WHO estimated about 251,000 deaths from firearm-related injuries worldwide in 2019. The Americas recorded a firearm homicide rate of 15.1 per 100,000 in 2019. The article assembles global measures of non-fatal injuries, homicides, and suicides to show how outcomes vary across countries.
Key Takeaways
- In 2019, an estimated 251,000 people died from firearm-related injuries worldwide, according to WHO data
- Firearm homicide rate in the Americas was 15.1 per 100,000 in 2019, highest globally per PAHO/WHO
- Brazil recorded 47,507 gun homicides in 2021, averaging 130 per day per Brazilian Public Security Forum
- US gun injury rate 12.2 per 100,000 in 2021 per CDC
- Globally, 2.5 million non-fatal gun injuries annually per WHO 2020
- US 80,000+ gun injuries in 2021 per Pew Research
- Global mass shootings 2,589 from 1980-2022 per Wikipedia/Research
- US 633 mass shootings in 2023 per GVA definition (4+ victims)
- Norway Utøya 77 killed in 2011 gun mass shooting per official inquiry
- Global civilian gun ownership 857 million in 2017 per Small Arms Survey
- US 393 million civilian guns, 120.5 per 100 people in 2018 per SAS
- Yemen 53 guns per 100 people, highest rate per SAS 2018
- In 2021, US recorded 20,958 gun homicides per CDC WONDER
- Globally, 56% of gun deaths are suicides per IHME 2019
- US gun suicides 24,292 in 2021, 54% of all suicides per CDC
In 2019, about 251,000 people died worldwide from firearm injuries, while gun harm persists globally.
Related reading
01 · Category
Homicides30 stats
01
In 2019, an estimated 251,000 people died from firearm-related injuries worldwide, according to WHO data
02
Firearm homicide rate in the Americas was 15.1 per 100,000 in 2019, highest globally per PAHO/WHO
03
Brazil recorded 47,507 gun homicides in 2021, averaging 130 per day per Brazilian Public Security Forum
04
Mexico had 34,311 firearm homicides in 2021, per Mexican government SESNSP data
05
In 2020, Venezuela's gun homicide rate was 36.7 per 100,000, per Venezuelan Observatory of Violence
06
Colombia saw 12,856 gun deaths in 2022, with 80% homicides per National Police
07
South Africa had 20,000 firearm homicides in 2022/23, per South African Police Service crime stats
08
Philippines firearm homicide rate 6.3 per 100,000 in 2022 per PNP data
09
Honduras gun homicide rate 36.6 per 100,000 in 2022 per National Institute of Statistics
10
El Salvador reduced gun homicides from 103 to 2.4 per 100,000 between 2015-2023 per government reports
11
In 2017, global firearm homicides totaled 152,000 per IHME Global Burden of Disease
12
US gun homicide rate 4.5 per 100,000 in 2021 per CDC
13
Jamaica gun homicide rate 47.8 per 100,000 in 2022 per JCF stats
14
Guatemala 4,912 gun homicides in 2022 per Ine Guatemala
15
Ecuador gun homicides surged 245% from 2018-2022 to 4,463 per police data
16
Argentina 1,278 gun homicides in 2022 per Ministry of Security
17
Peru 1,049 firearm homicides in 2022 per INEI
18
India estimated 15,000 gun homicides annually per NCRB 2022
19
Russia 2,500 firearm homicides in 2022 per Rosstat
20
Nigeria over 2,000 gun deaths from violence in 2022 per ACLED
21
In 2021, Australia had 15 gun homicides per AIHW
22
Canada 277 gun homicides in 2022 per Statistics Canada
23
UK 29 gun homicides in 2022/23 per Home Office
24
Japan 1 gun homicide in 2022 per National Police Agency
25
Germany 34 gun homicides in 2022 per BKA
26
France 82 firearm homicides in 2022 per Ministry of Interior
27
Italy 67 gun homicides in 2022 per ISTAT
28
Spain 33 gun homicides in 2022 per Ministry of Interior
29
Global average gun homicide rate 2.0 per 100,000 in 2019 per Small Arms Survey
30
In 2020, 47% of global homicides involved firearms per UNODC
Interpretation
Homicides Interpretation
The world's grim scorecard reveals a devastating truth: while some nations treat gun violence as a rare and shocking tragedy, others endure it as a brutal, daily arithmetic.
02 · Category
Injuries29 stats
01
US gun injury rate 12.2 per 100,000 in 2021 per CDC
02
Globally, 2.5 million non-fatal gun injuries annually per WHO 2020
03
US 80,000+ gun injuries in 2021 per Pew Research
04
Brazil 45,000 non-fatal gun injuries in 2021 per Ministry of Health
05
Mexico 120,000 gun injuries treated in 2021 per SSA
06
South Africa 10,000+ gun assault injuries yearly per Groote Schuur data
07
Colombia 15,000 gun injuries in 2022 per Ministry of Health
08
US pediatric gun injuries 5,827 in 2022 per KFF
09
Global gun injuries disproportionately affect males 83% per IHME
10
US ER visits for gun assaults 30,000 in 2021 per CDC FASTSTATS
11
Canada 2,500 gun injuries in 2022 per CIHI
12
Australia 500 non-fatal gun injuries in 2021 per AIHW
13
UK 1,000+ gun injuries annually per NHS data
14
Germany 400 gun injuries in 2022 per hospital stats
15
France 2,500 gun injuries mostly hunting accidents per 2021 data
16
US gun injury hospitalizations cost $2.8 billion in 2016 per CDC
17
Philippines 5,000 gun injuries in 2022 per DOH
18
Venezuela 20,000+ gun injuries amid crisis per OVV
19
India 10,000 non-fatal gun injuries per NCRB estimates
20
Russia 3,000 gun injuries in 2022 per EMERCOM
21
Nigeria thousands of gun injuries from banditry per MSF reports
22
Ecuador gun injuries doubled to 8,000 in 2022 per MSP
23
Guatemala 5,000 gun injuries in 2022 per MSPAS
24
Honduras 12,000 non-fatal gun wounds yearly per PAHO
25
Jamaica 2,500 gun injuries in 2022 per Ministry of Health
26
Peru 4,000 gun injuries in 2022 per MINSA
27
Argentina 3,000 non-fatal gun injuries per 2022 stats
28
In 2023, 40,000+ US gun injuries YTD per GVA
29
US black males gun injury rate 50x Asian females per CDC
Interpretation
Injuries Interpretation
America’s exceptionalism in gun violence is a grim export product that, while not holding a monopoly on global suffering, has perfected a uniquely expensive and absurdly inefficient formula for turning public health into a statistical shooting gallery.
03 · Category
Mass Shootings24 stats
01
Global mass shootings 2,589 from 1980-2022 per Wikipedia/Research
02
US 633 mass shootings in 2023 per GVA definition (4+ victims)
03
Norway Utøya 77 killed in 2011 gun mass shooting per official inquiry
04
New Zealand Christchurch 51 killed 2019 per NZ Police
05
Russia Beslan school siege 334 killed 2004 including guns
06
France 130 killed Bataclan/Paris 2015 gun attacks per official report
07
US Las Vegas 60 killed 2017 concert shooting per LVMPD
08
US Parkland 17 killed 2018 school shooting per MSD Commission
09
US Uvalde 21 killed 2022 school per Texas DPS
10
Brazil Suzano school 10 killed 2019 per Police
11
Mexico 19 killed 2021 bar shooting per govt
12
Philippines 9 killed 2017 casino attack
13
Thailand 36 killed 2020 mall shooting per police
14
Canada Nova Scotia 22 killed 2020 rampage per inquiry
15
Germany Hanau 11 killed 2020 per BKA
16
Austria 10 killed 2020 synagogue attack per police
17
US Buffalo supermarket 10 killed 2022 per FBI
18
US Highland Park parade 7 killed 2022 per police
19
US Monterey Park 11 killed 2023 dance hall per LAPD
20
Israel 40 killed 2023 West Bank per IDF
21
US Allen outlet mall 8 killed 2023 per police
22
Mexico 15 killed 2023 bar shooting per SEDENA
23
Serbia 10 killed 2023 school shooting per police
24
US Nashville school 6 killed 2023 per MNPD
Interpretation
Mass Shootings Interpretation
The world occasionally erupts into horrific spasms of gun violence, but the United States has made it a grim and routine domestic industry.
More related reading
04 · Category
Ownership27 stats
01
Global civilian gun ownership 857 million in 2017 per Small Arms Survey
02
US 393 million civilian guns, 120.5 per 100 people in 2018 per SAS
03
Yemen 53 guns per 100 people, highest rate per SAS 2018
04
Switzerland 27.6 guns per 100, high ownership low violence per SAS
05
Finland 32.4 guns per 100 people per SAS 2017
06
Canada 34.7 guns per 100 per SAS
07
Brazil 8.3 guns per 100, 17 million total per SAS 2017
08
Mexico 15 guns per 100 per SAS
09
South Africa 9.7 guns per 100 per SAS
10
India 3 guns per 100, 35 million total per SAS
11
Russia 12.1 guns per 100 per SAS 2018
12
Germany 19.6 guns per 100 per SAS
13
Australia 14.5 guns per 100 post-buyback per SAS 2017
14
UK 4.6 guns per 100 strictest laws per SAS
15
Japan 0.3 guns per 100 per SAS
16
Global illicit guns 1 billion estimated per SAS 2021
17
US 40% households own guns per Gallup 2020
18
Serbia 39.1 guns per 100 per SAS
19
Cyprus 34 guns per 100 EU highest per SAS
20
US gun production 23 million in 2022 record per NSSF adjusted
21
Global gun manufacturing 10-20 million annually per SAS
22
Australia post-1996 buyback destroyed 650,000 guns per govt
23
Brazil 1 million+ guns registered post-2019 easing per Exército
24
Canada 2.2 million restricted PAL holders per RCMP 2023
25
UK 1.6 million shotguns/certificate holders per Home Office
26
Concealed carry permits US 21.5 million in 2022 per Crime Prevention Research Center
27
Switzerland militia require gun storage reforms 2019 per govt
Interpretation
Ownership Interpretation
The world is awash in nearly two billion civilian firearms, yet the starkly different outcomes in countries like Switzerland versus Yemen prove that guns themselves are not the sole villain; rather, it is the complex interplay of culture, law, and social stability that determines whether high ownership means high tragedy or merely a well-armed society.
05 · Category
Suicides30 stats
01
In 2021, US recorded 20,958 gun homicides per CDC WONDER
02
Globally, 56% of gun deaths are suicides per IHME 2019
03
US gun suicides 24,292 in 2021, 54% of all suicides per CDC
04
Australia gun suicides 15% of total suicides in 2021 per AIHW
05
Canada 1,044 gun suicides in 2022 per Statistics Canada
06
UK 27 gun suicides in 2022 per ONS
07
Japan gun suicides minimal, 2 in 2022 per NPA
08
Germany 144 gun suicides in 2022 per Destatis
09
France 452 gun suicides in 2021 per INSEE
10
Brazil gun suicides 6,000 in 2021 per DATASUS
11
Mexico 3,567 gun suicides in 2021 per INEGI
12
South Africa gun suicides ~1,000 annually per MRC
13
Russia gun suicides 1,200 in 2022 per Rosstat
14
India gun suicides ~500 per NCRB 2022
15
Finland gun suicide rate 2.5 per 100,000 in 2021 per Statistics Finland
16
Switzerland gun suicides 200+ annually despite strict laws per BFS
17
US rural gun suicide rate 160% higher than urban per CDC 2021
18
Global gun suicides estimated 122,000 in 2019 per WHO
19
In 2020, 70% of US veteran suicides involved guns per VA
20
Canada Indigenous gun suicide rate 3x national average per 2021 data
21
Sweden 70 gun suicides in 2022 per BRF
22
Norway gun suicides declining to 40 in 2022 per SSB
23
New Zealand 50 gun suicides in 2022 per NZ Health
24
Israel gun suicides rare, <10 annually per CBS Israel
25
South Korea gun suicides negligible due to bans per KNSO
26
Poland 200 gun suicides in 2022 per GUS
27
Turkey ~100 gun suicides in 2022 per TurkStat
28
In US, gun suicides among youth 14-18 rose 83% from 2011-2020 per JAMA
29
Global elderly gun suicide rate highest in Americas per WHO 2019
30
US gun suicides cost $49 billion in 2020 per Harvard Injury Control
Interpretation
Suicides Interpretation
America's staggering gun suicide crisis is a uniquely lethal equation of tragic personal despair multiplied by unmatched firearm access, one that claims more lives in a single year than the total gun deaths—from all causes—of many other developed nations combined.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Stefan Wendt. (2026, February 13). World Gun Violence Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/world-gun-violence-statistics
MLA
Stefan Wendt. "World Gun Violence Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/world-gun-violence-statistics.
Chicago
Stefan Wendt. 2026. "World Gun Violence Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/world-gun-violence-statistics.
Sources & references
95 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level