gun ownership per capita by state

Estimating Global Civilian-Held Firearms Numbers. 1 The number of deaths per 100,000 total population. For a country with only 3.3 million people, firearms possession in Uruguay is unusually high with some 605,000 weapons registered with the government,. Murder victims by weapon used in the U.S 2021, Mass shootings in the U.S.: legality of shooter's weapons, as of November 2022, Number of registered weapons U.S. 2021, by state, Worst mass shootings in the U.S., as of May 2022. Most gun owners cite more than one reason for owning a gun, but protection tops the list, with 67% of gun owners saying this is a major reason they personally own a gun. According to the data, the US has 120.5 guns per 100 residents in 2017 meaning more guns than people. Both Israel and Switzerland probably have much higher gun ownership rates, but including them, the way the Small Arms Survey does, biases the results so that those countries look lower than they actually are. One-in-ten men who didnt grow up with guns in their household say they went hunting often or sometimes, compared with 5% of women. The lowest arms ownership rate is 14.7% in Massachusetts and New Jersey and 14.8% in Rhode Island, and 14.9% in Hawaii. Opinions are more mixed among gun owners themselves: 54% say society tends to have a negative view and 45% say it has a positive view of most gun owners. Overall, about seven-in-ten gun owners say they own a handgun or pistol (72%), while 62% own a rifle and 54% own a shotgun. This is because the highest amount of crimes committed with a firearm involve the illegal possession of a gun, a theft of a gun, or the unauthorized use or purchase of a gun. However, they provide a decent picture, per capita, of what gun ownership by state in American looks like. The following table shows the number of registered firearms in the U.S. by state. While reading, it's important to remember that only six states and the District of Columbia require the registration of firearms. The sum of registered firearms equals only 6,058,390, a far cry from the 393 million total in America. Massachusetts and New Jersey have the lowest gun ownership rate of 14.7%, followed by Rhode Island, with 14.8%, and Hawaii, with 14.9%. This reflects, in part, the fact that men who own guns are more likely than their female counterparts to have more than one reason for doing so. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. The study shows that the states with highest gun . Gun owners are far more likely than non-gun owners to say people in their community look at most gun owners in a positive way; 78% of gun owners say this is the case, compared with 53% of non-gun owners. Researchers can use these annual, state-level measures of household gun ownership rates to test theories about the relationship between gun ownership and crime, injury, and public policy. Learn more about how Statista can support your business. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Adults who describe the community where they grew up as rural are particularly likely to have grown up with a gun in their household: 72% in this group say this is the case. This still gives us a good rate of the overall demographic trends of firearm purchases, and provides us some insight into the reasoning behind this ownership as well. Among women who grew up in a gun-owning household, about one-in-five (22%) say they went hunting at least sometimes when they were growing up, while most say they hardly ever (18%) or never (61%) did this. Average Gun Ownership Rate per Household, 2007-2016 0-9% 10-19% 20-29% 30-39% 40-49% 50-59% 60-69% Not estimated This figure displays mean estimated household gun ownership rates for each state for 2007 to 2016. Among those who own a single gun, most (62%) say that gun is a handgun or pistol, while far fewer say they own a rifle (22%) or a shotgun (16%). Best Low Recoil 9mm Pistol Reviews And Buyers Guide, Best Shotgun Recoil Pads: Top Picks on The Market, Best Recoil Pads: Reviews and Buyers Guide. About half of those who grew up with guns (47%) say they were younger than 18 when they first got their own gun, compared with 19% of those who didnt grow up with guns in their household. Change in Household Gun Ownership [Online]. For example, New Jersey requires guns to be registered, requires a permit to purchase, a permit to carry, and does not allow open carry. Obtaining a permit or license required to even purchase a gun in these states can take weeks and is relatively rigorous. About eight-in-ten young adults who grew up in a gun-owning household (79%) say this was a reason, compared with 66% of those ages 30 to 49, 60% of those ages 50 to 64, and just 34% of those ages 65 and older. Interestingly, gun owners who see their local community as unsafe are not significantly more likely than those who say they live in a safe community to say protection is central to why they own a gun. Additionally, ProjectGunner.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links. White, Deborah. Still, there are windows into the world of gun ownership slices of data that offer pieces to the puzzle. The estimated standard errors range from 2 to 4 percentage points, depending on the state and year. To see a full list of myths and facts, take a gander at these statistics backed by national databases. But men who didnt grow up with guns are somewhat more likely than women who didnt grow up with guns to say they participated in these activities at least sometimes. Large majorities of about nine-in-ten or more among current and past gun owners say they have fired a gun, and this is true across demographic groups. 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/gun-owners-percentage-of-state-populations-3325153. A pink rifle with the inscription "My First Rifle" sits in a gun store in Pierre, South Dakota. Guns are in the households of an estimated 30.2% of Maryland adults. The graph above plots the per capita firearms rate in the United States (stated as number of firearms per 10 people) against the murder rate as tabulated in the FBI Uniform Crime Reports. In the United States over 300 million people own firearms. Its population of 731,545 people has 23,455 registered guns. But women are quickly gaining ground in this department. Contents 1 List of countries by number of guns 2 See also On average, men who grew up in a gun-owning household report that they first got their own gun when they were 17, compared with an average age of 26 for women who grew up with guns in their household. 3. An estimated 35.3% of adults in Florida live in homes with guns. Thirty-nine percent of men say they own a firearm, while 22% of women do. This is, perhaps, not surprising, considering that eight-in-ten gun owners cite more than one reason for owning a gun including 44% who say there is more than one major reason and may need different types of guns for different purposes. In Connecticut, 23.6% of adults have a firearm in their home. Regionally, Northeasterners stand out as the least likely to own guns: 16% of adults who live in the Northeast say they own a gun, about half the share who say this in the South (36%), Midwest (32%) and West (31%). RAND found that 60.1% of Idaho adults have guns at home. An estimated 14.9% of adults in Hawaii have guns at home. This is even more remarkable considering the state's population is fairly small. ThoughtCo. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts. While non-gun owners are less likely to have grown up in a gun-owning household, a substantial share (40%) say this is the case, and about six-in-ten (61%) say they have fired a gun. April 14, 2022 / 6:55 PM Here are the results: As shown, when considered from a global perspective, there is no correlation between the number of guns per capita in a country and the number of firearm-related homicides. 10. It collected responses online, where people may be more willing to share sensitive information than they would be over the phone or in person. Seventeen states have at least 20 guns per capita. [9] Gun ownership varies considerably across demographic groups. An estimated 48.9% of Kansas adults have firearms in their homes. CBSNews.com, 15 February 2018. As soon as this statistic is updated, you will immediately be notified via e-mail. An average from 2004 to 2011 actually has a insignificantly higher 42% of Americans living in a household with a gun. The United States is ranked number one globally when it comes to gun ownership. Wyoming has "more guns per capita than any state"-yet they have a gun-related murder rate that is below the national average. There were about 393 million firearms in the United States, meaning that there were far more guns than there are people. Here, cut-up firearms are piled on the ground at the Falmouth Police Department in 2021. Members of a self-appointed civilian paramilitary group prepare to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border near Arivaca. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax These once-illegally-owned guns were seized by the New York Police Department in 2013. This database was first released in 2020 and is available free to the public. Of Wyoming's 581,075 people, there are 132,806 registered guns. Men are particularly likely to own multiple guns: About three-quarters of male gun owners (74%) say they own two or more guns, compared with 53% of female gun owners. An estimated 42.8% of Minnesotans share their homes with at least one firearm. Moreover, the data is in -- the states with the most guns per capita and laxest firearm ownership laws have the highest gun fatality per capita rates. In fact, eight-in-ten say they have more than one reason for owning, and 44% have more than one major reason. Customers peruse the merchandise at a gun show in Mansfield. A majority of Americans say that society tends to have a negative view of gun owners, a perception that is somewhat more common among non-gun owners than among those who own a gun. TheGuardian.com, 3 October 2017. Helicopter crash near Ukraine kindergarten kills children and top officials, U.S. lawyer who died in Mexico was "victim of a brutal crime," family says, Excessive speed listed as cause of crash that killed Georgia football player, Qantas plane lands safely on single engine after mayday call over Pacific, New Mexico lawmaker says shootings suspect confronted her outside her home, Gov. And while 85% of gun owners who say the right to own guns is essential to their sense of freedom say they cant see themselves ever not owning a gun at some point, 41% of those who dont see the right to own guns as essential say the same. For example, about four-in-ten men (39%) say they personally own a gun, compared with 22% of women. In New Mexico, 46.2% of adults have at least one gun at home. To view a specific state, type the name into the field below. Among whites, about four-in-ten of those with a high school diploma or less (40%) or with some college (42%) are gun owners, compared with roughly a quarter of white college graduates (26%). The population data is from the U.S. Census Bureau. . According to the camp'swebsite, members can enjoy outdoor space for hiking or raising livestock as well as more than a dozen basement rooms, should people need protection from radioactive fallout. Other proxies, some of which have been used in combination with firearm suicides, include per capita measures of hunting licenses, firearm background checks, and even subscriptions to Guns & Ammo magazine. NOTE: Small Arms Survey calculates guns per . Most gun owners are also college-educated, with over 50% of owners having attended college, or obtained post-graduate degrees. Hopefully, this article has introduced some interesting statistics surrounding gun ownership in the United States and has provided you some insights into the vast number of firearms in existence, how they are used, and who they are owned by. Some states require registration upon purchase, but for the most part, gun ownership, per capita is an estimate based upon overall gun sales and independent polls. That's an average of 32 guns for every 1,000 residents. Louis Post-Dispatch/Tribune News Service/Getty Images. Handguns are the most commonly owned type of gun, followed by rifles, then shotguns. Despite these changes, the share of U.S. adults in the new survey who report that they personally own a gun or who live with someone who does is similar to what the Center found in a survey conducted by telephone in August 2016. In Oklahoma, 54.7% of adults have guns at home. An estimated 55.5% of adults in Alabama have guns at home. A North Little Rock gun shop displays a semi-automatic handgun and a holster. A closer analysis of this demographic data reveals that about 46% of rural households own guns, while just 19% of urban households do. For more information about how the estimates were developed, or to download the database, see State-Level Estimates of Household Firearm Ownership. Wed love the chance to answer any questions you may have in the comments below, and, as always, please share! About seven-in-ten say they own a handgun or pistol (72%), while 62% own a rifle and 54% own a shotgun. Source: RAND Corporation . Virginia, which is the 12th-biggest state, ranks sixth for gun sales (about 778,000), and Alabama, 23rd . They were made to safeguard freedoms against tyranny, and are not granted by the Government, but considered a God-given right and are not to be infringed upon by any government. Alaska Soldiers during a gun training in Alaska. Various state laws surrounding registration and permits also drive these statistics, since states throughout the South, Midwest, and West have more relaxed laws overall in reference to the steps required for registration and carrying when compared to many Northern states. One of the many reasons why there are more guns in the United States than there are people, is our Constitutions 2nd Amendment that reads, A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.. Thirty-three percent of Americans aged 50 and older own at least one gun. This is the case in many other states, so it's important to remember that the majority of guns in the U.S. are not registered. Here are the 10 states with the highest rates of gun ownership. About four-in-ten who grew up in a gun-owning household say they currently own a gun (42%), compared with 19% of those who didnt grow up with guns in their household. TheRAND Corporationpublished a 2020 study on adults who say they live with at least one gun. The majority of gun owners are 50 years of age or older, and make up over 60% of demographics, with the next group falling between 30 and 49 years of age. Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World, Next: 2. Most gun owners cite multiple reasons for owning a gun. 1 country in terms of gun ownership. Still, protection tops the list, with 67% of current gun owners saying this is a major reason they personally own a gun. Rural households are more likely to own a firearm than urban households, 46% vs. 19%, and those 50 or older have the highest gun ownership rate than other age groups at 33%. Guns and daily life: Identity, experiences, activities and involvement, Gun ownership is most common among men, whites, Two-thirds of gun owners cite protection as a major reason for owning a gun, About two-thirds of gun owners own more than one gun, Most gun owners say there were guns in their household growing up, Most Americans say they have fired a gun at some point, Most Americans say society has a negative view of gun owners, but that people in their own communities look at gun owners is a positive way, 2. The United States has nearly twice as many guns per 100 people as the next closest country, Yemen 88.8 guns per 100 as opposed to 54.8 in Yemen: ( The Guardian/Phillybdizzle ) The study was published to help identify and improve knowledge surrounding the causes of firearm violence, but the results could not ignore the data gathered that highlighted the positive results of responsible gun ownership. "Percentage of households in the United States owning one or more firearms from 1972 to 2022." Politically, Republicans are twice as likely as Democrats to own a gun. An estimated 14.7% of Massachusetts adults have a gun in their home. However, the Pew Research Center has compiled data that is about as accurate as it gets. Park County Sheriff Scott Steward told CBS News there are so many guns in Wyoming that those who do not own one "are very much in the minority.". Back in 2017, for every one hundred people in the United States, there were one hundred twenty firearms in the hands of the general public. Finally, it asked about gun ownership using two separate questions to measure personal and household ownership instead of collecting this information with a single question, as has been the case with previous Pew Research Center reports. Current or past gun-owners who grew up with guns in their household report that they first became gun owners at an earlier age than those who didnt grow up in a gun-owning household. in 2015, the Deseret News reported reported Americans own guns at a staggering rate of 88.8 firearms per 100 people. For example, eight-in-ten adults who grew up in a gun-owning household in a rural area cite hunting as a reason there were guns in their household, while fewer cite protection (57%) or sport shooting (51%). Wyoming is the state with the most guns per capita, while New York is the state with the fewest. An estimated 45.2% of Nebraska adults have guns in their homes. Still, even after controlling for the number of reasons they own a gun, male gun owners remain more likely than their female counterparts to own multiple guns. Reasons for having had guns in the household growing up vary considerably across community type. Datatable showing data for the United States Map figure. Information about how many Americans own guns, and how this varies over time and across the United States, is important for understanding the effects of gun laws on firearm ownership and other outcomes, such as firearm homicides, firearm suicides, and mass shootings. Still, a substantial share of those who grew up in a small town (52%), a suburb (37%) or a city (39%) say guns were present in their home when they were growing up. Two-thirds of gun owners say they own more than one gun, including 29% who own five or more guns. The best of the best: the portal for top lists & rankings: Strategy and business building for the data-driven economy: Industry-specific and extensively researched technical data (partially from exclusive partnerships). In the lowest age group18- to 29-year-oldsown 27% own a gun. In Alaska, 64.5% of adults share their homes with at least one firearm. 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