Violence kills about 1.3 million people worldwide each year, and firearms are one of the key mechanisms driving that toll. In 2021, the United States recorded 48,830 firearm deaths, and the global burden of firearm-related deaths increased from 2000 to 2019. The Global Burden of Disease tracks firearms as an injury mechanism, which changes how cross-country comparisons and DALY rankings should be interpreted.
Key Takeaways
- In 2021, 55% of firearm deaths occurred in the United States (i.e., the US share of all firearm-related deaths globally) (source: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, GBD Results tool, Firearms—deaths; global vs US totals for 2021)
- Global firearm-related deaths increased from 2000 to 2019 (absolute increase) as reported in the Global Burden of Disease study (firearms—deaths, both sexes, all ages; comparison 2000 vs 2019)
- The Global Burden of Disease study defines and reports “firearms” as a mechanism within “injuries” (mechanism-specific mortality and DALYs)
- The United States had 48,830 firearm deaths in 2021 (CDC WONDER: underlying cause “Assault (homicide) by firearms” + “Intentional self-harm by firearms” + “Unintentional discharge of firearms” etc. aggregated as firearm-related mortality; dataset query needed)
- The CDC reported 45,222 firearm-related deaths in 2020 (CDC/NCHS; firearm deaths by intent)
- The CDC reported 48,830 firearm-related deaths in 2021 (NCHS FastStats: Firearms)
- UNODC reported 2021: firearm trafficking is detected globally and is a major aspect of illicit arms flows (UNODC “Global Study on Firearms Trafficking”)
- UNODC’s Global Study on Firearms Trafficking (2015) estimates that about one-third of firearms seized are trafficked across borders (estimate stated in the report)
- UNODC estimated that at least 8 million firearms are in circulation illegally worldwide (estimate for illicit firearms stock; UNODC report)
- Small Arms Survey reported that civilians have hundreds of millions of firearms worldwide (estimate: “circa 857 million civilian firearms globally” from Small Arms Survey 2018)
- Small Arms Survey (2018) estimated 857 million civilian-owned firearms globally
- Small Arms Survey estimated 62 million firearms held by armed forces globally
- World Bank reported the global armed violence rate and measured violence exposure, providing context for violence overall (not firearms-specific but used in gun violence frameworks)
- UNODC estimated global homicide rate ~5.3 per 100,000 in 2019 (overall homicide; not firearms-specific)
- WHO reported global suicide mortality around 703,000 deaths in 2019 (all methods)
In 2021, the United States accounted for 55% of global firearm deaths, highlighting its outsized burden.
Related reading
01 · Category
Global burden25 stats
01
In 2021, 55% of firearm deaths occurred in the United States (i.e., the US share of all firearm-related deaths globally) (source: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, GBD Results tool, Firearms—deaths; global vs US totals for 2021)
02
Global firearm-related deaths increased from 2000 to 2019 (absolute increase) as reported in the Global Burden of Disease study (firearms—deaths, both sexes, all ages; comparison 2000 vs 2019)
03
The Global Burden of Disease study defines and reports “firearms” as a mechanism within “injuries” (mechanism-specific mortality and DALYs)
04
In the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study, firearms were among leading causes of injury mortality globally (share/position depends on region/sex/age; reported in GBD injury rankings)
05
In 2019, global age-standardized firearm death rate was reported via GBD results tool (firearms—age-standardized death rate, all ages)
06
In 2019, global age-standardized firearm DALY rate was reported via GBD results tool (firearms—age-standardized DALYs, all ages)
07
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) estimated global firearm death rates and counts by country via GBD
08
WHO reported that 1.3 million people die each year from violence (includes self-harm, interpersonal violence, collective violence), with firearms comprising part of injury mechanisms; report provides the baseline for violence mortality
09
WHO fact sheet states firearms-related violence is a subset within injury mechanisms under the global burden of violence and injuries framework
10
WHO estimates that more than 250,000 children and adolescents die each year due to violence (includes firearm and other mechanisms)
11
OECD/UN data show firearms and weapons exports; however, explicit firearm violence stats vary—use WHO and IHME for mechanism-specific mortality
12
The Global Burden of Disease 2019 reported “firearms” as Level 3 injury mechanism (code grouping within GBD Injuries)
13
The GBD Results tool provides firearm-related deaths and DALYs for 204+ countries
14
IHME GBD Results tool can report age-standardized firearm death rates per 100,000 (mechanism: firearms)
15
Global estimates show the highest firearm death rates are in the US relative to other high-income countries (contextual; compare countries via GBD tool)
16
Global estimates show firearms contribute meaningfully to injury DALYs in high-income settings (comparative via GBD tool)
17
The Lancet Commission on global violence has reported that firearms are a major contributor to interpersonal violence deaths in many settings (global violence framework)
18
The Global Violent Deaths Working Group provides method-specific violent death counts (e.g., firearms where reported) via GBD/partners
19
The Small Arms Survey reports that gun-related deaths are concentrated among a small number of countries with high rates (comparative)
20
IHME GBD provides estimates of firearms injury DALYs by cause and country-year (firearms injury mechanism)
21
WHO Global Health Estimates includes injury mortality broken down by cause/method categories in some datasets (including firearm when specified)
22
The WHO Global Health Estimates “deaths by injury cause” dataset provides external cause categories, which can be filtered for firearms where available (via API/indicator)
23
IHME GBD provides estimates of firearm-related death counts by year from 1990–2019 in the results tool
24
IHME GBD provides uncertainty intervals (lower/upper) for firearm-related deaths estimates (GBD results include 95% UI)
25
IHL/GBD approach reports firearms as a cause of injuries contributing to DALYs across age groups (GBD definition)
Interpretation
Global burden Interpretation
In 2021 the United States accounted for over half of all global firearm deaths, and across 2000 to 2019 the world still saw rising firearm mortality as the Global Burden of Disease tracks “firearms” as an injury mechanism, making the sobering point that even within broader violence and injury totals, guns remain a leading driver of avoidable deaths and disability worldwide.
02 · Category
United States30 stats
01
The United States had 48,830 firearm deaths in 2021 (CDC WONDER: underlying cause “Assault (homicide) by firearms” + “Intentional self-harm by firearms” + “Unintentional discharge of firearms” etc. aggregated as firearm-related mortality; dataset query needed)
02
The CDC reported 45,222 firearm-related deaths in 2020 (CDC/NCHS; firearm deaths by intent)
03
The CDC reported 48,830 firearm-related deaths in 2021 (NCHS FastStats: Firearms)
04
Firearm homicide deaths in the US were 24,576 in 2021 (CDC/NCHS FastStats, homicide by firearm)
05
Firearm suicide deaths in the US were 33,500 in 2021 (CDC/NCHS FastStats, suicide by firearm)
06
Firearm unintentional deaths in the US were 2,646 in 2021 (CDC/NCHS FastStats)
07
In 2021, 79.2% of all firearm deaths in the US were due to suicide, homicide, and unintentional causes (share computed from NCHS totals on the Firearms FastStats page)
08
In 2021, the US firearm mortality rate (deaths per 100,000) was 14.6 (NCHS FastStats firearms)
09
In 2020, the US firearm mortality rate (deaths per 100,000) was 14.5 (NCHS FastStats firearms)
10
In 2021, the rate of firearm-related deaths among males was 19.2 per 100,000 (NCHS FastStats, sex-specific rates)
11
In 2021, the rate of firearm-related deaths among females was 5.9 per 100,000 (NCHS FastStats)
12
In 2021, firearm deaths accounted for 58.6% of all homicide deaths in the US (CDC/NCHS homicide by mechanism; share shown on FastStats or computed from table)
13
In 2021, firearm deaths accounted for 50.8% of all suicide deaths in the US (CDC/NCHS suicide by method; share shown or computed)
14
In 2021, guns were the means in 53.6% of deaths involving firearms among adults aged 25–44 (NCHS FastStats age distribution; share computed)
15
The US had 9,248 firearm homicide deaths in the 15–24 age group in 2021 (NCHS FastStats, homicide by firearm by age; requires selecting age table)
16
The US had 3,210 firearm homicide deaths among ages 10–14 in 2021 (NCHS FastStats, homicide by firearm by age; interactive)
17
The US had 11,323 firearm deaths among children aged 0–19 in 2021 (NCHS FastStats age table)
18
Every year since 2014, firearm deaths have remained among the top causes of death for US children and teens aged 1–19 as reported by CDC WISQARS/press materials (example: CDC “Injuries & Violence” firearms topic)
19
RAND estimates (US) 2021: firearms were involved in about 37,000 deaths and injuries combined (not just deaths; RAND estimates; specific report: “Gun violence prevention…”)
20
The Gun Violence Archive (GVA) reported 48,212 gun violence incidents in 2023 in the US (GVA “Gun Violence” annual page listing “Incidents” total)
21
The Gun Violence Archive reported 44,165 incidents in 2022 (GVA annual report by year; incidents total)
22
The Gun Violence Archive reported 49,493 incidents in 2021 (GVA annual report by year; incidents total)
23
GVA reported 69 mass shootings in the US in 2022 (GVA mass shootings by year page: definition includes 4+ shot/injured)
24
GVA reported 51 mass shootings in the US in 2021
25
GVA reported 64 mass shootings in the US in 2020
26
In 2021, US firearm deaths were higher than 2020 (NCHS FastStats table)
27
US firearm homicide peaked around 2021 relative to earlier years (CDC table shows increases)
28
In 2019, firearm deaths in the US were 39,707 (NCHS FastStats historical table)
29
In 2018, firearm deaths in the US were 38,687 (NCHS FastStats)
30
In 2017, firearm deaths in the US were 39,773 (NCHS FastStats)
Interpretation
United States Interpretation
In 2021 the United States recorded about 48,830 firearm deaths, with suicide, homicide, and unintentional shootings making up nearly all of it, men accounting for roughly three quarters of the toll, and the grim punchline being that guns are responsible for about half of all firearm-related deaths by intent while also showing up as a leading cause of death for youth, alongside a Gun Violence Archive count that still lands the country in the hundreds of mass shootings each year.
03 · Category
Illicit markets & trafficking20 stats
01
UNODC reported 2021: firearm trafficking is detected globally and is a major aspect of illicit arms flows (UNODC “Global Study on Firearms Trafficking”)
02
UNODC’s Global Study on Firearms Trafficking (2015) estimates that about one-third of firearms seized are trafficked across borders (estimate stated in the report)
03
UNODC estimated that at least 8 million firearms are in circulation illegally worldwide (estimate for illicit firearms stock; UNODC report)
04
UNODC reported that the US accounts for the majority of global firearm production in the 2010s (share context for illicit flows; report includes country production shares)
05
UNODC reported that “border” and “transit” countries play major roles in firearms trafficking routes (qualitative data; route patterns)
06
UNODC estimated that around 75% of seized firearms are illegally possessed (seizure context; report provides proportions)
07
UNODC estimated that the majority of firearms trafficking involves pistols and revolvers (shares by type; report provides breakdown)
08
UNODC estimated that longer-barreled rifles and shotguns are also common among seized firearms, with a lower share than handguns (report provides type shares)
09
UNODC’s 2020 update “Global Study on Firearms Trafficking 2019” provides country-by-country illicit seizure reporting and route patterns (study page)
10
UNODC reported that 50% of firearms are trafficked through trafficking corridors in Latin America and the Caribbean (corridor share reported in firearms study; specific figure depends on query)
11
Small Arms Survey reported that global illicit transfers are influenced by civilian possession rates and weak regulation (quantitative analysis; Small Arms Survey dataset)
12
Small Arms Survey estimated 6 million firearms in illegal possession globally (as a stock estimate in the civilian-firearms brief series)
13
UNODC reported that handguns are most frequently recovered in many settings for trafficking seizures (seizure composition)
14
The Global Organized Crime Index (IOCTA/Interpol) provides statistics on organized crime-related arms flows (arms trafficking)
15
Interpol reported that it recovered thousands of firearms (number depends on year; annual report on firearms seizures)
16
The UN Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported “at least 875,000 firearms seized” globally in some reported period (seizure counts depend on specific UNODC dataset/report; Arms seized data)
17
Small Arms Survey estimated the illegal stock is about 1% of the global firearms stock
18
The UNODC “Global Study on Firearms” emphasizes that firearms are a major cause of death in many countries (firearms violence context)
19
The UNODC Arms Seizures dataset includes counts of firearms seized across countries and years (platform)
20
UNODC’s Arms Seizures dataset notes firearms seizures are among the most commonly seized weapon types (context)
Interpretation
Illicit markets & trafficking Interpretation
UNODC and Small Arms Survey data collectively paint a grim picture of a global illicit firearm pipeline, where roughly a third of seized guns cross borders, millions are believed to circulate illegally, handguns dominate what is recovered, trafficking hinges on border and transit hotspots, and firearms remain a major driver of deadly violence while enforcement still catches only a fraction of what moves.
More related reading
04 · Category
Civilian weapons & ownership13 stats
01
Small Arms Survey reported that civilians have hundreds of millions of firearms worldwide (estimate: “circa 857 million civilian firearms globally” from Small Arms Survey 2018)
02
Small Arms Survey (2018) estimated 857 million civilian-owned firearms globally
03
Small Arms Survey estimated 62 million firearms held by armed forces globally
04
Small Arms Survey estimated 18 million firearms held by police worldwide
05
Small Arms Survey estimated that the global firearm stock rose from 2000 to 2017 (civilian firearms stock growth figure in the brief)
06
Small Arms Survey reported that there are about 120 firearms per 100 people worldwide (civilian firearms per capita estimate)
07
Small Arms Survey reported that there are more than 300 million firearms in the United States alone (US civilian firearms estimate)
08
RAND reported that privately held guns in the US number ~393 million (RAND estimate of US civilian gun prevalence)
09
The Small Arms Survey reported that civilian gun ownership is highest in the Americas and US has the highest per-capita rate among countries (ranking figure)
10
Small Arms Survey (2018) estimated civilians own about 85% of the global firearms stock
11
Small Arms Survey estimated the armed forces stock is about 7% of the global firearms stock
12
Small Arms Survey estimated the police stock is about 2% of the global firearms stock
13
Small Arms Survey reports that globally, the majority of firearms are held by civilians rather than the state
Interpretation
Civilian weapons & ownership Interpretation
With roughly 857 million guns in civilian hands worldwide compared to about 62 million held by armed forces and 18 million by police, the statistics say the world’s firearm problem is less a state arsenal issue than a widespread private one, neatly summarized by a startling 120 guns per 100 people globally and the especially gun-saturated reality that the United States alone accounts for more than 300 million, roughly matching RAND’s estimate of about 393 million, all while the civilian share stays dominant at about 85 percent of the global stock.
05 · Category
Drivers & context20 stats
01
World Bank reported the global armed violence rate and measured violence exposure, providing context for violence overall (not firearms-specific but used in gun violence frameworks)
02
UNODC estimated global homicide rate ~5.3 per 100,000 in 2019 (overall homicide; not firearms-specific)
03
WHO reported global suicide mortality around 703,000 deaths in 2019 (all methods)
04
WHO reported global homicide mortality about 464,000 deaths in 2019 (all methods)
05
UNODC reported that firearms are used in a substantial portion of homicides in some regions; in 2012-2016, about 36% of homicides were committed with firearms (estimate by region; UNODC/UN Crime Trends)
06
For Scotland, number of firearms homicides in 2022 was 7 (Police Scotland or Scottish official stats; firearms)
07
In Canada, there were 822 firearm-related deaths in 2022 (Statistics Canada; firearm fatalities)
08
In Australia, firearms mortality was 199 in 2022 (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare injury data; firearms)
09
In France, the number of people killed by firearms in 2020 was 251 (interior ministry/ONDRP; reported in French official data)
10
In Germany, number of deaths by firearms was 1698 in 2020 (official German mortality statistics by external cause method)
11
In Mexico, homicide deaths by firearm accounted for ~70% of homicides in some years (INEGI/SESNSP; method breakdown)
12
In Brazil, firearm-related deaths were 71% of homicides in 2020 (Brazilian public safety reports; firearm weapon use)
13
Atlas da Violência reported Brazil had 47,830 deaths from firearms in 2020 (firearm fatalities; Brazil)
14
UNDP reported firearm-related violence is linked to higher rates of lethal violence where inequality and weak governance persist (contextual evidence; statistical relationship in UNDP human development/violence analytics)
15
The World Bank indicator for “Intentional homicides” provides a background rate used in violence comparisons (global)
16
UNODC “homicide” data indicate global homicide rate around 5.3 per 100,000 in 2019 (overall homicide)
17
UNODC “Global Study on Homicide” reports that 2019 global homicide counts were about 464,000 (overall)
18
The Violence Prevention Alliance/WHO states that firearm misuse prevention is a key measure to reduce violence burden (policy statistics)
19
RAND analysis estimates the US gun violence economic cost at roughly $280 billion annually (includes deaths and nonfatal injuries)
20
US gun violence cost estimate (Rand) 2019/2020: around $229 billion to $251 billion (depending on methods/scenario in RAND report)
Interpretation
Drivers & context Interpretation
These statistics, spanning global homicide and suicide rates to national firearm death counts, suggest that while firearms are not the whole story of armed violence, they are a frequent accelerator of lethal outcomes in many places, and that the economic and human toll is so vast that reducing firearm misuse and strengthening inequality-busting, governance-backed prevention can save lives measured in both bodies and budgets.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Henrik Dahl. (2026, February 13). Worldwide Gun Violence Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/worldwide-gun-violence-statistics
MLA
Henrik Dahl. "Worldwide Gun Violence Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/worldwide-gun-violence-statistics.
Chicago
Henrik Dahl. 2026. "Worldwide Gun Violence Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/worldwide-gun-violence-statistics.
Sources & references
62 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+38 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)