The share of American households owning at least one firearm has remained relatively steady since 1972, hovering between 37 percent and 47 percent. In 2023, about 42 percent of U.S. households had at least one gun in their possession.

Additional information on firearms in the United States

Firearms command a higher degree of cultural significance in the United States than any other country in the world. Since the inclusion of the right to bear arms in the second amendment to the constitution of the United States, firearms have held symbolic power beyond their already obvious material power. Despite many Americans being proud gun-owners, a large movement exists within the country in opposition to the freedom afforded to those in possession of these potentially deadly weapons.

Those opposed to current gun regulation have sourced their anger from the large number of deaths due to firearms in the country, as well as the high frequency of gun violence apparent in comparison the other developed countries. Furthermore, the United States has fallen victim to a number of mass shootings in the last two decades most of which have raised questions over the ease at which a person can obtain a firearm. Although this movement holds a significant position in the public political discourse of the United States, meaningful change in regards to the legislation dictating the ownership of firearms has not occurred. Critics have pointed to the influence possessed by the National Rifle Association through their lobbying of public officials. The National Rifle Association also lobby for the interests of firearm manufacturing in the United States which has continued to rise since a fall in the early 2000s.

In 2022, around 13.4 million firearms were manufactured in the United States. While this number has generally increased from 1986, there was a significant spike in firearm production in the years following 2019. Firearm business in the U.S. The number of firearms the United States imports greatly exceeds the number of firearms the United States exports. The United States exports the most firearms to Saudi Arabia, as a result of the 2017 United States- Saudi Arabia arms deal, where Saudi Arabia agreed to purchase arms immediately from the U.S. totaling about 110 billion U.S. dollars, and purchasing a further 350 billion U.S. dollars worth of arms over the following ten years. Firearm ownership in the states The United States is the leading country in gun ownership. Wyoming was home to the highest rate of firearm ownership in the country, despite its low population. This can be attributed to Wyoming’s relaxed gun control laws, which allows residents over the age of 21 to possess a gun without a state permit, and they may carry a weapon openly or concealed without a license. Furthermore, even though Mississippi had one of the lowest rates of firearm ownership, it had the highest mortality rate due to firearms. Mississippi also has relaxed gun laws, which allows people to carry a concealed firearm without a license or permit.

Texas was the state with the highest number of registered weapons in the United States in 2021, with 1,006,555 firearms. Rhode Island, on the other hand, had the least, with 4,887 registered firearms.

Gun laws in the United States

Gun ownership in the U.S. is protected by the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution, which allows citizens to own firearms and form a militia if necessary.

Outside of the 2nd Amendment, gun laws in the U.S. vary from state to state, and gun owners are subject to the laws of the state they are currently in, not necessarily the state they live in. For example, if concealed carry is allowed in a gun owner’s state of residence, but not in the state they are travelling in, the owner is subject to the law of the state they are travelling in.

Civilian-owned firearms

The United States is estimated to have the highest rate of civilian-owned firearms in the world, and more than double that of Yemen, which has the second-highest gun ownership rate. Unfortunately, along with high gun ownership rates comes a higher number of homicides by firearm, which was about 10,258 homicides in 2019.

In 2022, there were 48,204 fatalities caused by injuries related to firearms in the United States, a slight decrease from the previous year. In 2021, there were 48,830 firearm deaths, the highest number of gun deaths ever recorded in the country. However, this figure has remained relatively high over the past 25 years, with 37,155 firearm deaths in 1990, and a slight dip in fatalities between 1999 and 2002. Firearms in the United States The right to own firearms in the United States is enshrined in the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and while this right may be seen as quintessentially American, the relationship between Americans and their firearms has become fraught in the last few years. The proliferation of mass shootings in the U.S. has brought the topic of gun control into the national spotlight, with support for banning assault-style weapons a particularly divisive issue among Americans. Gun control With a little less than half of all Americans owning at least one firearm and the highest rate of civilian gun ownership in the world, it is easy to see how the idea of gun control is a political minefield in the U.S. However, public opinion has begun to shift over the past ten years, and a majority of Americans report that laws governing the sale of firearms should be stricter than they are now.

According to a survey conducted in the United States in 2023, Americans aged 55 years old and above were more likely to personally own a gun than their counterparts in other age groups. At this time, 36 percent of Americans aged 55 years old and over personally owned a firearm, compared to 22 percent of those aged 18 to 34 years old, and 31 percent of those aged between 35 and 54 years old.

In 2020, a total 2,409,585 firearms were processed in the United States. This is an increase from the previous year, when about 2.04 million firearms were processed in the United States.

In 2023, 13,529 recorded murders in the United States were committed by firearm. This is a decrease from the previous year, when 12,244 homicides were committed with a firearm in the country. However, figures may not accurately reflect the total number of homicides, as not all law enforcement agencies in the U.S. submitted homicide data.

In recent years, gun violence in the United States has become an alarmingly common occurrence. From 2016, there has been over 10,000 homicides by firearm in the U.S. each year and firearms have been found to make up the majority of murder weapons in the country by far, demonstrating increasing rates of gun violence occurring throughout the nation. As of 2025, Mississippi was the state with the highest gun violence rate per 100,000 residents in the United States, at 29.4 percent, followed by Louisiana, at 28.1 percent. In comparison, Massachusetts had a gun violence rate of 3.7 percent, the lowest out of all the states. The importance of gun laws Gun laws in the United States vary from state to state, which has been found to affect the differing rates of gun violence throughout the country. Fewer people die by gun violence in states where gun safety laws have been passed, while gun violence rates remain high in states where gun usage is easily permitted and even encouraged. In addition, some states suffer from high rates of gun violence despite having strong gun safety laws due to gun trafficking, as traffickers can distribute firearms illegally past state lines. The right to bear arms Despite evidence from other countries demonstrating that strict gun control measures reduce rates of gun violence, the United States has remained reluctant to enact gun control laws. This can largely be attributed to the Second Amendment of the Constitution, which states that citizens have the right to bear arms. Consequently, gun control has become a highly partisan issue in the U.S., with 80 percent of Democrats believing that it was more important to limit gun ownership while 74 percent of Republicans felt that it was more important to protect the right of Americans to own guns.

According to a survey conducted in the United States in 2023, white respondents were more likely to either personally own a gun or live in a gun owning household than their non-white counterparts. During the survey, 35 percent of white Americans reported that they personally owned a firearm, compared to 22 percent of non-white respondents.

In the United States in 2022, 48 percent of Republicans reported that they owned at least one gun, and 66 percent said that they lived in a household with a gun. In comparison, only 20 percent of Democrats owned at least one gun, and 31 percent lived a gun household.

Who are gun owners?

In 2022, significantly more Democrats were in favor of limiting gun ownership in comparison to Republicans. On the other hand, more Republicans were in favor of protecting the right to own guns in comparison to Democrats. When examined by education level, respondents who said they only had some college, but no degree, were the most likely to have said that there is at least one gun in their household. However, nearly a quarter of Americans over 18 years old said that they rarely carry a gun on their person.

Republicans vs Democrats Debate

The gun control debate in the United States has been a highly contested one. In light of frequent mass shootings, gun control laws have become the center of policy discussions. Democratic politicins tend to put significant emphasis on their gun control policies, and are overall more in favor in stricter gun control laws and want more background checks for those who want to purchase a gun. However, Republicans tend to work in favor of gun rights.

Handguns are the most common weapon type used in mass shootings in the United States, with a total of 167 different handguns being used in 117 incidents between 1982 and September 2024. These figures are calculated from a total of 151 reported cases over this period, meaning handguns are involved in about 78 percent of mass shootings. The involvement of semi-automatic rifles in mass shootings Owing to their use in several high-profile mass shootings, there has been much public discussion over the suitability or necessity of assault weapons for the purpose of self-defense. While any definition of assault weapon is contentious, semi-automatic rifles are generally the main focus of debates around this issue. Since 1982, there has been a known total 65 mass shootings involving rifles, mostly semi-automatics. This figure is underreported, however, as it excludes the multiple semi-automatic (and fully automatic) rifles used in the 2017 Las Vegas Strip massacre – the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, killing 58 and wounding 546. In fact, semi-automatic rifles were featured in four of the five deadliest mass shootings, being used in the Orlando nightclub massacre, Sandy Hook Elementary massacre and Texas First Baptist Church massacre. Mass shootings and gun control Despite evidence of strict gun control measures reducing the frequency and severity of mass shootings in countries like Australia, citizens in the United States remain deeply divided over the issue. According to a survey about the expected impact of gun laws on the number of mass shootings, a slim majority of Americans believe that gun control measures will have little-to-no effect. Most likely, this opinion is influenced by an underlying commitment among many in the U.S. to the greater importance of protecting gun ownership rights than limiting access to firearms. This sits in sharp contrast to many other developed countries. For example, most Canadians support a ban on civilian owned firearms.

In 2022, pistols were the most commonly produced firearm in the United States, with over 6.1 million manufactured in the U.S. that year. Rifles were the second most frequently produced firearms, with approximately 3.6 manufactured in the U.S. in 2022.

The statistic shows the percentage of population in the United States owning one or more firearms in 2017, by region. In 2017, about 36 percent of the respondents living in the South owned a gun personally.

According to a survey conducted in the United States in 2023, men were more likely than women to either personally own a gun or live in a gun owning household. At this time, 41 percent of American men personally owned a firearm, compared to 20 percent of women.

100 of the mass shootings in the United States between 1982 and September 2024 involved weapons which were obtained legally; a clear majority. Only 16 incidents involved guns that were obtained illegally. Legally owned firearms in the U.S. Within the United States, one must be at least 18 years old in order to purchase shotguns, rifles, and ammunition, and at least 21 years old to purchase all other firearms. Some people may be restricted from owning firearms, such as individuals who have been dishonorably discharged from the military or tourists. Guns must be sold through licensed dealers, and purchasers must undergo a background check. However, the much-discussed “gun show loophole” allows people to purchase firearms from a flea market, gun show, online, or from a personal collector without a background check. The national firearm conversation The right to own a gun in the United States is protected by the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution. While changing a part of the Bill of Rights (the first 10 amendments to the Constitution) would be extremely difficult, the issue of gun rights has become a highly controversial, and highly partisan, topic in the national conversation. For example, a majority of Republicans believe that if legal gun ownership is controlled, that there will not be a difference in the number of mass shootings. In contrast, most Democrats believe the number will decrease.

In 2023, 76.37 percent of homicides were committed by firearm in the United States, compared to 85.7 percent in 2021. This figure has been increasing since 2014, when 63.6 percent of homicides were committed by firearm. Firearms in the United States Firearms in the United States have become a large part of American culture. The Second Amendment of the Constitution protects the right to keep and bear arms. This amendment has been cited as a reason why gun control laws should not become stricter. However, many Americans are in favor of stricter gun control laws due to the increase of shootings in the country. Handguns were the most frequently used weapon used on murder victims in 2020, and overall, the United States was the country with the highest rate of civilian-owned firearms. Who owns firearms? Firearms are more popular in certain parts of the United States than others. Texas was the state with the highest number of registered weapons in 2021, with Florida, Virginia, California, and Pennsylvania rounding out the top five. Firearm laws vary from state to state, which means it is easier to obtain a firearm in some states than in others. Gun owners in the United States are typically white, and men are more likely to personally own a gun than women.

In October 2020, around one million handguns were sold in the United States. That month, handgun sales in the United States grew by about 65 percent when compared to the same period in the previous year.

In just three decades, the share of AR-15 style assault weapons in the total firearm production of the United States rose from around one percent of all firearms produced in the early 1990s to almost a quarter in 2020. Originally designed for the military in the 1950s, AR-15s were initially overlooked by domestic consumers, as they were deemed too powerful, cumbersome, and not traditional enough for the mass market. Today AR-15s are the most popular type of rifle produced in the United States. AR-15 explosion The rise in AR-15 manufacturing came with the expiration of the 10 year Federal Assault Weapons Ban (1994-2004). The firearms industry, especially Smith & Wesson, began investing heavily into this model, capitalizing on the pro-military sentiment that grew in the post-9/11 years. The semi-automatic AR-15 was the most powerful weapon that resembled those used in conflict areas and could be made for the mass market. Handgun and rifle sales had been relatively low in the years before, but the growing popularity of the AR-15 helped reinvigorate the firearms industry in the early 2000s. Today, it is estimated that there are over 20 million AR-15 rifles in the U.S., most of which have been made domestically in the past two decades. Role in mass shootings The rise in AR-15 ownership coincided with a rising number of mass shootings in the U.S., and AR-15s were used in many of the deadliest incidents. Although handguns and traditional rifles are responsible for the majority of mass shootings in the U.S., the lethality of those involving AR-15s, especially school shootings, has made it a contentious topic. Those who wish to restrict access or remove it from the market argue that AR-15s are unnecessarily powerful for both hunting and protection, and its primary purpose is to kill large numbers of people. However, advocates see it as a symbol of freedom and their Second Amendment rights, arguing that restrictions placed on AR-15s will be followed by further erosion of their right to bear arms. The latter point was illustrated in 2008, when the election of Barack Obama was followed by the largest rise in AR-15 sales, as opponents portrayed him as an "anti-gun radical". As calls to ban the AR-15 have grown louder in recent years, it is often met with a even stronger response among pro-gun advocates, although the majority of voters now support an assault-weapons ban.

In 2022, approximately 629,163 firearms were exported from the United States. This is an increase from the previous year, when 458,684 firearms were exported from the United States. The number of exported firearms peaked in 2022.

In the United States, gun laws vary from one state to the next; whether residents need a permit or a background check to purchase a firearm, whether residents must undergo firearm training before making this purchase, and whether residents can openly carry their guns in public is dependent upon state legislation. As of 2024, 22 U.S. states required background checks and/or permits for the purchase of a handgun. A further 13 states had regulations on openly carrying firearms in public, however, only California, Connecticut, Florida, and Illinois had completely prohibited open carry for all firearms. In comparison, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York prohibited open carry for handguns but either did not have regulations in place or required a permit for other types of guns. A constitutional right The Second Amendment of the Constitution, which states that citizens have the right to bear arms, has made it difficult for any gun control legislation to be passed on a national level in the United States. As a result, gun control laws in the U.S. are state-based, and often differ based on political perspectives. States with strong gun laws in place, such as Massachusetts, generally experience less gun violence, however, some states with strong gun laws, such as Maryland, continue to face high rates of gun violence, which has largely been attributed to gun trafficking activity found throughout the nation. A culture of gun owners In comparison to other high-income countries with stricter gun control laws, the United States has the highest gun homicide rate at 4.38 gun homicides per 100,000 residents. However, despite increasing evidence that easy access to firearms, whether legal or illegal, encourages higher rates of gun violence, the United States continues to foster an environment in which owning a firearm is seen as a personal freedom. Almost half of U.S. households have reported owning at least one firearm and 43 percent of registered voters in the U.S. were found to believe that it was more important to protect the right of Americans to own guns, compared to 23 percent who said it was more important to limit gun ownership.