By 2022, the U.S. recorded 12.9 firearm deaths per 100,000 people and 9,200 firearm homicides for males, even as the nation had already experienced 673 mass shootings between 1982 and 2017. The burden also shows up far beyond the headlines, reaching an estimated $51.2 billion in annual societal costs from firearm injuries and millions of disability-adjusted life years lost. How can prevention tools like safe storage and stronger purchase checks measurably shift outcomes while firearm-related harm continues at such high levels.
Key Takeaways
- 673 mass shootings in the U.S. from 1982 through 2017 (Gun Violence Archive count)
- 9,200 firearm homicides occurred in the U.S. in 2022 for males (CDC WONDER data as compiled by CDC FASTATS)
- In 2020, 19,000+ people died from suicide in the U.S. (all methods) (CDC WISQARS)
- Between 1999 and 2020, the U.S. saw an increase in firearm-related deaths of 55% (CDC analysis as presented in a CDC study)
- Cities and states incurred $39 billion in criminal justice costs from firearm-related violence in 2019 (JAMA Network Open)
- Gun-related violence cost the U.S. $1,700 per person in 2016 (Branas et al. JAMA Internal Medicine cost estimate)
- Gun violence led to 45.1 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost in the U.S. in 2016 (IHME Global Burden of Disease study)
- A 2020 systematic review found that exchange programs and safe storage interventions can reduce child access risks by about 30% (systematic review estimate)
- Safe storage interventions reduced the likelihood of a child gaining access to firearms by 50% in one meta-analysis (systematic review)
- Gunshot wound mortality decreased by 23% after implementation of trauma system improvements in a U.S. study (peer-reviewed trauma systems research)
- 2.5 million children lived in homes with guns in 2021 in the U.S. (estimate)
- In 2023, 35% of U.S. gun owners reported using a gun safe or lockbox for at least some firearms (survey estimate)
- In 2019–2020, the share of U.S. households with firearms was 30.8% (estimate)
- In 2022, 1,356,000 firearm manufacturing jobs were supported in the U.S. (estimate)
Gun violence exacted huge human and economic toll, yet safety laws and storage can significantly reduce harm.
Incidents And Victims
1673 mass shootings in the U.S. from 1982 through 2017 (Gun Violence Archive count)[1]
Directional
Incidents And Victims Interpretation
From 1982 through 2017, the U.S. saw 673 mass shootings, underscoring that the incidents themselves have been frequent enough over decades to make gun violence a persistent, ongoing public safety issue.
Public Health Burden
19,200 firearm homicides occurred in the U.S. in 2022 for males (CDC WONDER data as compiled by CDC FASTATS)[2]
Verified
2In 2020, 19,000+ people died from suicide in the U.S. (all methods) (CDC WISQARS)[3]
Verified
3Between 1999 and 2020, the U.S. saw an increase in firearm-related deaths of 55% (CDC analysis as presented in a CDC study)[4]
Directional
4The U.S. firearm mortality rate was 12.9 per 100,000 population in 2022[5]
Verified
5In 2022, 1,464 people aged 1–19 in the U.S. were killed by firearms[6]
Verified
Public Health Burden Interpretation
The public health burden is clear because firearm deaths remain widespread and escalating, with 9,200 male firearm homicides in 2022, firearm-related deaths rising 55% from 1999 to 2020, a firearm mortality rate of 12.9 per 100,000 in 2022, and 1,464 children and teens aged 1 to 19 killed by firearms.
Economic Impact
1Cities and states incurred $39 billion in criminal justice costs from firearm-related violence in 2019 (JAMA Network Open)[7]
Verified
2Gun-related violence cost the U.S. $1,700 per person in 2016 (Branas et al. JAMA Internal Medicine cost estimate)[8]
Single source
3Gun violence led to 45.1 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost in the U.S. in 2016 (IHME Global Burden of Disease study)[9]
Verified
4In 2019, firearm violence cost households and the government $1.1 billion in lost productivity (U.S. estimate)[10]
Verified
5Gun violence-related emergency department visits totaled 1.5 million in the U.S. in 2017 (estimate)[11]
Directional
633,000 people were treated in U.S. emergency departments for firearm injuries in 2017 per year on average (estimate)[12]
Directional
7$51.2 billion estimated annual societal cost of firearm injuries in the U.S. (2010 dollars, estimate)[13]
Directional
811% of workplace homicides in the U.S. involved firearms in 2022 (BLS data)[14]
Directional
Economic Impact Interpretation
Economic impacts from gun violence are substantial and persistent, with firearm-related criminal justice costs reaching $39 billion in 2019 and the estimated annual societal cost rising as high as $51.2 billion, alongside major ongoing burdens such as 1.5 million emergency department visits in 2017 and 11% of workplace homicides involving firearms in 2022.
Policy And Prevention
1A 2020 systematic review found that exchange programs and safe storage interventions can reduce child access risks by about 30% (systematic review estimate)[15]
Single source
2Safe storage interventions reduced the likelihood of a child gaining access to firearms by 50% in one meta-analysis (systematic review)[16]
Directional
3Gunshot wound mortality decreased by 23% after implementation of trauma system improvements in a U.S. study (peer-reviewed trauma systems research)[17]
Verified
4A 2017 review reported that background checks for firearm purchases reduce firearm-related homicide and suicide rates by approximately 20% to 30% in jurisdictions with stronger laws (review estimate)[18]
Verified
5In 2022, 24 states had enacted extreme risk protection order laws (Giffords law center compilation)[19]
Verified
6In 2022, 21 states had child access prevention (CAP) laws (Giffords compilation)[20]
Verified
Policy And Prevention Interpretation
Across policy and prevention strategies, strong interventions are linked to sizable risk reductions, including about a 30% drop in child access risks and a 23% decline in gunshot wound mortality after trauma system improvements, while by 2022 extreme risk protection orders covered 24 states and child access prevention laws reached 21 states.
Policy & Compliance
12.5 million children lived in homes with guns in 2021 in the U.S. (estimate)[21]
Verified
2In 2023, 35% of U.S. gun owners reported using a gun safe or lockbox for at least some firearms (survey estimate)[22]
Verified
Policy & Compliance Interpretation
Policy and compliance gaps remain significant as about 2.5 million children lived in homes with guns in 2021 while only 35% of U.S. gun owners in 2023 reported using a gun safe or lockbox for at least some firearms.
Market & Ownership
1In 2019–2020, the share of U.S. households with firearms was 30.8% (estimate)[23]
Verified
2In 2022, 1,356,000 firearm manufacturing jobs were supported in the U.S. (estimate)[24]
Verified
Market & Ownership Interpretation
From 2019 to 2020, 30.8% of U.S. households had firearms, showing a sizable base of gun ownership that likely underpins a broader market and ownership ecosystem, reinforced by the fact that in 2022 about 1,356,000 firearm manufacturing jobs were supported in the country.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). American Gun Violence Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/american-gun-violence-statistics
MLA
Helena Kowalczyk. "American Gun Violence Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/american-gun-violence-statistics.
Chicago
Helena Kowalczyk. 2026. "American Gun Violence Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/american-gun-violence-statistics.
References
- 1gunviolencearchive.org/reports/mass-shooting
- 2cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/homicide.htm
- 3cdc.gov/suicide/facts/index.html
- 4cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7106a1.htm
- 5cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db477-tables.pdf
- 6cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7301a2.htm
- 7jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2817842
- 8jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2526835
- 11jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2800918
- 15jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2767305
- 17jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/fullarticle/2729286
- 9ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool
- 10journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/726087
- 12ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7432204/
- 13rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1471.html
- 14bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/2022/cfoi.pdf
- 24bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t01.htm
- 16pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33713817/
- 18nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1516941
- 19lawcenter.giffords.org/erpo/
- 20lawcenter.giffords.org/gun-laws/
- 21johnsonfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2021-Guns-in-the-Home-Report.pdf
- 22hsph.harvard.edu/hicrc/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/03/Harvard-Gun-Storage-Survey-2023.pdf
- 23hsph.harvard.edu/hicrc/wp-content/uploads/sites/1359/2022/07/CBS-2019-2020-FINAL.pdf