Report Highlights
- The U.S. has more than 82 million lawful firearm owners.
- 53% of the 21 states with restrictive concealed carry laws have violent crime rates higher than the national average.
- 55% of states with a violent crime rate below the national average have permitless carry.
- Between 60,000 and 2.5 million Americans use firearms for self-defense each year.
- 40% of criminals convicted of crimes while in possession of a firearm were already prohibited from carrying firearms.
- A 2018 study shows that 68% of those convicted of crimes while in possession of a firearm were already felons.
- The U.K. and Australia have a higher number of homicides per firearm than the United States.
If guns were more regulated, would crime rates go up, down, or stagnate? We can review several years’ worth of gun violence statistics, ownership, and crime trends between states and countries to better understand the impacts of guns on crime.
Gun Violence and Legal Gun Owner Statistics
- There are more than 82,000,000 legal gun owners in America.
- In 2022, Wyoming had the least firearm-related homicides (17) and more firearms per person than any other state.
- It is currently estimated that more than 2.5 million Americans use firearms for self-defense each year.
- States with the highest number of crime guns recovered have varying rates of ownership, meaning that lawful firearm ownership has no correlation to firearm-related crimes.
- The number of American citizens who support strict gun control has declined since 1992 (56% in 2023 versus 78% in 1990).
- Of the 28 states with permitless carry, only 10 have violent crimes above the national average.
Lawful Gun Ownership and Crime
States with the highest rates of gun ownership have the fewest gun crimes per the ATF eTrace. However, states with large population sizes have higher rates of guns used in crimes (recovered).
The five states with the highest number of recovered guns have varying rates of lawful gun ownership.
Unlawful Possession and Gun Violence
Criminals, Guns, and Crime
Gun violence statistics vary by state due to different state laws. In the 13 least restrictive gun states (2008), ⅔ of criminals convicted of a crime where a firearm was involved weren’t stopped by existing laws and wouldn’t have been stopped by stricter legislation.
- 31% would not have been prohibited from firearm possession if gun laws were stricter
- 40% were already prohibited
- 28.9% would have been prohibited if gun laws were stricter
Note: These calculations do not include the age of the offender at the time of arrest, and therefore, the number of prohibited persons may be higher.
A 2018 study performed on inmates in Illinois shows that 74% of re-offenders were convicted of a second firearm-related crime within 10 years.
- 68% of felons used illegal guns
- 67% of murderers had a prior arrest record
- 21% of murderers had multiple prior arrests
- 2.3% of 7,632,470 arrests in 2020 involved weapons
Gun Violence Rates by Country
Many gun control proponents state that other countries do not have as many homicides as the United States. However, we can see that gun ownership does not correlate with homicide rates.
The five countries with the highest number of total homicides vary widely in gun ownership rates.
Do More Guns Equal More Homicides?
If more guns equal more homicides, then it would stand to reason that there would be more homicides per firearm. However, this isn’t the case.
While it’s true that the U.S. has more firearms and a higher homicide rate than the U.K. and Australia, the rate of homicides per firearm in the U.K. and Australia is actually much higher.
The UK vs. US crime rates
It’s important to consider gun violence statistics among various countries. The UK has 615,627 firearms with 673 total homicides, as opposed to the United States, 500,000,000 with 24,867 total homicides. There are .21 homicides per firearm in the U.K. compared to only 0.004 homicides per firearm in the U.S.
Furthermore, Americans have access to 20,107 firearms per homicide. Those in the U.K. have access to only 915 firearms per homicide.
Therefore, more firearm access does not increase homicides.
Australia vs. the U.S. crime rates
Australia has 3,500,000 firearms, with only 221 homicides in 2021. The U.S. had 500,000,000 firearms, with 24,867 firearms in 2022. There are 0.006 homicides per firearm in Australia and only 0.004 homicides per firearm in the U.S.
Furthermore, Americans have access to 20,107 firearms per homicide, and Australians have access to 15,837 firearms.
The number of accessible firearms does not increase the number of homicides.
Do Violent Crimes Increase with Firearm Access?
Another core aspect regarding gun violence statistics is the comparison between firearms and violent crimes. As many would suggest, firearms increase violent crimes. Let’s compare.
The U.K. vs. U.S.
The U.S. had 2,486,144 reported violent crimes in 2022 and 2023. The U.K. had 4,210,952 during that same time period.
With 1/10 of the firearms in the U.S., the U.K. had twice as many violent crimes.
States With Highest Gun Violence
Several police precincts failed to report gun-related crimes in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Therefore, we don’t know exactly how many crimes involved firearms.
However, we can look at the ATF crime gun data for 2021 to better understand which states have higher gun crimes.
Note: The ATF gun crime data reflects firearms used in crimes.
Does Concealed Carry Reduce Gun Violence?
There are 21 states with violent crime rates higher than the national average (380.7). Of those states, 53% restrict concealed carry with permits and registrations.
How Many Crimes Are Prevented by Guns
Previously removed reports from the CDC stated that there are somewhere between 60,000 and 2.5 million defensive use cases of firearms in the U.S. each year.
- Compared to all firearm-related deaths (homicide, suicide, accidental, and legal intervention), there were 48,830 deaths in 2021.
- There were 47,286 homicides and suicides related to firearms in 2021.
- There were 20,950 firearm-related homicides in 2021.
- At a minimum, 40,000 more individuals used firearms in self-defense situations than were murdered by them.
A minimum of roughly 40,000 individuals used firearms for defense, as the number of people who were murdered by them.
Sources
- Defensive Use Study
- Prior Offenses
- Arrest Stats 2020
- ATF Crime Guns 2017-2021
- Gun Sales
- Prisoners and Gun-Related Crimes
- Illinois Gun Crime Recidivism
- Homicides in India 2022
- Homicides Brazil 2022
- Homicides in Russia 2021
- Firearm ownership Nigeria
- Violent Crimes UK
- CDC Deleted Defensive Use Study
- Permitless Carry States
Gun Violence Statistics 2024: Comprehensive Look at the Data originally appeared in The Resistance Library at Ammo.com.
Take nigger shootings out of the equation and we are one of the safest countries in the world.
THAT…MUST BE THE REASON “WHY” LAW ENFORCERS ACTUALLY “SUPPLY” GANGS WITH THEM…HUH?
WHY “CARTELS” ARE ACTUALLY SUPPLIED BY THE “DEA…CIA…ATF”???
ITS A “FACT” THAT SO-CALLED “LAW ENFORCEMENT” ACTUALLY WORKS FOR THE WORLD’S “MAFIA’S” (CORPORATE/BANKERS)
KEN…..
Yes. Even almost all white suburbs and areas of Chicago have no murders at all.
We don’t have a gun problem, we have a nigger problem.
Our gun violence if you remove our swarthy friends is the same as Norway.
Negligible.
QED
They will not divide us…reeeeee
I’m amazed that there are any white people still living in San Berdoo.
Dead guy was driving a Camaro, what kind of a car was “Shawntece” driving to warrant killing someone that bumped into it?
Girl got nasty stink eye. “Mo’fucka be all up in my shit!”
Never go out in any place where there are negroes without being armed.
Your life will depend on that.
Speaking of niggers..
Eric Holder, who claims he saw the blood splatter all over the floor and walls inside of Sandy Hook school. Sure…
Yeah no one believes sandy hook bullshit at this point
Criminals with violent tendencies will always find ways to do what they are wired to do.
17 year old elite basketball player stabbed to death at German train station in violent rage.
Ukrainian born victim, Turkish heritage murderer.
Let me get this straight, 60% of criminals with firearms had them legally? What does that mean?
If you are doing something illegal, having a firearm with you while you’re engaged in criminal activity makes you a felon.
Shouldn’t it be 100%?
Bear that in mind when they pass a law against you. Who you gonna be better than THEN?
We don’t have a gun problem. We have a “certain people” problem.
Steve, you spelled NIGGER wrong.
… and mexican, too … their crimes don’t get reported, otherwise the whole open borders agenda would collapse in a heartbeat …
Please do not forget the shooter in Houston Sunday was listed in the FIB stat sheet as white, non-hispanic. How many other POC have been classified as white, non-hispanic?
If you eliminate Chicago, NOLA, Baltimore, Houston(?) & ATL(?), our homicide rate is quite low.
Lamont, you slighted Memphrica who had 397 homicides last year & 27 in January. They are always in the top five crime statistics.
Saw a house in Memphis for sale for $30K…
Isn’t that a reason to get out of TN altogether? Or will there be a wall built, dividing the state in half?
Just wondering as I look at real estate in Chuckey, Limestone, Parrottsville area versus NH with much higher property taxes.
Svarga – TN is actually a great state to live in. No income tax, very low property tax, low vehicle tax & overall low cost of living. There are areas that you definitely want to stay away from, especially Memphis. I am about 60 miles away and sometimes that is too close. The Eastern part of the state around Knoxville, Johnson City & Tri-cities area are beautiful, sitting in the Appalachian mountains.
DID “EVERYONE” FORGET THAT GUNS DON’T KILL PEOPLE….PEOPLE KILL EACH OTHER?!
ANYTHING CAN BE USED TO KILL…KILLING IS A “SOCIAL PROBLEM”, UNDERSTAND YET???
“There are three kinds of lies. Lies, Damned lies and Statistics.” – Mark Twain
Here’s some gun violence.
Cop hears an acorn drop on the roof of his cruiser, does three comical barrel rolls and unloads a full magazine into his own cruiser.
Kicker #1: Cop shouts “Shots fired!” and “I’m hit” — they weren’t, and he wasn’t.
Kicker #2: His partner hears him scream and start shooting, and so unloads her pistol into the car.
Kicker #3: They had an UNarmed and handcuffed suspect in the back of the cruiser they just dumped at least two magazines into.
Kicker #4: The suspect was unharmed.
Kicker #5: Department ruled that the first cop behaved wrongly, but that the second cop behaved properly.
While I was reading above, I thought it was a joke. Then I watched the video. These cops and most of them as far as I can tell are the most incompetent people with guns I’ve ever seen. And they don’t want us carrying guns. They’re going to need us to protect them when whatever happens with the coordinated attacks that we’ve been hearing about , starts.
Soon firearms will be just a relic of the past!
Set phazer on stun my ass!
If these are the witless drones the Deep State is going to send to disarm people like me, they won’t have many left a week or so later….