2025 Military Family Lifestyle Survey (MFLS) Results
Published on February 3, 2026
For nearly two decades, Blue Star Families has been listening to military and veteran families through our Military Family Lifestyle Survey (MFLS). The findings of the 2025 MFLS, Quality of Life and the Future of Service​, reinforce a long-standing reality: financial strain remains the most persistent challenge facing military families.
📊 Just 62% of active-duty families report being financially stable — compared to 72% of civilian households.
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Other key insights include high rates of spousal unemployment and underemployment, challenges with childcare access and affordability, and concerns about long-term support during and after service. And these insights create lasting ripple effects on readiness, retention, and confidence in the future of service.
Read the complete report here.
Did you take last year's MFLS? If not, please be on the lookout for this year's survey in April. Your responses can support change in ways you never thought possible.