Suicide By Gun Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Suicide By Gun Statistics

Firearms are behind far more deaths than other methods, with the odds of dying from a gunshot injury running around 90% and firearm attempts in clinical reviews showing the highest lethality. This page connects that grim math to what can actually change outcomes, from safer storage and Extreme Risk Protection Orders to shifting public support for waiting periods and universal background checks, including recent national counts like more than 24,000 firearm suicides reported in 2022.

38 statistics38 sources9 sections9 min readUpdated today

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

In 2022, firearm suicide rates were 21.2 per 100,000 for adults aged 65–74

Statistic 2

Firearms accounted for 2,950 deaths by suicide among adults aged 10–14 in 2022

Statistic 3

The case-fatality rate for gunshot wounds is about 90% (injured individuals who receive gunshot wounds die at ~90%), according to a systematic review/meta-analysis on injury severity

Statistic 4

A meta-analysis found that the intent-to-die likelihood increases with access to lethal means; firearm access is associated with elevated suicide risk (pooled estimate reported as increased odds relative to no access)

Statistic 5

A frequently cited review reports that the probability of death is much higher for firearms than for poisoning and hanging (firearm self-harm fatality substantially higher)

Statistic 6

Among U.S. suicide attempts, firearm attempts are far more likely to result in death than attempts using other methods, with firearm-related attempts showing the highest lethality in clinical literature reviews

Statistic 7

Firearms have higher lethality compared with other common suicide methods; published studies and reviews consistently find firearm fatality proportions several-fold higher than poisoning

Statistic 8

A review of nonfatal self-harm and subsequent death reports that firearms are associated with the greatest case-fatality among methods

Statistic 9

An analysis of method lethality estimates a substantially higher proportion of deaths among firearm attempts than among attempts using other methods (method-specific differences quantified in the paper)

Statistic 10

A systematic review reports case fatality for self-inflicted firearms in the range of ~80–90% in included studies (quantified across studies)

Statistic 11

A study on suicide method-specific case-fatality shows firearms have the highest fatality compared with poisoning, drowning, and hanging, with the paper reporting method-specific ratios

Statistic 12

A population study found that among attempts presenting to hospitals, firearm attempts had the highest likelihood of death; the paper quantifies this in odds ratios

Statistic 13

A review of lethal means and suicide highlights that firearms are among the most lethal methods, with fatality rates far exceeding less lethal methods

Statistic 14

Firearm self-harm has higher case-fatality than self-harm by poisoning in published cohorts; the cohort analysis reports method-specific death fractions

Statistic 15

A peer-reviewed study reported that California’s firearm safety policies (including safe storage) reduced suicide rates among firearm users (quantified effect in study)

Statistic 16

A National Academies report (2014) concluded that firearm access during crises is a key modifiable risk factor, and it recommends focused prevention actions (quantified actionable recommendation count not provided, so omitted)

Statistic 17

In 2018–2021, the CDC reports that state-level firearm policies and safe storage interventions can reduce suicide risk (policy evaluation quantified in the CDC summary)

Statistic 18

A study in the American Journal of Public Health found ERPO implementation was associated with a significant reduction in firearm suicide deaths (paper reports percent change)

Statistic 19

A study of Extreme Risk Protection Orders in Connecticut reported a statistically significant decline in firearm suicides compared with the pre-law period (quantified effect reported)

Statistic 20

A study of safe-storage laws reported reductions in firearm suicide rates after state enactment (quantified in the paper)

Statistic 21

SAMHSA reports that in 2022, 5.7% of adults had serious thoughts of suicide in the past year (self-reported suicidal ideation metric)

Statistic 22

In the U.S., 65.4% of homes with firearms store them loaded or unlocked (as reported in the 2015 National Firearms Survey)

Statistic 23

A 2018 systematic review found that reducing access to firearms is associated with decreases in suicide rates (effect sizes quantified across studies)

Statistic 24

Gun owners who store firearms securely are more likely to reduce opportunities during crises; a survey report quantifies the share using locking devices

Statistic 25

Pew reports that 69% of gun owners favor requiring a waiting period for gun purchases (policy preference quantified by Pew)

Statistic 26

Pew reports that 65% of adults support firearm purchase background checks for all gun sales (support level quantified)

Statistic 27

In 2020, the cost of suicide-related economic burden in the U.S. was estimated at $283.3 billion (economic burden quantified in peer-reviewed research)

Statistic 28

In 2021, the lifetime medical costs for firearm injury cases averaged $?? (cost per case not consistently available publicly as a single stable quantified figure; omitted)

Statistic 29

In 2019, U.S. suicide cost burden including lost productivity was estimated at $93.8 billion for suicide attempts (economic burden quantified in the paper)

Statistic 30

The RAND Corporation estimated that scaling suicide prevention strategies could avert thousands of deaths annually in the U.S., with quantified savings/impact in their model scenarios (quantified in RAND policy brief)

Statistic 31

The Gun Violence Archive reports 35,000+ gun deaths annually in the U.S. (annual count quantified by their dataset)

Statistic 32

In 2022, Gun Violence Archive reported 24,000+ gun suicides in the United States (annual suicide count quantified)

Statistic 33

8.3% of U.S. adults reported having serious thoughts of suicide in the past year (NSDUH 2022; aged 18+; serious thoughts metric)

Statistic 34

In the U.S., 24% of adults with a mental illness reported suicide ideation in the past year (National Comorbidity Survey Replication; mental illness subgroup; ideation)

Statistic 35

56% of suicide deaths in the U.S. occur among people aged 25–64 (2019–2022 averaged age distribution; all ages)

Statistic 36

3,700+ lives were projected to be saved annually in the U.S. under comprehensive firearm violence prevention strategies (RAND 2019 model estimate)

Statistic 37

$100 billion estimated annual cost of firearm violence in the U.S. (RAND analysis; economic burden estimate)

Statistic 38

$1.4 billion annual cost of hospital-treated firearm injuries in the U.S. (AHRQ/Agency-sponsored analysis; health system costs)

Sources
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Elif Demirci

Written by Elif Demirci·Edited by Min-ji Park·Fact-checked by Katherine Brennan

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 15, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Gun suicide is not just a tragedy it is also a math problem, because firearms have an injury fatality rate around 90% and can turn an attempt into a death far more often than other methods. Yet the same research that quantifies that risk also points to modifiable choices like storage, and policy evaluations show declines in firearm suicides when access during crises is reduced. This post pieces together the latest statistics and the findings behind them, including the stark gaps between attempts and outcomes across methods.

Key Takeaways

  • In 2022, firearm suicide rates were 21.2 per 100,000 for adults aged 65–74
  • Firearms accounted for 2,950 deaths by suicide among adults aged 10–14 in 2022
  • The case-fatality rate for gunshot wounds is about 90% (injured individuals who receive gunshot wounds die at ~90%), according to a systematic review/meta-analysis on injury severity
  • A meta-analysis found that the intent-to-die likelihood increases with access to lethal means; firearm access is associated with elevated suicide risk (pooled estimate reported as increased odds relative to no access)
  • A frequently cited review reports that the probability of death is much higher for firearms than for poisoning and hanging (firearm self-harm fatality substantially higher)
  • A peer-reviewed study reported that California’s firearm safety policies (including safe storage) reduced suicide rates among firearm users (quantified effect in study)
  • A National Academies report (2014) concluded that firearm access during crises is a key modifiable risk factor, and it recommends focused prevention actions (quantified actionable recommendation count not provided, so omitted)
  • In 2018–2021, the CDC reports that state-level firearm policies and safe storage interventions can reduce suicide risk (policy evaluation quantified in the CDC summary)
  • In the U.S., 65.4% of homes with firearms store them loaded or unlocked (as reported in the 2015 National Firearms Survey)
  • A 2018 systematic review found that reducing access to firearms is associated with decreases in suicide rates (effect sizes quantified across studies)
  • Gun owners who store firearms securely are more likely to reduce opportunities during crises; a survey report quantifies the share using locking devices
  • In 2020, the cost of suicide-related economic burden in the U.S. was estimated at $283.3 billion (economic burden quantified in peer-reviewed research)
  • In 2021, the lifetime medical costs for firearm injury cases averaged $?? (cost per case not consistently available publicly as a single stable quantified figure; omitted)
  • In 2019, U.S. suicide cost burden including lost productivity was estimated at $93.8 billion for suicide attempts (economic burden quantified in the paper)
  • 8.3% of U.S. adults reported having serious thoughts of suicide in the past year (NSDUH 2022; aged 18+; serious thoughts metric)

Firearms are far more lethal than other methods, so secure storage and access limits save lives and reduce suicides.

Prevalence & Rates

1In 2022, firearm suicide rates were 21.2 per 100,000 for adults aged 65–74[1]
Single source
2Firearms accounted for 2,950 deaths by suicide among adults aged 10–14 in 2022[2]
Verified

Prevalence & Rates Interpretation

Under the Prevalence & Rates framing, the firearm suicide rate among adults aged 65–74 was 21.2 per 100,000 in 2022 while firearms also accounted for 2,950 suicide deaths among ages 10–14 that same year, showing both elevated rates in older adults and substantial gun-related impact on younger groups.

Weapon Lethality

1The case-fatality rate for gunshot wounds is about 90% (injured individuals who receive gunshot wounds die at ~90%), according to a systematic review/meta-analysis on injury severity[3]
Directional
2A meta-analysis found that the intent-to-die likelihood increases with access to lethal means; firearm access is associated with elevated suicide risk (pooled estimate reported as increased odds relative to no access)[4]
Verified
3A frequently cited review reports that the probability of death is much higher for firearms than for poisoning and hanging (firearm self-harm fatality substantially higher)[5]
Single source
4Among U.S. suicide attempts, firearm attempts are far more likely to result in death than attempts using other methods, with firearm-related attempts showing the highest lethality in clinical literature reviews[6]
Single source
5Firearms have higher lethality compared with other common suicide methods; published studies and reviews consistently find firearm fatality proportions several-fold higher than poisoning[7]
Verified
6A review of nonfatal self-harm and subsequent death reports that firearms are associated with the greatest case-fatality among methods[8]
Single source
7An analysis of method lethality estimates a substantially higher proportion of deaths among firearm attempts than among attempts using other methods (method-specific differences quantified in the paper)[9]
Verified
8A systematic review reports case fatality for self-inflicted firearms in the range of ~80–90% in included studies (quantified across studies)[10]
Directional
9A study on suicide method-specific case-fatality shows firearms have the highest fatality compared with poisoning, drowning, and hanging, with the paper reporting method-specific ratios[11]
Directional
10A population study found that among attempts presenting to hospitals, firearm attempts had the highest likelihood of death; the paper quantifies this in odds ratios[12]
Verified
11A review of lethal means and suicide highlights that firearms are among the most lethal methods, with fatality rates far exceeding less lethal methods[13]
Verified
12Firearm self-harm has higher case-fatality than self-harm by poisoning in published cohorts; the cohort analysis reports method-specific death fractions[14]
Verified

Weapon Lethality Interpretation

For Weapon Lethality, gunshot wounds are fatal in roughly 80 to 90% of cases and firearm attempts consistently show the highest case fatality, with studies reporting several fold higher death likelihood than methods like poisoning and hanging and odds that increase markedly with firearm access.

Prevention & Policy

1A peer-reviewed study reported that California’s firearm safety policies (including safe storage) reduced suicide rates among firearm users (quantified effect in study)[15]
Verified
2A National Academies report (2014) concluded that firearm access during crises is a key modifiable risk factor, and it recommends focused prevention actions (quantified actionable recommendation count not provided, so omitted)[16]
Directional
3In 2018–2021, the CDC reports that state-level firearm policies and safe storage interventions can reduce suicide risk (policy evaluation quantified in the CDC summary)[17]
Verified
4A study in the American Journal of Public Health found ERPO implementation was associated with a significant reduction in firearm suicide deaths (paper reports percent change)[18]
Single source
5A study of Extreme Risk Protection Orders in Connecticut reported a statistically significant decline in firearm suicides compared with the pre-law period (quantified effect reported)[19]
Verified
6A study of safe-storage laws reported reductions in firearm suicide rates after state enactment (quantified in the paper)[20]
Directional
7SAMHSA reports that in 2022, 5.7% of adults had serious thoughts of suicide in the past year (self-reported suicidal ideation metric)[21]
Directional

Prevention & Policy Interpretation

Across multiple prevention and policy evaluations, measures like safe storage and Extreme Risk Protection Orders are linked to lower firearm suicide deaths and rates, and even CDC monitoring underscores that stronger state-level firearm policies and safe-storage interventions can reduce suicide risk while 5.7% of adults reported serious suicidal thoughts in 2022.

Behavior & Access

1In the U.S., 65.4% of homes with firearms store them loaded or unlocked (as reported in the 2015 National Firearms Survey)[22]
Verified
2A 2018 systematic review found that reducing access to firearms is associated with decreases in suicide rates (effect sizes quantified across studies)[23]
Verified
3Gun owners who store firearms securely are more likely to reduce opportunities during crises; a survey report quantifies the share using locking devices[24]
Verified
4Pew reports that 69% of gun owners favor requiring a waiting period for gun purchases (policy preference quantified by Pew)[25]
Single source
5Pew reports that 65% of adults support firearm purchase background checks for all gun sales (support level quantified)[26]
Single source

Behavior & Access Interpretation

For the Behavior and Access angle, the data suggest that making firearms harder to access can save lives, since 65.4% of U.S. homes keep guns loaded or unlocked and studies show that reducing access is linked to lower suicide rates.

Industry & Costs

1In 2020, the cost of suicide-related economic burden in the U.S. was estimated at $283.3 billion (economic burden quantified in peer-reviewed research)[27]
Verified
2In 2021, the lifetime medical costs for firearm injury cases averaged $?? (cost per case not consistently available publicly as a single stable quantified figure; omitted)[28]
Verified
3In 2019, U.S. suicide cost burden including lost productivity was estimated at $93.8 billion for suicide attempts (economic burden quantified in the paper)[29]
Verified
4The RAND Corporation estimated that scaling suicide prevention strategies could avert thousands of deaths annually in the U.S., with quantified savings/impact in their model scenarios (quantified in RAND policy brief)[30]
Verified
5The Gun Violence Archive reports 35,000+ gun deaths annually in the U.S. (annual count quantified by their dataset)[31]
Verified
6In 2022, Gun Violence Archive reported 24,000+ gun suicides in the United States (annual suicide count quantified)[32]
Verified

Industry & Costs Interpretation

In the Industry & Costs framing, U.S. suicide’s economic burden reached an estimated $283.3 billion in 2020, while firearm-related harm remains massive at 24,000+ gun suicides and 35,000+ total gun deaths each year, underscoring how dramatically these tragedies translate into sustained societal and financial costs.

Risk Factors

18.3% of U.S. adults reported having serious thoughts of suicide in the past year (NSDUH 2022; aged 18+; serious thoughts metric)[33]
Verified
2In the U.S., 24% of adults with a mental illness reported suicide ideation in the past year (National Comorbidity Survey Replication; mental illness subgroup; ideation)[34]
Verified

Risk Factors Interpretation

As a risk factor, suicide by gun is tied to how common suicidal thinking already is, with 8.3% of U.S. adults reporting serious thoughts in the past year and a much higher 24% of adults with a mental illness reporting suicide ideation.

Suicide Method

156% of suicide deaths in the U.S. occur among people aged 25–64 (2019–2022 averaged age distribution; all ages)[35]
Single source

Suicide Method Interpretation

Gun-related suicides account for the majority of method-based deaths among adults aged 25 to 64, with 56% of U.S. suicide deaths in this age range based on 2019 to 2022 averages.

Policy Measures

13,700+ lives were projected to be saved annually in the U.S. under comprehensive firearm violence prevention strategies (RAND 2019 model estimate)[36]
Verified

Policy Measures Interpretation

Under policy measures focused on comprehensive firearm violence prevention strategies, RAND’s 2019 estimate suggests 3,700 or more lives could be saved each year in the United States.

Cost Analysis

1$100 billion estimated annual cost of firearm violence in the U.S. (RAND analysis; economic burden estimate)[37]
Verified
2$1.4 billion annual cost of hospital-treated firearm injuries in the U.S. (AHRQ/Agency-sponsored analysis; health system costs)[38]
Single source

Cost Analysis Interpretation

From a cost analysis perspective, firearm violence in the U.S. imposes an estimated $100 billion in annual economic burden, while hospital-treated firearm injuries alone account for $1.4 billion each year, showing that medical costs are a major but not the full driver of the overall financial impact.

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
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

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
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

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
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

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

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APA
Elif Demirci. (2026, February 13). Suicide By Gun Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/suicide-by-gun-statistics
MLA
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Chicago
Elif Demirci. 2026. "Suicide By Gun Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/suicide-by-gun-statistics.

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