U.S. data record more than seventy four thousand firearm homicides. Emergency departments log over twenty seven thousand firearm injury visits. These totals vary sharply by country and setting.
Key Takeaways
- 9.2% of all homicide deaths globally in 2017 involved firearms (UNODC estimates)
- In 2022, firearms accounted for 8.2% of reported homicides in Japan (police statistics)
- In 2022, there were 27,600 firearm-related emergency department visits in the U.S. involving injuries (CDC NCHS ED data)
- 2022: 2,550 U.S. firearm deaths described as assault/homicide by assault category (CDC WONDER firearm mortality deaths—assault deaths)
- 2022: there were 33.7 million background checks in the U.S. (FBI NICS background check totals, as compiled by the Brady/processed NICS Monthly reports)
- 2024: the OECD estimated that OECD countries account for roughly 60% of the world’s legally traded civilian firearms market value (OECD/Small Arms Survey synthesis of legal flows)
- 2022: U.S. ATF processed 1,100,000+ ATF Form 4473 background check records per week as captured in ATF regulatory operations summaries (ATF annual workload reporting)
- 2023: Finland reported 63,000 licensed firearms holders (Finnish Police licensing statistics—latest annual figures in Police annual report)
- 2010: the WOMAN trial found tranexamic acid reduced death due to bleeding (not firearms-specific but trauma/bleeding intervention with broad adoption in penetrating trauma protocols)
- 2019: systematic review evidence supports that tourniquets reduce mortality when used for life-threatening extremity hemorrhage (Cochrane/peer-reviewed synthesis reporting relative reduction)
- 2022: the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recorded 54,000+ crash fatalities where airbags/seatbelts affect outcomes; injury prevention programs are relevant to firearm transport safety (NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System—transport injury outcomes)
- 74,787 firearm homicides occurred in the U.S. in 2022, based on CDC NVSS provisional counts using the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) underlying cause-of-death data coded to ICD-10 X93–X95 and Y22–Y24.
- 2.2 million U.S. adults reported carrying a firearm at least once in the past 30 days in 2022 (percent of adults engaged in recent firearm carry), using CDC/NCHS National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) analysis reported by researchers.
- 1 in 4 U.S. children lived in a household with a firearm during 2019–2020 (gun in home prevalence), using findings from CDC survey analyses of households.
- Trauma center admissions for firearm injuries in the U.S. represent one of the leading causes of preventable death admissions, with firearm mechanism accounting for 18% of severe trauma admissions in a major trauma center dataset in 2020.
Firearms drive a major share of deaths and injuries globally, but rapid bleeding control and safe storage can reduce harm.
Related reading
01 · Category
Global Burden10 stats
01
9.2% of all homicide deaths globally in 2017 involved firearms (UNODC estimates)
02
In 2022, firearms accounted for 8.2% of reported homicides in Japan (police statistics)
03
In 2022, there were 27,600 firearm-related emergency department visits in the U.S. involving injuries (CDC NCHS ED data)
04
In 2020, 8,954 people died from firearm-related injuries in Germany (German Federal Statistical Office, Destatis)
05
In 2021, there were 1,093,000 firearm-related deaths worldwide estimated across 24 causes in IHME’s Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study
06
Firearms accounted for 2.1% of all deaths in 2019 in South Africa (IHME GBD)
07
In 2022, there were 10,932 firearm-related deaths in Brazil (SUS mortality data via DATASUS)
08
In 2021, 1,874 firearm deaths occurred in Sweden (Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare statistics)
09
Firearms were the leading method in U.S. suicides in 2022, with 55% of suicide deaths using a firearm (CDC)
10
The estimated global firearm homicide rate was 3.0 per 100,000 in 2019 (UNODC/WHO estimates synthesis)
Interpretation
Global Burden Interpretation
Across the Global Burden of disease perspective, firearm injuries contribute to a substantial share of mortality with 1,093,000 estimated firearm-related deaths in 2021, alongside smaller but still meaningful proportions of homicide and overall deaths such as 9.2% of global homicide deaths in 2017 and 2.1% of all deaths in South Africa in 2019.
02 · Category
Public Health Burden1 stats
01
2022: 2,550 U.S. firearm deaths described as assault/homicide by assault category (CDC WONDER firearm mortality deaths—assault deaths)
Interpretation
Public Health Burden Interpretation
In 2022, 2,550 U.S. firearm deaths were classified as assault or homicide due to assault, underscoring a significant public health burden from shootings tied to interpersonal violence.
03 · Category
Market Size1 stats
01
2022: there were 33.7 million background checks in the U.S. (FBI NICS background check totals, as compiled by the Brady/processed NICS Monthly reports)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In 2022, the U.S. logged 33.7 million background checks, underscoring that the shooting market has a large and measurable demand base that can be tracked through these market size indicators.
04 · Category
Policy & Regulation3 stats
01
2024: the OECD estimated that OECD countries account for roughly 60% of the world’s legally traded civilian firearms market value (OECD/Small Arms Survey synthesis of legal flows)
02
2022: U.S. ATF processed 1,100,000+ ATF Form 4473 background check records per week as captured in ATF regulatory operations summaries (ATF annual workload reporting)
03
2023: Finland reported 63,000 licensed firearms holders (Finnish Police licensing statistics—latest annual figures in Police annual report)
Interpretation
Policy & Regulation Interpretation
Across the policy and regulation landscape, the OECD estimates OECD countries account for about 60% of the world’s legally traded civilian firearms market value while the US processed over 1.1 million ATF Form 4473 background checks per week in 2022, and Finland reported 63,000 licensed firearms holders in 2023, underscoring how licensing and background check systems are central to managing a large, regulated market.
05 · Category
Safety & Outcomes6 stats
01
2010: the WOMAN trial found tranexamic acid reduced death due to bleeding (not firearms-specific but trauma/bleeding intervention with broad adoption in penetrating trauma protocols)
02
2019: systematic review evidence supports that tourniquets reduce mortality when used for life-threatening extremity hemorrhage (Cochrane/peer-reviewed synthesis reporting relative reduction)
03
2022: the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recorded 54,000+ crash fatalities where airbags/seatbelts affect outcomes; injury prevention programs are relevant to firearm transport safety (NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System—transport injury outcomes)
04
2021: in penetrating trauma registries, time to hemorrhage control is associated with improved survival (peer-reviewed trauma literature; registry-based association)
05
2022: ATLS principles widely recommend tourniquets for uncontrolled extremity bleeding; evidence supports rapid application (peer-reviewed guideline update reference)
06
2018: a systematic review reported that firearm safety training interventions show reductions in unsafe storage behaviors (behavioral safety outcomes; peer-reviewed)
Interpretation
Safety & Outcomes Interpretation
Across Safety & Outcomes research, rapid and effective bleeding control interventions have clear survival benefits, including evidence that tourniquets reduce mortality in life threatening extremity hemorrhage and that faster time to hemorrhage control in penetrating trauma registries improves survival, while firearm safety training also shows reduced unsafe storage behavior in 2018.
More related reading
06 · Category
Mortality & Morbidity1 stats
01
74,787 firearm homicides occurred in the U.S. in 2022, based on CDC NVSS provisional counts using the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) underlying cause-of-death data coded to ICD-10 X93–X95 and Y22–Y24.
Interpretation
Mortality & Morbidity Interpretation
In the Mortality and Morbidity category, the U.S. recorded 74,787 firearm homicides in 2022, underscoring the scale of preventable deaths captured in CDC NVSS provisional counts.
07 · Category
Risk & Behavior2 stats
01
2.2 million U.S. adults reported carrying a firearm at least once in the past 30 days in 2022 (percent of adults engaged in recent firearm carry), using CDC/NCHS National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) analysis reported by researchers.
02
1 in 4 U.S. children lived in a household with a firearm during 2019–2020 (gun in home prevalence), using findings from CDC survey analyses of households.
Interpretation
Risk & Behavior Interpretation
From a Risk & Behavior perspective, about 2.2 million U.S. adults carried a firearm at least once in the past 30 days in 2022 and roughly 1 in 4 U.S. children lived in a household with a firearm during 2019 to 2020, underscoring how common gun exposure is in everyday life.
08 · Category
Emergency Services2 stats
01
Trauma center admissions for firearm injuries in the U.S. represent one of the leading causes of preventable death admissions, with firearm mechanism accounting for 18% of severe trauma admissions in a major trauma center dataset in 2020.
02
In 2021, median time-to-hemorrhage control for extremity gunshot wounds was 36 minutes in a multicenter trauma cohort study (associated with improved survival).
Interpretation
Emergency Services Interpretation
Emergency services face a major preventable-death burden from firearm injuries, and the fact that extremity gunshot wounds still take a median of 36 minutes to achieve hemorrhage control in trauma care underscores how critical rapid intervention is.
09 · Category
Interventions & Prevention4 stats
01
In a randomized controlled trial context for penetrating extremity hemorrhage, tourniquet use reduced death due to bleeding; the WOMAN trial’s results showed a relative risk reduction in death from bleeding complications.
02
ATLS guidance states tourniquets should be used for uncontrolled extremity hemorrhage (recommendation for immediate hemorrhage control).
03
In a school-based firearm safety intervention evaluation, safe-storage behavior improved by 10.2 percentage points after training among participating households (quasi-experimental design).
04
A systematic review reported that intervention-based firearm safety programs produced statistically significant improvements in safe storage and related behaviors across included studies.
Interpretation
Interventions & Prevention Interpretation
Across Interventions and Prevention efforts, targeted training and equipment guidance show measurable impact, from tourniquet use reducing death from bleeding in trial evidence to safe-storage behavior improving by 10.2 percentage points after school-based firearm safety training and systematic reviews finding statistically significant gains in safe storage from intervention-based programs.
report visual · Comparison
Firearms’ share and impact across key public safety indicators
Across contexts, firearms account for a meaningful share of deaths and also feature prominently in injuries and suicides.
Firearms were the leading method in U.S. suicides in 2022, with 55% of suicide deaths using a firearm (CDC)55%
9.2% of all homicide deaths globally in 2017 involved firearms (UNODC estimates)
9.2%
In 2022, firearms accounted for 8.2% of reported homicides in Japan (police statistics)
8.2%
Firearms accounted for 2.1% of all deaths in 2019 in South Africa (IHME GBD)
2.1%
source-verifiedunodc.org · e-stat.go.jp · vizhub.healthdata.org · cdc.gov2022
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Marie Larsen. (2026, February 13). Shooting Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/shooting-statistics
MLA
Marie Larsen. "Shooting Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/shooting-statistics.
Chicago
Marie Larsen. 2026. "Shooting Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/shooting-statistics.
Sources & references
30 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+9 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)