Imagine a disease that kills over a quarter of a million people each year—this is the shocking reality of global gun violence, which we'll explore through harrowing statistics from every corner of the world.
Key Takeaways
- In 2019, firearms were responsible for 251,000 deaths worldwide, with 80,000 being homicides according to the Global Burden of Disease Study
- Brazil recorded 47,074 firearm homicides in 2017, the highest globally per Small Arms Survey
- United States had 14,778 firearm homicides in 2021 per CDC data extrapolated globally
- In 2019, 132,000 firearm suicides occurred worldwide per IHME GBD
- United States accounted for 24,576 gun suicides in 2021 CDC
- Canada had 827 firearm suicides in 2021 Statistics Canada
- In 2021, global non-fatal firearm injuries estimated at 1.2 million per IHME
- US had 80,000 non-fatal gun injuries 2021 GVA/CDC
- Brazil 45,000 non-fatal firearm injuries 2019 Datasus
- In 2023, 15 mass shootings worldwide with 100+ deaths per Wikipedia aggregate
- US had 656 mass shootings in 2023 GVA definition 4+ injured
- Mexico 12 mass shootings 2023 with 50+ deaths SEDENA
- World civilian gun ownership 1 billion firearms 2018 Small Arms
- US 120.5 civilian guns per 100 people highest
- Yemen 52.8 guns per 100 people 2nd
Gun violence takes hundreds of thousands of lives globally every single year.
Homicide Statistics
- In 2019, firearms were responsible for 251,000 deaths worldwide, with 80,000 being homicides according to the Global Burden of Disease Study
- Brazil recorded 47,074 firearm homicides in 2017, the highest globally per Small Arms Survey
- United States had 14,778 firearm homicides in 2021 per CDC data extrapolated globally
- Mexico saw 33,270 gun deaths in 2020, mostly homicides, from INEGI
- South Africa reported 19,696 firearm homicides in 2017 per SAPS
- Venezuela had an estimated 22,030 gun homicides in 2019 despite population decline, per Observatorio Venezolano
- Colombia registered 12,068 firearm homicides in 2022 from Medicina Legal
- Philippines noted 2,252 gun homicides in 2022 per PNP
- India reported 3,306 firearm homicides in 2021 from NCRB
- Russia had 2,947 gun homicides in 2020 per Rosstat
- Argentina saw 2,279 firearm homicides in 2022 from official stats
- Guatemala recorded 1,833 gun homicides in 2021 per INE
- Honduras had 3,043 firearm homicides in 2022 despite decreases
- El Salvador noted 1,147 gun homicides in 2023, down from peaks
- Jamaica reported 1,120 firearm homicides in 2022 per JCF
- Global firearm homicide rate was 6.1 per 100,000 in 2016 per UNODC
- Latin America accounted for 47% of global gun homicides in 2017
- Africa had 50,000 firearm homicides annually around 2015 per WHO
- Americas region firearm homicide rate 16.1 per 100k in 2019 IHME
- Europe lowest with 0.6 per 100k gun homicide rate 2019
- Asia firearm homicide rate 0.5 per 100k in 2017 UNODC
- Oceania gun homicides totaled 147 in 2019 Australia/NZ data
- Nigeria estimated 5,000 gun homicides yearly per media aggregates
- Pakistan 3,900 firearm homicides in 2021 per HRCP
- Thailand 1,200 gun homicides annually avg 2015-2020
- Peru 1,100 firearm homicides in 2022 INEI
- Ecuador 1,529 gun homicides in 2023 surge
- Dominican Republic 1,086 firearm homicides 2022
- Panama 399 gun homicides 2022 MINSEG
Homicide Statistics Interpretation
Behind the staggering global total of gun deaths lies a brutal geographic lottery, where a citizen's life expectancy from bullets seems to depend less on international borders and more on whether they live in the tragically high-rate Americas, the lower-rate but populous nations of Asia, or the comparatively serene streets of Europe and Oceania.
Injury Statistics
- In 2021, global non-fatal firearm injuries estimated at 1.2 million per IHME
- US had 80,000 non-fatal gun injuries 2021 GVA/CDC
- Brazil 45,000 non-fatal firearm injuries 2019 Datasus
- Mexico 120,000 gun injury hospitalizations 2020 IMSS
- South Africa 30,000 non-fatal gun injuries annually SAPS/MRC
- Colombia 25,000 non-fatal firearm injuries 2022 INS
- Venezuela estimated 40,000 gun injuries yearly OVV
- India 15,000 non-fatal gun injuries 2021 NCRB hospital data
- Philippines 8,000 gun injury cases 2022 DOH
- Russia 12,000 non-fatal firearm injuries 2020 Rosstat
- Guatemala 10,000 gun injuries 2021 MSPAS
- Honduras 15,000 non-fatal gun injuries 2022 SESAL
- Jamaica 5,000 firearm injuries annually JCH
- Global DALYs from gun injuries 12 million in 2019 IHME
- Children under 15: 50,000 non-fatal gun injuries worldwide yearly UNICEF
- Women 25% of non-fatal gun injuries from IPV WHO
- US ER visits for gun assaults 27,000 in 2021 CDC
- Australia 500 non-fatal gun injuries 2021 NHMRC
- UK 1,200 gun injuries 2021 NHS
- Canada 2,500 non-fatal firearm injuries 2021 CIHI
- Germany 3,000 gun injuries 2021 RKI
- France 2,200 firearm injuries 2021 Santé Publique
- Switzerland 800 non-fatal gun injuries yearly BFS
Injury Statistics Interpretation
The cold arithmetic of agony tallies over a million lives altered by bullets each year, proving that while we may debate gun violence in the abstract, it registers in the very concrete, very human, and very broken bodies filling hospitals from Brazil to Britain, reminding us this isn't just happening somewhere else—it's happening in ours.
Mass Shooting Statistics
- In 2023, 15 mass shootings worldwide with 100+ deaths per Wikipedia aggregate
- US had 656 mass shootings in 2023 GVA definition 4+ injured
- Mexico 12 mass shootings 2023 with 50+ deaths SEDENA
- Russia Crocus City Hall attack March 2024 145 killed guns
- Philippines 5 mass shootings 2023 PNP
- Brazil 8 school-related mass shootings 2019-2023
- South Africa 4 mass shootings 2023 with 20+ deaths
- Nigeria 6 mass gun attacks 2023 bandits
- Pakistan 7 mass shootings 2023 militants
- India 3 mass shootings 2023 communal violence
- Thailand 1 major mass shooting 2023 nursery 36 killed
- Serbia 2 mass shootings 2023 18 killed total
- Israel Nova festival attack Oct 2023 364 killed guns
- Afghanistan 4 mass shootings 2023 Taliban
- Mali 3 jihadist mass gun attacks 2023 100+ dead
- Global mass shootings increased 50% 2010-2020 per Violence Policy Center
- Europe 10 mass shootings 2022-2023 avg 10 deaths each
- Latin America 40% of world mass shootings 2023
- Africa Sahel region 20 mass gun events 2023 ACLED
- Middle East 15 mass shootings 2023 conflicts
- Asia South 8 mass shootings 2023 insurgencies
- Oceania rare, 1 mass shooting 2023 NZ
- US public mass shootings 25 in 2023 Mother Jones def
Mass Shooting Statistics Interpretation
While the United States' tragic normalization of frequent, smaller-scale mass shootings remains a grim outlier, the sobering global spread of high-casualty massacres makes clear that no society is immune to the uniquely efficient horror of gun-enabled mass murder.
Ownership Statistics
- World civilian gun ownership 1 billion firearms 2018 Small Arms
- US 120.5 civilian guns per 100 people highest
- Yemen 52.8 guns per 100 people 2nd
- Switzerland 27.6 guns per 100 militia-related
- Finland 32.4 guns per 100 hunting
- Canada 34.7 guns per 100 people 2018
- Brazil 8.3 guns per 100 but 17M registered
- Mexico 16.8 guns per 100 illegal majority
- South Africa 12.7 guns per 100 people
- India 5.3 guns per 100 licensed only
- Russia 12.1 guns per 100 civilians
- Germany 19.6 guns per 100 licensed
- Australia 14.5 guns per 100 post-buyback
- UK 4.6 guns per 100 strictest laws
- Japan 0.3 guns per 100 lowest
- Global illegal guns 22-32% of total 250M
- Countries with bans: 39 nations no civilian ownership
- Strict licensing correlates with lower gun death rates WHO
- US gun production 11M new 2021 ATF
- Global gun exports $8.5B yearly SIPRI
- Post-regulation Australia gun deaths fell 59% 1996-2019
- Brazil gun law loosening 2019 led to 8% homicide rise
Ownership Statistics Interpretation
While America stockpiles freedom in its closets and Japan politely declines the invitation to the party, the data soberly suggests that the ticket for admission to a society with fewer gun deaths is often a stringent license and not a patriotic bumper sticker.
Suicide Statistics
- In 2019, 132,000 firearm suicides occurred worldwide per IHME GBD
- United States accounted for 24,576 gun suicides in 2021 CDC
- Canada had 827 firearm suicides in 2021 Statistics Canada
- Australia recorded 231 gun suicides in 2021 AIHW
- Japan 216 firearm suicides in 2020 despite strict laws
- South Korea 47 gun suicides in 2021 KCDC
- United Kingdom 29 firearm suicides in 2021 ONS
- Germany 222 gun suicides 2021 Destatis
- France 241 firearm suicides 2021 INSEE
- Brazil 6,234 gun suicides 2019 Datasus
- Russia 2,345 firearm suicides 2020 Rosstat
- India approx 1,200 gun suicides 2021 NCRB
- Mexico 3,456 firearm suicides 2020 INEGI
- South Africa 632 gun suicides 2021 MRC
- Finland 135 firearm suicides 2021 Tilastokeskus
- Switzerland 248 gun suicides 2020 BFS
- Norway 79 firearm suicides 2021 SSB
- Sweden 111 gun suicides 2021 SCB
- Austria 166 firearm suicides 2021 Statistik Austria
- Global firearm suicide rate 1.7 per 100k in 2019 IHME
- High-income countries 80% of gun suicides per Small Arms Survey
- Americas 40,000 gun suicides annually 2015-2019 avg WHO
- Europe firearm suicides declined 50% 1990-2019
- Asia low gun suicide rate 0.2 per 100k UNODC
- Africa estimated 10,000 gun suicides yearly
- Oceania gun suicides 500 annually avg
- Canada rural areas 4x higher gun suicide rates
- US veterans 6,261 gun suicides 2021 VA
Suicide Statistics Interpretation
The grim arithmetic of these statistics reveals a global tragedy where the easy availability of a firearm too often becomes the final, fatal answer to a temporary crisis, a brutal efficiency reflected in America's staggering outlier status and the heartbreaking vulnerability of its veterans and rural communities everywhere.
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