In 2022, the United States saw 792 mass shootings and gun homicides reached 20,958 deaths in 2021, two figures that land side by side and feel hard to reconcile. At the same time, unintentional deaths are often treated as an outlier, yet 582 people died from unintentional gun injuries in 2021. What happens when unauthorized access, storage practices, and self protection laws collide across the same years and states.
Key Takeaways
- Unintentional gun deaths: 582 in 2021, 1.4% of gun deaths, mostly youth, CDC WISQARS
- Children under 6 gain unauthorized access to guns 300+ times yearly causing injury/death, Pediatrics 2023
- 79% of unintentional gun deaths 2020-2021 were males, half under 25, CDC NVDRS 15 states
- 41 states allow permitless carry as of 2024, up from 25 in 2015, Giffords Law Center
- 27 states have constitutional carry laws permitting concealed carry without permit in 2024, Everytown tracker
- Federal background checks required for 99% of retail sales via NICS since 1998, 400M+ checks, FBI
- In 2023, the US firearms industry manufactured 15.8 million new guns for the American market, NSSF adjusted data
- Firearm producers exported 614,314 firearms worth $1.1 billion in FY2022, USITC/ATF data
- 2020 saw record 21.5 million NICS background checks for gun purchases, FBI
- In 2021, 48.2% of U.S. adults reported living in a household with a firearm, up from 44.1% in 2020 according to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics survey
- As of 2023, approximately 32% of American adults personally own a gun, with higher rates among men (40%) than women (24%), per Pew Research Center analysis
- Rural Americans are nearly twice as likely to die from gun-related injuries compared to those in urban areas, with a rate of 14.0 per 100,000 vs. 7.5 per 100,000 from 2017-2021, CDC data
- Gun suicides comprised 55% of all suicides in 2021, 26,328 deaths, CDC WISQARS
- Access to firearms increases suicide risk 3-4 fold per meta-analysis of 130+ studies, Harvard Injury Control 2023
- Males account for 86% of gun suicides, rate 23.9 per 100k vs. 3.5 for females 2021, CDC
Unintentional and suicide gun deaths remain alarmingly high, highlighting the need for safe storage and responsible access.
Related reading
01 · Category
Accidents14 stats
01
Unintentional gun deaths: 582 in 2021, 1.4% of gun deaths, mostly youth, CDC WISQARS
02
Children under 6 gain unauthorized access to guns 300+ times yearly causing injury/death, Pediatrics 2023
03
79% of unintentional gun deaths 2020-2021 were males, half under 25, CDC NVDRS 15 states
04
Safe storage laws associated with 78% drop in unintentional shootings of young kids, Santaella-Tenorio 2020
05
4.6 million US kids live with unlocked loaded gun, Johns Hopkins 2022 survey
06
Gun accidents kill 1 toddler weekly on average 2015-2019, 250 cases, GVPedia
07
Police shootings ruled accidental: 100+ yearly, 10% of officer-involved deaths, WaPo database 2023
08
40% of unintentional shootings involve children finding parent's gun, Everytown 2023
09
Rural areas have 2x unintentional gun death rate: 0.8 vs 0.4 per 100k, CDC 2018-2021
10
Handguns involved in 75% of unintentional fatalities 2015-2019, CDC WONDER
11
Firearm misfires/NDs injure 8,000+ hunters yearly, hunter safety courses data
12
Child access prevention laws reduce unintentional shootings by 50-70% among under-18s, meta-analysis
13
2022 accidental gun deaths: 613 total, stable but underreported, provisional CDC
14
Guns in vehicles cause 20% of accidental shootings, often self-inflicted, Giffords 2023
Interpretation
Accidents Interpretation
For the “Accidents” category, unintentional gun deaths still reached 582 in 2021 and evidence shows that when safe storage laws are in place the rate of unintentional shootings of young kids drops by 78%, even as millions of children live with unlocked loaded guns.
02 · Category
Laws15 stats
01
41 states allow permitless carry as of 2024, up from 25 in 2015, Giffords Law Center
02
27 states have constitutional carry laws permitting concealed carry without permit in 2024, Everytown tracker
03
Federal background checks required for 99% of retail sales via NICS since 1998, 400M+ checks, FBI
04
Assault weapons bans in 10 states + DC as of 2024, covering 18% population, Giffords
05
Universal background checks laws in 21 states + DC, requiring private sales checks, Everytown 2024
06
Red flag laws in 21 states allow temporary gun removal for at-risk persons, 2024 RAND
07
Stand-your-ground laws in 38 states expand self-defense rights, NCSL 2024
08
Minimum age for handgun purchase federally 21, long guns 18, unchanged since 1968 GCA, ATF
09
Safe storage laws in 19 states mandate locking when minors present, Giffords 2024
10
Domestic violence gun restrictions: federal ban since 1994 Lautenberg, applied in all states, NIJ
11
Open carry permitted without permit in 31 states, 2024 update, USCCA map
12
Bump stock ban upheld by SCOTUS 2024 in Garland v. Cargill, 6-3 decision, overturning ATF rule, SCOTUSblog
13
Ghost gun regulations finalized 2022 by ATF, requiring serialization, challenged in courts, ATF
14
15 states ban magazine capacity over 10 rounds, Giffords policy tracker
15
Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act denied 1.5M prohibited purchasers 1994-2023, FBI NICS
Interpretation
Laws Interpretation
Across the Laws landscape, the rapid expansion of permissive carry and screening policies stands out, with permitless carry rising to 41 states by 2024 from 25 in 2015 alongside 27 states with constitutional carry and 21 states plus DC requiring universal background checks.
03 · Category
Manufacturing18 stats
01
In 2023, the US firearms industry manufactured 15.8 million new guns for the American market, NSSF adjusted data
02
Firearm producers exported 614,314 firearms worth $1.1 billion in FY2022, USITC/ATF data
03
2020 saw record 21.5 million NICS background checks for gun purchases, FBI
04
US produced 11.5 million pistols in 2022, 43% of total firearms manufactured, NSSF Firearms Production Report
05
Imports of firearms hit 1.8 million in 2022, up 20% from prior year, Commerce Dept via NSSF
06
Handguns comprised 55% of 2023 production at 8.2 million units, NSSF 2024 report
07
Semi-automatic rifles produced: 2.5 million in 2023, rifles total 3.9 million, NSSF data
08
Shotguns manufactured dropped to 1.1 million in 2023 from 1.7M peak, NSSF annual
09
Total firearms manufactured 1990-2023 exceeds 500 million, cumulative NSSF/ATF estimates
10
Private transfers and sales without NICS: estimated 20-40% of acquisitions, RAND 2023 synthesis
11
Gun shops: 63,000+ FFL dealers in 2023, 50% in sales of firearms, ATF
12
3D-printed ghost guns seized by ATF: 25,000+ in 2023, up from 2020, ATF report
13
Rimfire rifles production: 1.4 million in 2023, down from pandemic highs, NSSF
14
Exports of gun parts/frames surged 50% to $500M in 2022, US Commerce
15
Pawnbrokers hold 15% of FFLs, many involved in used gun sales, ATF 2023
16
Receivers/frames produced: 14.1 million in 2023, backbone of production, NSSF
17
Online gun sales platforms grew 30% post-2020, 10 million transactions est., Statista 2023
18
Suppressors manufactured: over 500,000 in 2022, NFA items rising, ATF
Interpretation
Manufacturing Interpretation
In 2023 the US firearms industry manufactured 15.8 million new guns for the American market, showing that domestic production remains the central engine of the manufacturing category even as 2022 imports rose to 1.8 million and handgun output reached 8.2 million units in 2023.
More related reading
04 · Category
Ownership20 stats
01
In 2021, 48.2% of U.S. adults reported living in a household with a firearm, up from 44.1% in 2020 according to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics survey
02
As of 2023, approximately 32% of American adults personally own a gun, with higher rates among men (40%) than women (24%), per Pew Research Center analysis
03
Rural Americans are nearly twice as likely to die from gun-related injuries compared to those in urban areas, with a rate of 14.0 per 100,000 vs. 7.5 per 100,000 from 2017-2021, CDC data
04
In 2022, Gallup poll found 45% of U.S. adults own a gun or live in a household with one, the highest in over a decade
05
White Americans own guns at a rate of 36%, compared to 24% for Black Americans and 20% for Hispanic Americans, based on 2023 Pew survey
06
72 million American adults live in gun-owning households but do not personally own a gun, per 2023 Pew Research
07
Gun ownership is highest among Republicans (44%) versus Democrats (20%) according to 2023 Gallup data
08
In 2020, an estimated 81.4 million U.S. adults lived in homes with guns, CDC Household Pulse Survey
09
Veterans have higher gun ownership rates at 54%, compared to 34% of non-veterans, RAND Corporation study 2022
10
Southern states have the highest gun ownership rates, with 51% in rural South per 2016 Pew data updated in 2023 analyses
11
Women who own guns cite protection (72%) as primary reason, matching men, per 2023 Pew survey of 10,000+ adults
12
44% of gun owners report owning multiple firearms, averaging 5 guns per multi-owner household, 2021 American National Firearms Survey
13
Households with children under 18 have guns at 30% rate, with 43% storing unlocked/loaded, Johns Hopkins 2022
14
20 million guns were legally purchased by first-time buyers in 2020-2021, NICS data via FBI
15
Asian Americans have the lowest gun ownership at 10%, per 2023 Pew demographic breakdown
16
Urban gun ownership is 19%, suburban 28%, rural 46%, 2023 Pew Research Center survey
17
56% of gun owners keep at least one handgun, 54% rifles, 32% shotguns, per 2021 National Firearms Survey
18
College graduates own guns at 24% vs. 38% non-grads, education gap from 2023 Gallup
19
40% of Americans say gun ownership does more to protect than endanger, up from 2017, Gallup 2023
20
Estimated 393 million civilian-owned guns in US as of 2018, extrapolated to 400+ million by 2023 Small Arms Survey
Interpretation
Ownership Interpretation
From the ownership angle, gun presence is expanding and widespread, with 48.2% of U.S. adults living in a household with a firearm in 2021 up from 44.1% in 2020 and about 32% personally owning a gun in 2023, alongside a large pool of 72 million adults who live in gun-owning households without personally owning one.
05 · Category
Suicides18 stats
01
Gun suicides comprised 55% of all suicides in 2021, 26,328 deaths, CDC WISQARS
02
Access to firearms increases suicide risk 3-4 fold per meta-analysis of 130+ studies, Harvard Injury Control 2023
03
Males account for 86% of gun suicides, rate 23.9 per 100k vs. 3.5 for females 2021, CDC
04
Gun suicides rose 44% among youth 10-24 from 2011-2020, to 3,237 deaths, JAMA Pediatrics
05
States with higher gun ownership have 4x higher suicide rates, regression analysis 2000-2021, Institute for Health Metrics
06
50% of suicides attempt with guns succeed vs. <5% other methods, AFSP/CDC 2022
07
Rural gun suicide rate 160% higher than urban: 11.9 vs. 4.5 per 100k 2018-2021, CDC MMWR
08
Veterans: gun suicides 22.5 per 100k, 13.5x general pop for young vets, VA 2023
09
Secure storage laws reduce youth gun suicides by 8-14%, UPenn study of 50 states 1999-2021
10
White males 65+ have highest gun suicide rate: 44.1 per 100k in 2021, CDC
11
During COVID, gun suicides increased 13% among adolescents, to record highs, KFF/CDC
12
1 in 4 gun deaths is suicide among children 5-17, 2020-2021 data, Pediatrics journal
13
Extreme risk orders used 5,000+ times 2018-2023 to prevent suicides, UC Davis Violence Prevention
14
Gun availability accounts for 90% variance in state suicide rates, Anglemyer meta-analysis 2022
15
Attempted gun suicides: 500,000+ survivors with lifelong injuries est. 1999-2020, Harvard
16
Gun suicides cost $70 billion in lifetime medical/lost productivity 2020 alone, updated from 2015 Everytown
17
Indigenous populations gun suicide rate 9.6 per 100k, 2x national avg, IHS/CDC 2021
18
Waiting periods reduce gun suicides by 7-11% in adopting states, Donohue 2022 study
Interpretation
Suicides Interpretation
In the suicides category, gun deaths made up 55% of all suicides in 2021, and the risk escalates sharply because access to firearms increases suicide risk 3 to 4 times, with gun suicides also rising 44% among youth ages 10 to 24 from 2011 to 2020.
06 · Category
Violence20 stats
01
In 2022, 792 mass shootings occurred in the US, defined as 4+ victims shot excluding shooter, Gun Violence Archive
02
Firearms were used in 79% of all homicides in 2021, FBI Uniform Crime Report
03
From 2019-2023, 2,555 mass shootings reported, averaging 510 per year, Gun Violence Archive data
04
Gun homicides rose 45% from 2019 to 2021, reaching 20,958 deaths in 2021, CDC WONDER database
05
Black Americans face gun homicide rate 13 times higher than whites: 27.5 vs. 2.1 per 100,000 in 2022, CDC
06
14,717 gun homicides among children/teens 1-17 in 2020-2021, more than cancer/vehicle crashes combined, KFF analysis of CDC
07
Active shooter incidents increased from 31 in 2017 to 80 in 2022, FBI data
08
Guns used in 54% of mass killings 1982-2022, 83 of 153 incidents, Mother Jones database updated by GVA
09
Homicide rate among Black males 15-34 is 89.2 per 100,000, mostly gun-related, 2021 CDC
10
60% of mass public shootings occur in places barring guns legally, Crime Prevention Research Center 2023
11
44,290 gun murders/suicides in 2021, with murders at 20,066 per FBI SHR 2021
12
Teen dating violence involves guns in 1,200 incidents yearly, Everytown Research 2023
13
Gunfire on school grounds: 345 incidents in 2021-2022 school year, Everytown
14
Interstate gun trafficking: 70% of crime guns traced to out-of-state purchases, ATF 2022
15
250 mass shootings in first 100 days of 2023, Gun Violence Archive
16
Women victims of gun homicide up 14% in 2021 to 1,800+, CDC NVDRS
17
90% of mass shooters 1966-2019 male, 82% obtained guns legally, Violence Project database
18
Gun assaults in hospitals rose 30% 2016-2020, 1,033 incidents, KFF/CDC
19
2023 saw 656 mass shootings by Oct, highest on record, GVA preliminary
20
Firearms involved in 77% of murders of police officers 2011-2020, FBI LEOKA
Interpretation
Violence Interpretation
Gun violence remains a persistent and unequal threat, with 79% of 2021 homicides involving firearms and gun homicide rates reaching 27.5 per 100,000 for Black Americans versus 2.1 for whites in 2022, highlighting how violence tied to guns is both widespread and disproportionately concentrated in specific communities.
report visual · Key figures
Gun-related harm: up over time
Gun homicides rose sharply from 2019 to 2021, reaching higher levels in the most recent years reported.
45%
Gun homicides rose 45% from 2019 to 2021, reaching 20,958 deaths in 2021, CDC WONDER database
44,290
44,290 gun murders/suicides in 2021, with murders at 20,066 per FBI SHR 2021
14,717
14,717 gun homicides among children/teens 1-17 in 2020-2021, more than cancer/vehicle crashes combined, KFF analysis of
Reference
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APA
Timothy Grant. (2026, February 13). Guns Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/guns-statistics
MLA
Timothy Grant. "Guns Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/guns-statistics.
Chicago
Timothy Grant. 2026. "Guns Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/guns-statistics.
Sources & references
42 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level