Firearms were used in nearly 49,000 deaths in a recent year. This article details the latest statistics on manufacturing, ownership, and the human cost.
Key Takeaways
- In 2021, firearms were used in 48,830 deaths in the U.S.
- U.S. firearms manufacturers produced 23 million firearms in 2022 per ATF Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Export Report
- In 2021, there were an estimated 32.4% of U.S. adults who personally own a firearm
- Permit-to-purchase laws associated with 11% lower gun suicide rates per 2022 Johns Hopkins
- In 2021, gun suicides totaled 26,328, 54% of all suicides
National gun statistics show a critical need for targeted safety policies and smarter prevention efforts.
Related reading
01 · Category
Crime and Violence26 stats
01
In 2021, firearms were used in 48,830 deaths in the U.S.
02
Gun homicides reached 20,958 in 2021, a 35% increase from 2019
03
Mass shootings totaled 689 in 2022 per Gun Violence Archive
04
44,290 gun deaths in 2022, highest on record per provisional CDC data
05
Guns used in 79% of all murders in 2021 FBI UCR data
06
14,000 gun homicides among Black Americans in 2021, 53% of total
07
Youth aged 1-17 experienced 2,590 gun homicides in 2021 CDC WONDER
08
Gunfire incidents affected 40 schools in one week in 2023 GVA data
09
18,000 children and teens wounded or killed by guns in 2022 Johns Hopkins
10
Drive-by shootings accounted for 15% of gun homicides in urban areas 2021 FBI
11
Interstate gun trafficking traced 70% of crime guns to 10 states per ATF 2022
12
43% of crime guns recovered were originally purchased out-of-state per ATF 2022
13
Chicago had 792 gun homicides from 2018-2022 per CPD data
14
Philadelphia recorded 562 gun murders 2021-2023 aggregate
15
Guns recovered in crimes within 3 years of purchase: 54% per 2022 ATF
16
Gang-related gun violence caused 13% of U.S. homicides in 2021 CDC
17
85% of mass public shooters obtained guns legally per 2023 Rand study
18
Active shooter incidents rose to 48 in 2021 FBI report
19
80% of mass shootings occur in locations with relaxed gun laws per Everytown 2023
20
Handguns used in 59% of gun murders in 2021 FBI data
21
Rifles used in 4% of gun murders but high profile per 2021 FBI
22
2023 saw over 400 mass shootings by September per GVA
23
Gun violence cost $557 billion annually in 2021 per Everytown
24
Black males aged 15-34 have gun death rate 30x higher than white females per CDC 2021
25
Domestic violence gun homicides: 1 woman killed every 14 hours per 2022 analysis
26
Police shot and killed 1,176 people in 2023, 96% armed mostly with guns
Interpretation
Crime and Violence Interpretation
It’s a bleak, booming business where statistics are written in blood, showing a nation more armed and alarmed by the year, with every death toll reading like a morbid report card on our inability to put safety before access.
02 · Category
Manufacturing and Sales25 stats
01
U.S. firearms manufacturers produced 23 million firearms in 2022 per ATF Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Export Report
02
Pistol production reached 11.9 million units in 2022, highest category
03
Rifle production was 6.1 million firearms in 2022 per ATF
04
Shotgun production totaled 1.1 million in 2022 ATF data
05
"Other" firearms including AR-15 style reached 3.9 million in 2022 production
06
Firearm exports from U.S. were 1.2 million units valued at $1.7 billion in 2022
07
NICS background checks hit 28.4 million in 2022, indicating sales surge
08
39.7 million NICS checks from 2018-2022, correlating to ~32 million guns sold
09
Handgun sales estimated at 15 million in 2021 per NICS adjusted data
10
Long gun sales reached 12 million in 2020 pandemic peak per NSSF
11
Black Friday 2020 saw 203,000 NICS checks, highest single day ever
12
Cyber Monday 2020 had 184,000 checks, second highest
13
Private sales not requiring NICS estimated at 20-40% of total transfers per 2021 Urban Institute
14
Gun shows facilitate ~4 million private transfers annually per 2019 GAO report
15
Online gun sales grew 65% from 2019-2022 per 2023 market analysis
16
Smith & Wesson produced 2.5 million pistols in 2022 fiscal reports
17
Sturm Ruger output 2.1 million firearms in 2022 per annual report
18
Glock leads imports with 1.8 million handguns imported in 2022 ATF data
19
Brazilian firearms imports to U.S. totaled 500,000 units in 2022
20
Average retail price of a handgun rose to $650in 2023 from $550 in 2019 per NSSF
21
AR-15 rifles average $800retail price in 2023 market data
22
2023 saw 16.9 million NICS checks through November, on pace for record
23
Permitless carry states increased from 25 to 29 in 2023 per Giffords
24
Firearm retailers numbered 92,000 licensed dealers in 2022 ATF registry
25
Gun broker online sales platform listed 1.5 million firearms for sale in 2023 peak
Interpretation
Manufacturing and Sales Interpretation
America appears to be arming itself at a startling pace, producing a staggering 23 million new guns in 2022 alone, a manufacturing spree that suggests we're either preparing for a sporting event of unprecedented scale or have a profound and growing failure of confidence in our collective safety.
03 · Category
Ownership and Possession30 stats
01
In 2021, there were an estimated 32.4% of U.S. adults who personally own a firearm
02
Approximately 120.5 million adult gun owners in the United States as of 2023
03
44% of U.S. adults who live in households with guns reported in 2023 surveys
04
Rural Americans are nearly twice as likely to die by gun suicide as those in urban areas, with rates of 8.5 vs 4.5 per 100,000 in 2021
05
39% of households in rural areas own guns compared to 20% in urban areas per 2021 Gallup poll
06
White Americans own guns at a rate of 41% personal ownership in 2023 Pew data
07
Men are 1.8 times more likely than women to own a gun personally, with 40% vs 22% in 2023
08
Republicans and Republican-leaners own guns at 45% rate vs 20% for Democrats in 2023
09
72% of gun owners cite protection as a major reason for ownership in 2023 Pew survey
10
Veterans own guns at a 54% personal ownership rate per 2022 RAND study
11
Handguns are the most commonly owned firearm type at 52% among owners in 2021
12
Rifles are owned by 39% of gun owners, per 2021 Pew data
13
32% of gun owners possess shotguns as of 2021 surveys
14
393 million civilian-owned firearms in circulation in the U.S. as of 2018 Small Arms Survey estimate
15
46% of privately owned guns worldwide are in the U.S., equating to 120 guns per 100 residents in 2018
16
Texas has the highest number of registered firearms with over 1 million NFA items as of 2023
17
California has approximately 1.2 million registered handguns as of 2022 DOJ data
18
26% of U.S. adults have a gun in their home per 2023 Gallup poll
19
Gun ownership has remained steady at around 40-45% of households since the 1990s per Gallup
20
57% of white men own guns personally per 2023 Pew
21
Black Americans have a 24% personal gun ownership rate in 2023
22
Hispanic Americans at 19% personal gun ownership in 2023 Pew survey
23
Gun ownership peaks at ages 50-64 with 37% rate per 2023 data
24
College graduates own guns at 19% vs 34% non-grads in 2023
25
Southern states have 38% household gun ownership average per 2021 RAND
26
90% of guns used in crimes originate from states with weak gun laws per 2022 Everytown analysis
27
40 million Americans purchased guns for the first time since 2019 per NSSF 2023
28
Women now comprise 32% of new gun owners per 2023 NSSF data
29
Black Americans made up 24% of new gun buyers in 2021 per NSSF
30
Hispanic new gun owners rose to 20% in 2021 surveys
Interpretation
Ownership and Possession Interpretation
One might say America is armed and conflicted, where the very tools many stockpile for a sense of security in their homes and politics are, in grim irony, statistically far more likely to turn a rural despair into a permanent tragedy than to stop an urban criminal.
More related reading
04 · Category
Policy and Legislation20 stats
01
Permit-to-purchase laws associated with 11% lower gun suicide rates per 2022 Johns Hopkins
02
Universal background check laws reduce gun homicides by 15% per 2023 RAND meta-analysis
03
States with assault weapon bans have 48% lower mass shooting rates per 2023 Everytown
04
Stand-your-ground laws increase firearm homicides by 8-11% per 2019 study
05
Concealed carry permit holders commit crimes at rates 1/10th of general population per 2023 Crime Prevention Research Center
06
27 states have permitless carry as of 2024 per Giffords Law Center
07
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act funded 14,000 new police hires in 2023 DOJ
08
Red flag laws enacted in 21 states by 2023, preventing 700+ gun removals
09
Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act blocked 3.5 million prohibited purchases since 1994
10
Minimum age 21 for handgun purchases reduced youth suicides by 9% per 2022 study
11
States with safe storage laws have 78% lower unintentional shooting deaths of children per Everytown
12
Domestic violence gun restrictions prevent 1 homicide per 20 orders per 2021 analysis
13
Bump stock ban upheld by Supreme Court denial in 2023 per Giffords
14
8 states have assault weapons bans covering 10% of U.S. population 2023
15
Waiting periods of 48+ hours reduce gun suicides by 12% per RAND 2023
16
Gun-free school zones law covers K-12 but challenged post-Heller per Cornell Law
17
NFA 1934 taxes suppressors at $200,registered 900,000 by 2023 ATF
18
14 states require licenses for all handgun purchases as of 2023
19
Extreme risk protection orders issued 3,000+ times since 2016 in 5 states
20
Open carry banned in 5 states and restricted in 30 per 2023 Giffords
Interpretation
Policy and Legislation Interpretation
The evidence suggests a clear pattern: where smart regulations follow guns, fewer lives are lost to them, but this progress is constantly debated against a backdrop of expanding access.
05 · Category
Suicides and Accidents27 stats
01
In 2021, gun suicides totaled 26,328, 54% of all suicides
02
Males accounted for 88% of gun suicides in 2021 CDC data
03
Gun suicides among youth 10-24: 2,152 in 2021 per CDC WONDER
04
States with highest gun suicide rates: Wyoming 29.7 per 100k in 2021
05
Montana gun suicide rate 28.5 per 100k in 2021 CDC
06
Gun suicides rose 44% among Black Americans from 2011-2020 per 2022 study
07
59% of gun deaths are suicides vs 37% homicides in 2022 provisional
08
Unintentional gun deaths: 537 in 2021 CDC
09
Children under 18 unintentional shootings: 202 in 2022 Pediatrics study
10
71% of accidental gun deaths are self-inflicted per 2021 NVDRS data
11
Gun suicides in veterans: 6,261 in 2021 VA report
12
Elderly men 75+ have gun suicide rate of 40.6 per 100k in 2021
13
Access to guns increases suicide risk 3-fold per 2023 Harvard study
14
50% of suicide attempts with guns are fatal vs 5% other methods per APA
15
Rural gun suicide rates 2.5x urban in 2021 CDC data
16
Firearm suicides cost $70 billion in lifetime impact 2021 Everytown
17
Youth gun suicides doubled from 2007-2021 per Johns Hopkins
18
Black youth gun suicide rate tripled 2011-2020 JAMA
19
Handguns used in 54% of gun suicides 2021 NVDRS
20
Long guns in 30% of rural gun suicides per 2022 study
21
Unintentional gun injuries: 9,182 treated in ERs 2021 per CDC
22
Children accidental shootings: 4 per day average 2022 GVA
23
60% of accidental shootings involve children accessing loaded guns per Everytown
24
Gun suicides peak in spring months, 10% higher April-June per 2021 analysis
25
Safe storage laws reduce youth gun suicides by 8% per 2023 study
26
82% of veteran suicides involve firearms per VA 2022
27
Gun death rate for ages 25-44 rose 36% 2019-2021 CDC provisional
Interpretation
Suicides and Accidents Interpretation
Amidst the stark arithmetic of these numbers—where a firearm transforms a passing thought into an irreversible act, disproportionately claiming the lives of men in rural places, our veterans, and a rising number of Black and young Americans—lies the urgent, human equation that access to a gun is the single most decisive variable between a crisis and a catastrophe.
Reference
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APA
Marcus Afolabi. (2026, February 13). Gun Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gun-statistics
MLA
Marcus Afolabi. "Gun Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/gun-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Afolabi. 2026. "Gun Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gun-statistics.
Sources & references
37 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level