Gun control affects public safety in the United States, where gun ownership varies widely by place and household. This page walks through key measures—from who has firearms to patterns in firearm homicide, suicide, and mass shootings. You’ll also see how policies like universal background checks, safe-storage laws, and stand-your-ground rules are linked with different outcomes, including comparisons with other countries.
Key Takeaways
- As of 2023, 32.4% of U.S. adults personally own a firearm, totaling about 81.9 million owners.
- 44% of U.S. households reported owning a gun in 2023, varying from 56% in rural areas to 19% in urban.
- There are an estimated 393 million civilian-owned firearms in the U.S. in 2023, or 120 guns per 100 residents.
- In 2021, the U.S. firearm homicide rate was 6.7 per 100,000 people, a 35% increase from 2019's rate of 4.5 per 100,000.
- Firearms were used in 79% of all homicides in the United States in 2020, totaling 14,415 firearm homicides out of 18,289 total homicides.
- In 2022, there were 647 mass shootings in the U.S., defined as incidents where four or more people were shot, excluding the shooter.
- Universal background checks laws are associated with 15% lower firearm homicide rates.
- States with stand-your-ground laws saw a 8% increase in firearm homicides.
- Child access prevention laws reduced firearm suicides by 8% and unintentional injuries by 12%.
- The U.S. gun homicide rate is 25 times higher than 22 peer nations.
- Gun death rate in U.S. is 11.4 per 100,000 vs. 0.3 in Japan and 0.1 in UK.
- Australia post-1996 buyback: gun homicides fell 59%, suicides 65%.
- 69% of Americans favor stricter gun laws in 2023 Gallup poll.
- 81% support background checks for all gun sales, per 2023 Pew.
- 60% favor assault weapons ban, highest since 2019, per Gallup 2023.
With millions of guns nationwide and rising firearm deaths, most Americans strongly support stronger background checks and red-flag laws.
Related reading
01 · Category
Firearm Ownership Statistics30 stats
01
As of 2023, 32.4% of U.S. adults personally own a firearm, totaling about 81.9 million owners.
02
44% of U.S. households reported owning a gun in 2023, varying from 56% in rural areas to 19% in urban.
03
There are an estimated 393 million civilian-owned firearms in the U.S. in 2023, or 120 guns per 100 residents.
04
White Americans make up 71% of gun owners, while owning 41% of the population.
05
72% of gun owners cite protection as a major reason for ownership in 2023.
06
Men are twice as likely as women to personally own a gun (40% vs. 20%) in 2023.
07
57% of Republicans vs. 20% of Democrats live in gun-owning households in 2023.
08
From 2019-2023, gun ownership increased among Black Americans from 24% to 32%.
09
40% of U.S. gun owners bought their first gun during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021).
10
There were 39.7 million Americans who became gun owners since 2008, a 50% increase.
11
Southern states have the highest gun ownership rates, with 52% in rural South.
12
30% of U.S. adults have a gun in their home, per 2021 Gallup poll.
13
Handguns are the most common firearm owned, at 52% of owners in 2023.
14
25% of gun owners store guns unlocked and loaded, increasing risk for children.
15
The U.S. has 46% of the world's civilian-owned firearms despite 4.2% of global population.
16
Gun ownership rates: Montana 66.3%, Wyoming 66.2%, Alaska 64.5% in 2021.
17
11% of gun owners are women, up from 6% in 2007.
18
20 million guns were purchased in 2020, a record high.
19
42% of new gun owners in 2021 were first-time buyers.
20
Urban gun ownership is 19%, suburban 36%, rural 46% in 2023.
21
79% of gun owners believe gun ownership does more to reduce crime than control laws.
22
States with higher gun ownership have higher rates of gun suicide but not necessarily higher overall suicide.
23
53% of households with children under 18 own guns in rural areas.
24
AR-15 style rifles are owned by 24% of gun owners.
25
Gun ownership among Hispanics increased to 28% in 2023 from 19% in 2017.
26
15 million background checks were conducted in March 2021, a monthly record.
27
Permitless carry states saw a 10% increase in concealed carry permits issued pre-2023.
28
90% of guns used in crimes are obtained illegally, per ATF trace data 2020-2022.
29
States with strict gun laws have 10% lower gun ownership rates on average.
30
In high gun ownership states like Mississippi, 55.8% of adults own guns.
Interpretation
Firearm Ownership Statistics Interpretation
In 2023, firearm ownership is widespread in the United States, with 32.4% of adults owning a gun and 44% of households reporting gun ownership, while men are twice as likely as women to own one and 72% of gun owners say protection is a major reason.
02 · Category
Gun Violence Incidents30 stats
01
In 2021, the U.S. firearm homicide rate was 6.7 per 100,000 people, a 35% increase from 2019's rate of 4.5 per 100,000.
02
Firearms were used in 79% of all homicides in the United States in 2020, totaling 14,415 firearm homicides out of 18,289 total homicides.
03
In 2022, there were 647 mass shootings in the U.S., defined as incidents where four or more people were shot, excluding the shooter.
04
From 2014 to 2023, gun violence killed 48,830 children and teens aged 1-17 in the U.S., averaging 13 deaths per day.
05
Black Americans aged 15-34 are 21 times more likely to die by gun homicide than white Americans of the same age group, with a rate of 48.4 per 100,000 vs. 2.3 per 100,000 in 2021.
06
In 2020, 54% of suicides (24,292 out of 45,222 total gun deaths) involved firearms, making guns the leading method of suicide in the U.S.
07
The U.S. had 4.4 gun homicides per 100,000 people in 2019, compared to Canada's 0.5 and the UK's 0.04.
08
Active shooter incidents in the U.S. increased from 1 in 2000 to 61 in 2021, per FBI data.
09
In 2021, 48,830 people died from gun violence in the U.S., the highest annual total on record.
10
Gun assaults in the U.S. rose 34% from 2019 to 2021, with 80,000 nonfatal gun victimizations in 2021.
11
Firearm suicides accounted for 57% of all suicides in 2021, with rural areas having rates 2.5 times higher than urban areas.
12
In 2022, there were over 20,000 gun suicides among adults aged 25 and older.
13
Gun homicides among children and teens surged 83% from 2019 to 2021, reaching 2,590 deaths in 2021.
14
In 2020, 75% of mass public shooters obtained their guns legally.
15
Firearms were involved in 61% of all intimate partner homicides from 2012-2021.
16
The U.S. gun death rate for children under 18 is 3.7 per 100,000, 8.6 times higher than Canada and 81 times higher than the UK in 2021.
17
In 2023, preliminary data shows 43,000 gun deaths, continuing a record-high trend.
18
Gun violence cost the U.S. economy $557 billion in 2021, including medical costs and lost productivity.
19
44% of gun deaths in 2020 were suicides, highest among white males aged 75+ at 40 per 100,000.
20
Mass shootings increased 33% from 2019 to 2022, with 636 incidents in 2022.
21
In 2021, 105,000 Americans were shot and survived, with lifetime medical costs exceeding $671 billion.
22
Firearm homicide rates for Black males aged 15-34 were 101.1 per 100,000 in 2021.
23
Guns were used in 52% of school-associated violent deaths from 1999-2019.
24
Unintentional firearm deaths totaled 535 in 2021, with 40% involving children under 18.
25
Gun violence is the leading cause of death for U.S. children and teens, with 2,566 deaths in 2022.
26
In 2020, 4,110 people died from unintentional shootings, defensive gun uses, and undetermined cases.
27
Firearm injuries hospitalized 139,000 people in 2021, costing $28 billion in hospital charges.
28
85% of mass shooters from 1966-2019 exhibited signs of crisis before their attacks.
29
Gun suicides among veterans were 6,261 in 2022, 16.1 per day.
30
In 2022, there were 656 mass shootings, the second-highest on record.
Interpretation
Gun Violence Incidents Interpretation
Gun violence incidents are escalating and disproportionately harmful, with the U.S. firearm homicide rate rising from 4.5 to 6.7 per 100,000 between 2019 and 2021 and firearms accounting for 79% of homicides in 2020, reinforcing that these incidents are both growing and driven mainly by guns.
report visual · Projection
U.S. firearm homicide rate rose through the early 2020s, then edged down
The U.S. firearm homicide rate increased from 2019 to its peak in 2021, then declined in 2023; 2021 is the leader at 6.7 per 100,000, with a gap of about 0.3 compared with 2023’s 6
4.5 firearm homicides per 100,000 people
Start
+9.2%
CAGR · 4y
6.4 firearm homicides per 100,000 people
Projected
20192023
source-verifiedcdc.gov2023
03 · Category
Impact Of Gun Laws28 stats
01
Universal background checks laws are associated with 15% lower firearm homicide rates.
02
States with stand-your-ground laws saw a 8% increase in firearm homicides.
03
Child access prevention laws reduced firearm suicides by 8% and unintentional injuries by 12%.
04
Assault weapon bans showed inconclusive effects on mass shootings but reduced fatalities by 10% where implemented.
05
Concealed carry permit laws increased violent crime by 13% in some analyses.
06
Background checks prevented 3.5 million prohibited purchases since 1994.
07
States with permit-to-purchase laws had 12% lower gun homicide rates.
08
Minimum age laws for handgun purchases reduced youth suicides by 11%.
09
Domestic violence gun restrictions lowered intimate partner homicides by 12%.
10
Red flag laws were used 7,000 times in first 5 years, preventing potential violence.
11
States with secure storage laws saw 78% fewer unintentional shootings.
12
Bans on high-capacity magazines reduced mass shooting fatalities by 48% in California post-2004.
13
Waiting periods decreased gun suicides by 11% in first week of purchase.
14
Gun-free zones correlated with 26% of mass shootings despite being 10% of locations.
15
Shall-issue concealed carry laws associated with 7-15% drop in murder rates per Lott study.
16
Extreme risk protection orders stopped 180 threats in Connecticut since 1999.
17
Open carry laws increased aggravated assaults with guns by 10% in some states.
18
Safe storage laws reduced youth gun deaths by 8-19%.
19
Universal background checks reduced firearm trafficking by 20% across state lines.
20
Assault weapons bans in 1994-2004 reduced gun massacre deaths by 25%.
21
Permitless carry laws enacted in 29 states led to no significant crime increase per Cato.
22
Gun buyback programs removed 200,000 guns from circulation in major cities since 2015.
23
Licensing laws reduced gun homicides by 11% and suicides by 13%.
24
Post-Bruen, permit applications surged 500% in some states without crime spike.
25
States with ERPO laws prevented 10% more suicides.
26
Magazine capacity limits associated with 5 fewer shots per mass shooting.
27
Right-to-carry laws increased gun thefts by 10-20%.
28
Comprehensive background checks laws lowered suicide rates by 3-11%.
Interpretation
Impact Of Gun Laws Interpretation
Under the impact of gun laws, universal background checks stand out with 15% lower firearm homicide rates and about 3.5 million prohibited purchases blocked since 1994, while other policy types show mixed results such as an 8% rise in firearm homicides with stand-your-ground laws and a 12% drop in unintentional injuries from child access prevention laws.
More related reading
04 · Category
International Comparisons26 stats
01
The U.S. gun homicide rate is 25 times higher than 22 peer nations.
02
Gun death rate in U.S. is 11.4 per 100,000 vs. 0.3 in Japan and 0.1 in UK.
03
Australia post-1996 buyback: gun homicides fell 59%, suicides 65%.
04
UK after 1997 handgun ban: firearm homicides dropped 50% from 0.58 to 0.23 per 100,000.
05
Canada gun homicide rate 0.5 per 100,000 vs. U.S. 6.7 in 2021.
06
Japan has 0.02 gun deaths per 100,000 with strict licensing.
07
Switzerland: 2.3 guns per 100 people but 0.2 homicides due to training requirements.
08
Brazil has 21.9 gun deaths per 100,000, highest globally.
09
After New Zealand's 2019 ban, gun deaths fell 50% to 0.7 per 100,000.
10
U.S. has 120 guns per 100 people vs. Yemen 52.8 but lower homicide rate there.
11
EU average gun death rate 1.4 per 100,000 vs. U.S. 14.2 in 2019.
12
South Korea: 0.02 gun homicides per 100,000 with mandatory military service.
13
Venezuela gun homicide rate 36.7 per 100,000 in 2019.
14
Post-2013 Brazil gun law liberalization, homicides rose 20% to 30 per 100,000.
15
Germany after 2009 laws: gun suicides down 25%, homicides stable at 0.06.
16
Mexico: 15 gun homicides per 100,000 despite 80% illegal guns from U.S.
17
Finland gun ownership 32 per 100, death rate 2.9 due to licenses.
18
U.S. mass shooting rate 0.58 per million vs. 0.005 in Europe.
19
Norway post-2011 tightened laws: gun deaths 1.2 per 100,000.
20
Russia has 12.1 guns per 100, homicide rate 3.2.
21
Israel civilian gun ownership low at 7 per 100, homicide 0.6.
22
Australia gun suicides fell from 390 in 1995 to 202 in 2021 post-buyback.
23
Sweden: strict laws keep gun homicide at 0.2 per 100,000.
24
U.S. child gun death rate 2.8 per 100,000 vs. 0.03 in UK.
25
Canada after 2020 freeze: handgun crime guns down 25%.
26
U.S. female gun homicide rate 1.9 per 100,000 vs. 0.1 in peer countries.
Interpretation
International Comparisons Interpretation
Across international comparisons, the United States stands out with gun homicide and death rates tens of times higher than peer countries, such as 25 times higher than 22 nations and 11.4 per 100,000 versus Japan’s 0.3 and the UK’s 0.1, while countries that tightened gun laws like Australia’s 59% drop in homicides after 1996 and the UK’s 50% decline after the 1997 handgun ban show substantially lower levels.
05 · Category
Public Opinion Polls27 stats
01
69% of Americans favor stricter gun laws in 2023 Gallup poll.
02
81% support background checks for all gun sales, per 2023 Pew.
03
60% favor assault weapons ban, highest since 2019, per Gallup 2023.
04
87% of Americans support red flag laws, per 2022 Johns Hopkins poll.
05
58% say gun laws should be stricter, up from 47% in 2020, Pew 2023.
06
90% of Democrats vs. 20% Republicans favor stricter laws, Pew 2023.
07
64% oppose concealed carry without permits post-Bruen, Quinnipiac 2023.
08
72% support safe storage laws to prevent child access.
09
79% favor gun violence restraining orders, AP-NORC 2023.
10
56% believe protecting gun rights is more important than controlling ownership, Gallup 2023.
11
88% of gun owners support background checks on private sales.
12
61% favor banning high-capacity magazines, Monmouth 2023.
13
73% say preventing mass shootings is very important, Pew 2023.
14
54% of Republicans now support some assault weapon restrictions.
15
82% support keeping guns away from domestic abusers.
16
67% favor raising purchase age to 21, Quinnipiac 2023.
17
Support for teacher guns: 23% overall, 42% Republicans.
18
70% oppose arming teachers, highest opposition ever.
19
65% support national gun sale database.
20
Black Americans: 83% favor stricter laws, Pew 2023.
21
49% say owning gun very important to identity, up among young.
22
76% of NRA members support universal background checks.
23
Post-Uvalde, 58% favor ban on semi-automatic guns.
24
62% believe stricter laws would reduce mass shootings.
25
Women: 74% favor stricter laws vs. 43% men, Gallup.
26
81% support criminal background checks for all buyers.
27
Urban residents: 68% stricter laws, rural 39%.
Interpretation
Public Opinion Polls Interpretation
Public opinion in gun control polls is strongly and broadly tilted toward stricter measures, with 87% supporting red flag laws and 81% backing background checks for all gun sales, indicating sustained majority support in recent years.
Reference
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APA
Catherine Wu. (2026, February 13). Gun Control Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gun-control-statistics
MLA
Catherine Wu. "Gun Control Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/gun-control-statistics.
Chicago
Catherine Wu. 2026. "Gun Control Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gun-control-statistics.