Gun Violence Statistics In America (By Year, State, Race, And Country)

What are the gun violence statistics in America by year, state, race, and country?

In this article, you’ll learn about:

key gun violence statistics
how many people die from gun violence
what races die the most from gun violence
what states have the highest deaths and death rates from guns
what your chances of getting shot in America are
how America compares to other countries
which gun types contribute to the most gun deaths (including assault rifles)
if gun violence is getting worse

Let’s dig in.

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Gun Violence Statistics

Gun violence encompasses any act where a gun harms a person, whether it’s through crime, accident, or self-harm.

Last year, there were 50,666 gun-related deaths in the US.
0.6% of all deaths are caused by guns in the US.
There are 6.7 gun murders per 100,000 people.
There are 14.6 gun deaths per 100,000 people.
There are 7.5 gun suicides per 100,000 people.
Every day, 138.8 people are shot and killed in the US.
Every day, 67 people commit suicide with a firearm.
On average, 43,052 people die from gunshots per year in the US.
Every year, 1,554 children and teens die from gun violence.
8 in 10 murders involved a firearm.
Assault guns account for 3% of firearm murders.
54% of all gun-related deaths in the U.S. were suicides.
59% of gun murders involved a handgun (FBI).
39.2% of violent crimes in the U.S. involve firearm-related homicides.

How Many People Die From Guns Each Year?

On average, 43,052 people die from guns each year.

Let’s look at how many people have died from guns each year from the latest CDC data.

This table shows the state, the year, and how many people died from guns each year.

State	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
Alaska	182	175	179	155	180	177	177
Alabama	1,315	1,141	1,076	1,064	1,124	1,046	958
Arkansas	698	673	580	573	613	541	520
Arizona	1,365	1,265	1,136	1,147	1,134	1,094	970
California	3,576	3,449	2,945	3,040	3,184	3,184	3,095
Colorado	1,064	922	846	889	779	812	701
Connecticut	248	219	190	186	188	172	189
Delaware	158	135	93	107	111	111	112
Florida	3,142	3,041	2,872	2,902	2,724	2,704	2,559
Georgia	2,200	1,897	1,695	1,680	1,623	1,571	1,448
Hawaii	71	50	62	59	39	66	55
Iowa	364	351	294	282	293	288	247
Idaho	309	321	255	294	280	242	247
Illinois	1,995	1,745	1,367	1,382	1,543	1,490	1,220
Indiana	1,251	1,159	958	977	1,016	997	846
Kansas	503	494	403	424	466	383	330
Kentucky	947	902	682	762	730	772	694
Louisiana	1,314	1,183	1,013	991	1,008	987	952
Massachusetts	247	268	247	258	262	242	213
Maryland	915	803	757	707	742	707	708
Maine	178	153	163	159	172	123	144
Michigan	1,544	1,454	1,220	1,310	1,138	1,230	1,164
Minnesota	573	513	465	437	465	432	410
Missouri	1,414	1,426	1,252	1,311	1,307	1,144	1,094
Mississippi	962	818	710	681	632	587	589
Montana	280	238	209	186	244	194	205
North Carolina	1,839	1,699	1,397	1,416	1,430	1,409	1,289
North Dakota	128	100	93	89	103	90	92
Nebraska	200	197	205	183	160	171	169
New Hampshire	123	128	156	155	146	132	121
New Jersey	475	443	368	420	478	485	475
New Mexico	578	479	471	438	394	383	390
Nevada	633	547	490	550	508	498	446
New York	1,078	1,052	804	821	772	900	849
Ohio	1,911	1,764	1,578	1,555	1,589	1,524	1,397
Oklahoma	836	826	737	665	681	766	706
Oregon	670	592	566	519	528	513	486
Pennsylvania	1,905	1,752	1,541	1,654	1,636	1,555	1,485
Rhode Island	64	54	48	37	43	49	51
South Carolina	1,136	1,131	1,012	895	893	891	850
South Dakota	128	120	113	117	101	108	96
Tennessee	1,569	1,473	1,270	1,228	1,246	1,148	1,075
Texas	4,613	4,164	3,683	3,522	3,513	3,353	3,203
Utah	450	429	394	397	410	370	367
Virginia	1,248	1,174	1,025	1,035	1,041	1,049	946
Vermont	83	76	67	82	70	78	70
Washington	896	864	842	809	849	686	718
Wisconsin	793	717	604	598	624	664	613
West Virginia	319	325	300	343	348	332	278
Wyoming	155	154	133	124	113	101	113

Here are some gun violence statistics from this data:

A majority of states have seen an increase in gun deaths from 2015 to 2021. This indicates that gun-related incidents have become more frequent or lethal over the years in these states.
Texas stands out as the state with the highest number of gun deaths across all years, with an increasing trend from 2015 to 2021. The state saw a significant rise from 3,203 in 2015 to 4,613 in 2021.
California follows Texas but has had relatively stable numbers from 2015-2021, with minor fluctuations.
Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont consistently report lower gun deaths. These states, especially Hawaii, have reported gun deaths in double digits over the years.
Illinois saw a significant increase between 2019 and 2021, rising from 1,367 to 1,995.
Missouri also displayed an upward trend, with the number of deaths rising from 1,094 in 2015 to 1,414 in 2021.
There are few states with noticeable decreases. However, Maryland saw a drop from 915 in 2021 to 707 in 2018, before it started to rise again.
Delaware and Wyoming have shown relatively stable numbers, with minor fluctuations around the same range from 2015 to 2021.
States like Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Tennessee have reported numbers in the mid-range, with Ohio and Pennsylvania crossing the 1,500 mark in 2021.

Gun Violence Statistics By Year

Here are gun violence statistics by year in the US:

Overall Increase: There has been an increase in the total number of deaths from gun violence over the 7-year period. Deaths rose from 38,147 in 2015 to 50,666 in 2021.
Significant Spike in 2020-2021: The largest yearly increase occurred between 2020 and 2021, with a rise of 3,591 deaths, marking a 7.6% increase in just one year.
Steady Rise from 2015-2020: There was a consistent rise in gun violence deaths from 2015 to 2020, totaling an increase of 8,928 deaths or a 23.4% increase over these five years.
Stabilization in 2017-2018: The numbers remained relatively stable between 2017 and 2018, with only a slight decrease of 57 deaths or a 0.14% drop.
Overall Growth Rate: The overall growth rate from 2015 to 2021 in gun violence deaths is approximately 32.8%.

Here are some key gun violence statistics by year if we’re looking at individual states:

Texas’s High Numbers: Texas saw an increase from 3,203 incidents in 2015 to 4,613 in 2021, a 43.4% rise over the period.
California’s Consistency: California’s incidents grew from 3,095 in 2015 to 3,576 in 2021, a 15.5% increase, mirroring the overall trend.
Significant Increases in Alabama: Alabama’s incidents rose from 958 in 2015 to 1,315 in 2021, an increase of 37.3%.
Decreases in New York: New York had a decline from 900 incidents in 2016 to 804 in 2019, indicating a 10.7% decrease.
Low Numbers in Hawaii and Rhode Island: Hawaii saw a rise from 55 incidents in 2015 to 71 in 2021, a 29% increase, while Rhode Island had an increase from 51 in 2015 to 64 in 2021, which is a 25.5% growth.
Sudden Spikes in Louisiana: Louisiana experienced a slight decrease of 1.7% from 1,008 incidents in 2017 to 991 in 2018.

All of this data was pulled from the CDC.

How Many People Die From Gun Violence Each Year?

Gun violence is a major issue in the U.S.

It affects many communities.

We studied data from 2015 to 2021.

This data shows the extent of the problem.

During these years, gun-related deaths varied.

Notably, the recent years saw big increases.

Understanding these trends helps us see how serious the problem has become.

Year	Gun Deaths Per Year
2015	38,147
2016	40,567
2017	41,690
2018	41,633
2019	41,585
2020	47,075
2021	50,666

Overall Trend: From 2015 to 2021, the U.S. witnessed a consistent rise in the number of people dying from gun violence annually, with minor decreases observed between 2017-2019.
Starting Point: 2015 recorded the lowest figure within this period, with 38,147 deaths.
Year-by-Year Increase: The number of deaths rose by 2,420 from 2015 to 2016 and by 1,123 from 2016 to 2017.
Slight Declines: A decrease of 57 deaths was noted from 2017 to 2018, followed by a further decrease of 48 deaths into 2019.
Significant Rise: The years 2020 and 2021 marked substantial increases in gun deaths, with rises of 5,490 and 3,591 deaths respectively. 2021 recorded the highest number of deaths at 50,666.
Cumulative Growth: Across the seven-year span, gun violence deaths increased by 12,519, representing approximately 32.8% growth from the initial 2015 figure.
Peak Year: 2021 was the deadliest year in the provided dataset, with 50,666 reported deaths due to gun violence.

Gun Violence By Race

Of the 50,666 firearm deaths, there’s a noticeable difference across races.

This distribution helps highlight disparities and trends.

Here is the number of firearm deaths broken down by race:

Here is the percentage of firearm deaths broken down by race:

The data on gun violence by race suggests:

Whites: The largest group affected, Whites constitute more than half of the firearm deaths, recording 27,034 fatalities. This represents 53.4% of the total.
Blacks: The next most affected group is the Black community, with 15,865 deaths. This makes up 31.3% of firearm deaths, which is a significant portion considering the population ratio in many regions.
Hispanics: Hispanics recorded 5,957 deaths due to firearms, making up 11.8% of the total.
Asians: The Asian community has the lowest number among the presented groups, with 576 deaths or 1.2% of the total firearm deaths.

This breakdown is a starting point.

It helps us analyze firearm deaths more deeply.

We can discuss how race affects these deaths.

Societal factors play a role too. It also guides us to consider preventive measures.

Gun Violence Statistics By State

Based on the data, here are the key takeaways for gun violence statistics by state:

Highest Firearm Deaths: Texas has the highest average number of firearm deaths over the past 10 years at 3,612, followed by California with 3,177 deaths, despite its lower death rate.
Lowest Firearm Deaths: Rhode Island and Hawaii are among the states with the lowest average number of gun deaths over the past 10 years, with 48 and 55 deaths respectively.
Highest Firearm Death Rate: Mississippi leads with the highest firearm death rate at 24, with Alaska and Louisiana both close behind with a rate of 23.
Lowest Firearm Death Rate: Massachusetts registers the lowest firearm death rate at 3, with New York and Hawaii both following at a rate of 4.
Discrepancies Between Rate and Number: States like California and New York have a high total number of firearm deaths due to their sizable populations, but a comparatively low death rate, suggesting population size heavily influences these figures.
Central States with High Rates: Missouri, Montana, and Arkansas stand out among central states, each with high firearm death rates ranging from 19 to 20.
Southern States with High Rates: The South features several states with elevated death rates, including Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, and South Carolina.

State	Firearm Death Rate	Firearm Deaths
Alaska	23	171
Alabama	22	1,067
Arkansas	19	587
Arizona	15	1,130
California	8	3,177
Colorado	14	835
Connecticut	5	197
Delaware	12	116
Florida	13	2,794
Georgia	16	1,688
Hawaii	4	55
Iowa	9	295
Idaho	15	270
Illinois	12	1,490
Indiana	15	1,003
Kansas	14	417
Kentucky	17	765
Louisiana	23	1,043
Massachusetts	3	245
Maryland	12	736
Maine	11	153
Michigan	13	1,269
Minnesota	8	459
Missouri	20	1,236
Mississippi	24	691
Montana	20	216
North Carolina	14	1,461
North Dakota	13	99
Nebraska	9	183
New Hampshire	10	135
New Jersey	5	452
New Mexico	21	434
Nevada	17	513
New York	4	894
Ohio	13	1,566
Oklahoma	18	729
Oregon	12	546
Pennsylvania	12	1,615
Rhode Island	4	48
South Carolina	19	947
South Dakota	13	109
Tennessee	18	1,253
Texas	13	3,612
Utah	13	394
Virginia	12	1,051
Vermont	11	74
Washington	10	796
Wisconsin	11	638
West Virginia	17	316
Wyoming	21	123

Gun Deaths Per Capita By State

Based on the data, here are the key takeaways for gun deaths per capita by state:

Highest Firearm Deaths: Texas, with 3,612 deaths, has the highest average number of firearm deaths in the past decade.
Lowest Firearm Deaths: Rhode Island has the lowest average with 48 deaths.
Highest Death Rate Per Capita: Vermont shows the highest death rate per 100,000 people at 162.8.
Lowest Death Rate Per Capita: Virginia has the lowest death rate per 100,000 people, coming in at 0.9.
Population vs. Deaths Disparity: Despite having one of the largest populations, New York has a relatively low firearm death rate of 2.2 per 100,000 people. Similarly, Illinois, another populous state, has a rate of 2.1.
Smaller Populations, High Rates: Some states with smaller populations, like North Dakota and Vermont, have alarmingly high death rates per 100,000 people, at 115.3 and 162.8 respectively.
Southern States Concern: Many southern states such as Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama have notably high firearm death rates relative to their populations.

	Firearm Deaths	Death Per 100,000 People	State Population
Alabama	171	3.4	5,039,877
Alaska	1,067	145.7	732,673
Arizona	587	8.1	7,276,316
Arkansas	1,130	37.3	3,025,891
California	3,177	8.1	39,237,836
Colorado	835	14.4	5,812,069
Connecticut	197	5.5	3,605,597
Delaware	116	11.6	1,003,384
Florida	2,794	12.8	21,781,128
Georgia	1,688	15.6	10,799,566
Hawaii	55	3.8	1,441,553
Idaho	295	15.5	1,900,923
Illinois	270	2.1	12,671,469
Indiana	1,490	21.9	6,805,985
Iowa	1,003	31.4	3,193,079
Kansas	417	14.2	2,934,582
Kentucky	765	17.0	4,509,394
Louisiana	1,043	22.6	4,624,047
Maine	245	17.9	1,372,247
Maryland	736	11.9	6,165,129
Massachusetts	153	2.2	6,984,723
Michigan	1,269	12.6	10,050,811
Minnesota	459	8.0	5,707,390
Mississippi	1,236	41.9	2,949,965
Missouri	691	11.2	6,168,187
Montana	216	19.6	1,104,271
Nebraska	1,461	74.4	1,963,692
Nevada	99	3.1	3,143,991
New Hampshire	183	13.2	1,388,992
New Jersey	135	1.5	9,267,130
New Mexico	452	21.3	2,115,877
New York	434	2.2	19,835,913
North Carolina	513	4.9	10,551,162
North Dakota	894	115.3	774,948
Ohio	1,566	13.3	11,780,017
Oklahoma	729	18.3	3,986,639
Oregon	546	12.9	4,246,155
Pennsylvania	1,615	12.5	12,964,056
Rhode Island	48	4.3	1,095,610
South Carolina	947	18.2	5,190,705
South Dakota	109	12.2	895,376
Tennessee	1,253	18.0	6,975,218
Texas	3,612	12.2	29,527,941
Utah	394	11.8	3,337,975
Vermont	1,051	162.8	645,570
Virginia	74	0.9	8,642,274
Washington	796	10.3	7,738,692
West Virginia	638	35.8	1,782,959
Wisconsin	316	5.4	5,895,908
Wyoming	123	21.3	578,803

States With The Most Gun Violence

Let’s look at the data we already have to determine the states with the most gun violence.

To determine which states have the most gun violence, we will look at:

Absolute Numbers
Death Rate Per 100,000 People

States with the Most Gun Violence (By Absolute Numbers):

Texas: 3,612 deaths
California: 3,177 deaths
Florida: 2,794 deaths
Georgia: 1,688 deaths
Pennsylvania: 1,615 deaths

States with the Most Gun Violence (By Death Rate Per 100,000 People):

Vermont: 162.8 deaths per 100,000
Alaska: 145.7 deaths per 100,000
Nebraska: 74.4 deaths per 100,000
North Dakota: 115.3 deaths per 100,000
Mississippi: 41.9 deaths per 100,000

It’s important to note that when evaluating gun violence, it’s essential to consider both absolute numbers and rates.

Absolute numbers show the total impact on the population.

Rates can give a more accurate representation of the risk or prevalence in a particular area.

(Especially when populations vary greatly between states.)

Chances Of Getting Shot In America

The chances of getting shot in America are:

approximately 0.01297%
about 1 in 7,713

Here’s how we calculated the chances of getting shot in America:

We have 43,052 average firearm deaths each year.
There are 331.9 million people in the U.S.
To find the chance of a person getting shot, we divide the number of deaths by the total number of people.
When we do that division and then multiply it by 100 to turn it into a percentage, we get approximately 0.01297%.
This means the chances of getting shot in America are about 0.01297% or roughly 1 in every 7,713 people.

Gun Violence Statistics By Country

The 5 countries with the highest rates of gun deaths are:

El Salvador: 36.78 deaths per 100,000
Venezuela: 33.27 deaths per 100,000
Guatemala: 29.06 deaths per 100,000
Colombia: 26.36 deaths per 100,000
Brazil: 21.93 deaths per 100,000

Here are other gun violence statistics by country:

In 2019, over 250,000 people globally died due to firearms; this included 71% homicides, 21% suicides, and 8% unintentional accidents.
A significant portion of global gun deaths (65.9%) happened in six countries: Brazil, the US, Venezuela, Mexico, India, and Colombia.
Brazil recorded the highest number of gun deaths at 49,436, followed closely by the US with 37,038 deaths.
90% of gun violence victims worldwide were men.
The age group most affected by homicide deaths was 20-24 years, whereas gun suicides were most common among those aged 55-59.
When looking at homicide rates per capita, El Salvador was at the top with 36.78 deaths per 100k residents.
Latin America sees high gun violence, attributed largely to gangs, drug trafficking, and socio-economic factors like economic deprivation and family disruption.
In the US, mass shootings are not the primary cause of gun deaths; rather, 63% of the gun deaths in 2019 were due to suicides.
In terms of firearm-related suicides per 100k, Greenland led the list with 16.36, with the US coming in second at 7.12.

Percent Of Gun Deaths By Type

Here is the percentage of gun deaths by the type of gun:

handguns: 59%
rifles: 3%
shotguns: 1%
type not stated: 37%

“Rifles” includes all types of rifles, including assault rifles.

“Type not stated” means that the police reports did not note the type of gun used to kill someone.

Who Commits The Most Gun Violence?

Gun violence is a pressing concern worldwide.

It refers to the use of firearms to threaten, harm, or kill individuals.

Different groups and individuals are responsible for varying levels of this violence, depending on the country or region in question.

Countries: At the global level, in 2019, most gun-related deaths occurred in just six countries: Brazil, the United States, Venezuela, Mexico, India, and Colombia. Brazil had the highest number of total gun deaths.
Gangs and Criminal Organizations: In many regions, especially in Latin America, criminal gangs and drug traffickers are major contributors to high rates of gun violence. These groups often use firearms to establish territorial control and assert power.
Individuals: In the United States, while mass shootings gain significant media attention, they represent a small fraction of gun deaths. Most gun deaths in the U.S. in 2019 were suicides, emphasizing the importance of mental health and well-being in discussions about gun violence.
Demographics: Generally, men are more often involved in gun violence. In 2019, nearly nine out of 10 victims of gun violence were men. Additionally, the highest number of gun-related homicides involved individuals aged 20-24.

The United States didn’t rank among the top countries for violent gun death rates per 100k residents.

The countries with the highest rates came from Latin America and the Caribbean.

FAQs Related To Gun Violence Statistics

Here are other questions we found in our research.

Is Gun Violence On The Rise?

Yes, gun violence has been on the rise in the US over the past 10 years.

Some key takeaways for gun violence trends in the US are:

Consistent Increase: There has been a general upward trend in the total gun deaths across most states from 2015 to 2021.
States with Highest Increase: The states that have seen the most significant increase in gun deaths over the years include Texas, Florida, and California. Notably, Texas has gone from 3,203 deaths in 2015 to 4,613 in 2021.
Some States Show Fluctuations: While most states show an upward trend, some states, like Hawaii and Rhode Island, show fluctuations over the years without a clear increasing or decreasing pattern.
Few States with Decrease: Very few states, such as Maryland and New Jersey, had years where gun deaths slightly decreased, but the overall trend for these states from 2015 to 2021 is still an increase.
General Pattern: The data generally indicates that most states have seen an increase in gun deaths over the past few years. This is concerning and emphasizes the need for comprehensive measures and policies to address the issue.

Where Is Gun Violence Most Common?

Gun violence is the most common in:

Texas: based on the absolute number of deaths
Mississippi: based on the rate of gun deaths per 100,000 people

Top 5 States Based on Absolute Numbers of Firearm Deaths:

Texas: 3,612 deaths
California: 3,177 deaths
Florida: 2,794 deaths
Georgia: 1,688 deaths
Ohio: 1,566 deaths

Top 5 States Based on Firearm Deaths per 100,000 People:

Mississippi: 24 deaths per 100,000 people
Alaska: 23 deaths per 100,000 people
Louisiana: 23 deaths per 100,000 people
Alabama: 22 deaths per 100,000 people
New Mexico: 21 deaths per 100,000 people

What State Has The Most Shootings?

Texas has the most shootings with an average of 3,612 per year.

Mississippi has the most shootings per capita at 24 per 100,000 people.

What Percentage Of Gun Violence Is With Illegal Guns?

25% of mass shootings with four or more people killed from 2015 to 2022 involved shooters using illegal guns.

What Percent Of Gun Violence Is Gang-Related?

11.14% of gun violence is gang-related.

We know that:

85.7% of homicides are committed by firearms in the US
13% of homicides are attributed to gang violence

So, we use the following calculation to figure out what percentage of gun violence is gang-related:

85.7% x 13% = 11.14% of gun violence is gang-related.

What Percentage Of Deaths Are Caused By Guns?

0.6% of all deaths are caused by guns in the US.

0.7% of all deaths are homicides.

85.7% of homicides are committed by firearms in the US.

0.7% x 85.7% = 0.5999% = 0.6%

Sources

What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. – Pew Research
Key Statistics – Brady United
Firearm Mortality by State – CDC
Gun Deaths by Country 2023 – World Population Review
Homicides by firearm in the U.S. 2021 – Statista
VA Gun and Gang Violence – Virginia Department of Corrections

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