Gun violence by the numbers: The deadliest countries for firearm deaths
Gun violence claims hundreds of thousands of lives globally each year, but your risk of being fatally shot depends heavily on where you live.
Data reveals stark disparities between countries, with some nations experiencing firearm death rates hundreds of times higher than others.
In 2019 alone, more than 250,000 people died as a result of firearms worldwide. Nearly 71% of gun deaths were homicides, about 21% were suicides, and 8% were unintentional firearms-related accidents. A smaller subset of gun deaths occur as the result of mass shootings and school shootings, which are often highly publicized.
Out of the estimated 250,227 gun-related deaths worldwide in 2019, 65.9% occurred in just six countries: Brazil, the United States, Venezuela, Mexico, India, and Colombia.
Brazil recorded the highest number of total gun deaths from all causes combined, with 49,436 fatalities. The United States followed closely, with more than 40,000 gun deaths that year. Mexico ranked third, with over 30,000 gun deaths, while India and Venezuela rounded out the top five.
The U.S. ranked 20th in gun fatality rates worldwide in 2016, and in 2021, it was the 28th-highest, with 4.31 deaths per 100,000 people. This was over seven times higher than Canada (0.57 per 100,000) and 340 times higher than the United Kingdom (0.013 per 100,000).
A 2018 study found that the U.S. gun death rate was 10.6 per 100,000 people, far exceeding Canada (2.1), Australia (1.0), and European countries like Germany (0.9) and Spain (0.6). However, it was significantly lower than El Salvador (39.2), Venezuela (38.7), and Guatemala (32.3), where firearm violence is more rampant.
Gun violence in Latin America is exceptionally high due in no small part to the prevalence of criminal gangs and a vibrant drug trafficking industry. The Inter-American Development Bank released a report highlighting several critical factors in Latin American cities that contribute to increased gun violence, including economic deprivation, residential instability, family disruption, absence from school, the population’s age structure, and alcohol consumption.
While gangs are a major factor in Latin America, gun deaths in the U.S. are largely attributed to suicides. In 2019, nearly two-thirds (63%) of gun deaths in the United States were suicides, contrary to the common assumption that mass shootings are the primary cause.
In contrast to the U.S. and Latin America, gun deaths are extremely rare in countries like Japan, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Australia. These countries have implemented strict gun control measures to reduce the number of firearms in circulation. For example, Australia introduced a permanent gun amnesty program in July 2021, allowing unregistered firearms to be anonymously surrendered at police stations.
Japan, with a population of over 127 million, had a gun death rate of just 0.02 per 100,000 people in 2019. This success is largely attributed to its strict firearm laws. To purchase a gun, Japanese citizens must attend an all-day class, pass a written exam, and achieve at least 95% accuracy in a shooting test.
