
| Burn Pit | 68 | 5.9% (4/68) | 25.0% (17/68) | 57.4% (39/68) |
| Benefit type | Issues | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Connection | 1,571,454 | 23.0% (361,421/1,571,454) | 30.1% (473,176/1,571,454) | 40.0% (628,584/1,571,454) |
| Increased Rating | 603,132 | 14.1% (84,809/603,132) | 48.5% (292,558/603,132) | 29.4% (177,209/603,132) |
| Effective Date | 128,801 | 28.1% (36,198/128,801) | 50.7% (65,255/128,801) | 10.3% (13,261/128,801) |
| TDIU | 125,382 | 27.7% (34,748/125,382) | 18.7% (23,483/125,382) | 45.4% (56,983/125,382) |
| Special Monthly Compensation | 36,042 | 35.2% (12,689/36,042) | 29.2% (10,527/36,042) | 26.9% (9,710/36,042) |
| Rating Reduction / Restoration | 16,132 | 62.1% (10,022/16,132) | 16.5% (2,663/16,132) | 9.2% (1,487/16,132) |
| Pension | 9,995 | 10.6% (1,055/9,995) | 57.8% (5,775/9,995) | 18.9% (1,891/9,995) |
| DIC & Survivor Benefits | 9,234 | 8.5% (788/9,234) | 63.3% (5,846/9,234) | 17.6% (1,627/9,234) |
| Auto / Adaptive Equipment / Housing | 9,001 | 23.2% (2,084/9,001) | 38.1% (3,432/9,001) | 24.9% (2,237/9,001) |
| Overpayment / Debt Waiver | 7,335 | 20.9% (1,532/7,335) | 32.6% (2,388/7,335) | 33.5% (2,457/7,335) |
| Education Benefits | 7,063 | 24.1% (1,704/7,063) | 47.9% (3,382/7,063) | 18.6% (1,314/7,063) |
| Medical Reimbursement | 7,033 | 22.7% (1,593/7,033) | 33.6% (2,360/7,033) | 17.6% (1,239/7,033) |
| Clear & Unmistakable Error (CUE) | 6,914 | 10.8% (749/6,914) | 51.3% (3,544/6,914) | 13.0% (902/6,914) |
| Caregiver Program (PCAFC) | 5,813 | 2.4% (139/5,813) | 11.6% (677/5,813) | 72.5% (4,214/5,813) |
| Attorney Fees | 2,431 | 37.6% (913/2,431) | 25.5% (620/2,431) | 11.3% (274/2,431) |
| Apportionment | 2,377 | 20.2% (480/2,377) | 31.6% (751/2,377) | 30.9% (735/2,377) |
| Burial Benefits | 1,915 | 13.6% (261/1,915) | 66.6% (1,275/1,915) | 15.7% (300/1,915) |
| New & Relevant Evidence | 1,785 | 51.5% (920/1,785) | 31.4% (560/1,785) | 13.1% (233/1,785) |
| Home Loan Guaranty | 625 | 22.6% (141/625) | 35.5% (222/625) | 27.8% (174/625) |
| Competency | 384 | 4.4% (17/384) | 22.4% (86/384) | 21.4% (82/384) |
| Insurance | 216 | 14.4% (31/216) | 48.6% (105/216) | 23.1% (50/216) |
Issue-level counting. One Board decision frequently decides several issues with different outcomes. These tables count each issue once — the convention the Board's own reporting recommends, and the one that does not overstate grant rates.
A remand is unfinished business. Remanded issues return to the regional office for more development. Some come back and win; some don't. Treat the remand column as "still in play," not as a win rate.
Selection effects are real. Issues that reach the Board are the ones veterans chose to appeal — usually the stronger denials. These rates describe Board dockets, not the fate of all VA claims.
VetAid's free analyzer reads your denial and maps it against these patterns — plus the court-level arguments that overturn Board denials on appeal.
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