The share of American households owning at least one firearm has remained relatively steady since 1972, hovering between ** percent and ** percent. In 2024, about ** 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 to 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 regarding 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 lobbies for the interests of firearm manufacturing in the United States, which has continued to rise since a fall in the early 2000s.

Texas was the state with the highest number of registered weapons in the United States in 2024, with 1,136,732 firearms. Rhode Island, on the other hand, had the least, with 4,895 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 traveling in, the owner is subject to the law of the state they are traveling in. Civilian-owned firearms The United States is estimated to have the highest rate of civilian-owned firearms in the world, 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 13,529 homicides in 2023.

This study was undertaken to obtain information on the characteristics of gun ownership, gun-carrying practices, and weapons-related incidents in the United States -- specifically, gun use and other weapons used in self-defense against humans and animals. Data were gathered using a national random-digit-dial telephone survey. The respondents were comprised of 1,905 randomly-selected adults aged 18 and older living in the 50 United States. All interviews were completed between May 28 and July 2, 1996. The sample was designed to be a representative sample of households, not of individuals, so researchers did not interview more than one adult from each household. To start the interview, six qualifying questions were asked, dealing with (1) gun ownership, (2) gun-carrying practices, (3) gun display against the respondent, (4) gun use in self-defense against animals, (5) gun use in self-defense against people, and (6) other weapons used in self-defense. A "yes" response to a qualifying question led to a series of additional questions on the same topic as the qualifying question. Part 1, Survey Data, contains the coded data obtained during the interviews, and Part 2, Open-Ended-Verbatim Responses, consists of the answers to open-ended questions provided by the respondents. Information collected for Part 1 covers how many firearms were owned by household members, types of firearms owned (handguns, revolvers, pistols, fully automatic weapons, and assault weapons), whether the respondent personally owned a gun, reasons for owning a gun, type of gun carried, whether the gun was ever kept loaded, kept concealed, used for personal protection, or used for work, and whether the respondent had a permit to carry the gun. Additional questions focused on incidents in which a gun was displayed in a hostile manner against the respondent, including the number of times such an incident took place, the location of the event in which the gun was displayed against the respondent, whether the police were contacted, whether the individual displaying the gun was known to the respondent, whether the incident was a burglary, robbery, or other planned assault, and the number of shots fired during the incident. Variables concerning gun use by the respondent in self-defense against an animal include the number of times the respondent used a gun in this manner and whether the respondent was hunting at the time of the incident. Other variables in Part 1 deal with gun use in self-defense against people, such as the location of the event, if the other individual knew the respondent had a gun, the type of gun used, any injuries to the respondent or to the individual that required medical attention or hospitalization, whether the incident was reported to the police, whether there were any arrests, whether other weapons were used in self-defense, the type of other weapon used, location of the incident in which the other weapon was used, and whether the respondent was working as a police officer or security guard or was in the military at the time of the event. Demographic variables in Part 1 include the gender, race, age, household income, and type of community (city, suburb, or rural) in which the respondent lived. Open-ended questions asked during the interview comprise the variables in Part 2. Responses include descriptions of where the respondent was when he or she displayed a gun (in self-defense or otherwise), specific reasons why the respondent displayed a gun, how the other individual reacted when the respondent displayed the gun, how the individual knew the respondent had a gun, whether the police were contacted for specific self-defense events, and if not, why not.

In the United States in 2023, ** percent of Republicans reported that they owned at least one gun, and ** percent said that they lived in a household with a gun. In comparison, only ** percent of Democrats owned at least one gun, and ** percent lived in 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 ******* 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 politicians tend to put significant emphasis on their gun control policies and are overall more in favor of 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.

This statistic illustrates the estimated rate of civilian-owned firearms per 100 residents in 2017, by country. In that year, there were an estimated ***** civilian-owned firearms per 100 residents in the United States.

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, ** percent of American men personally owned a firearm, compared to ** percent of women.

This data collection consists of a survey of private ownership of firearms by adults in the United States. Respondents who both did and did not own firearms were included. The variables cover topics such as the number and type of guns owned privately, methods of, and reasons for, firearms acquisition, the storage and carrying of guns, the defensive use of firearms against criminal attackers, and reasons for and against firearm ownership. Basic demographic variables include sex, age, education, and employment.

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

Firearms Market Size

The Global Firearms Market is experiencing steady growth, driven by rising defense expenditures, increasing civilian ownership, and advancements in weapon technology. Valued at USD 41.4 Billion in 2023, the market is projected to reach nearly USD 76.3 Billion by 2033, expanding at a CAGR of 6.30% from 2024 to 2033. The demand is supported by military modernization programs, growing concerns over personal safety, and the popularity of shooting sports, making firearms a critical component across both defense and civilian sectors.

The firearms market refers to the industry involved in the manufacturing, distribution, and sales of firearms for various uses including defense, personal safety, law enforcement, and recreational activities. This market encompasses different types of weapons such as handguns, rifles, and automatic weapons, serving civilian, military, and government clientele. It is influenced heavily by societal needs, technological innovation, and regulatory policies shaping demand and supply characteristics.

Top driving factors for the firearms market include the increasing concern for personal safety and self-defense amid rising crime rates and urban threats. Many individuals purchase firearms to protect themselves and their property. Additionally, the defense sector's growing budgets and modernization efforts strongly push demand for advanced weapons. Recreational activities such as hunting and shooting sports further stimulate interest in this market. Together, these elements create a stable base for firearms' steady and diverse use.

According to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, firearm ownership in the United States remains widespread, with about 32% of adults personally owning a gun and another 10% living in households where someone else does. This means roughly 46% of U.S. households have at least one firearm, though ownership rates vary significantly by state, ranging from 64% in Montana to only 8% in New Jersey.

Findings from a June 2023 Pew Research Center survey highlight notable demographic differences. Gun ownership is reported by 40% of men compared to 25% of women. Geographic factors are also influential, with ownership at 47% among rural residents, 30% in suburban areas, and 20% in urban communities. These figures illustrate how lifestyle and location strongly shape firearm prevalence.

Political affiliation and ethnicity further affect ownership patterns. About 45% of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents report owning guns, compared to just 20% of Democrats and Democratic leaners. By race, ownership stands at 38% among White Americans, followed by 24% of Black Americans, 20% of Hispanic Americans, and 10% of Asian Americans, underscoring the cultural and social dimensions of firearm possession in the U.S.

Introduction: Firearm legality and ownership have been contentious topics in American culture, due to the well-documented, yet preventable, health and safety risks. States vary in the amount of firearm ownership, as well as firearm mortality and injury rates. Objectives: The primary aim of this project is to compare two states, New Jersey and Texas, on the likelihood of firearm violence occurring to each state's citizens. The variables of gun ownership, firearm mortalities, and firearm injuries are compared and visualized to understand if living in one state is safer than living in the other. Methods: Data analysis focused on connecting and comparing the two states with variables pointing to firearm safety/danger. Line graphs compare the two states and firearm injuries and mortalities over a sixteen-year period as well as number of firearms per state. Scatterplots show a correlation, if any, between number of firearms and injuries/mortalities in the two states. Results: Texas had a consistently higher mortality rate by firearms (excluding suicides) for each year of the seventeen years. Texas also led in firearm injuries from the years 2000-2010, 2012, and 2014-2016, but not in 2011 and 2013. New Jersey consistently has a lower mortality rate (3.5 and under per 100,000) and lower gun ownership (.11 and under per household). Texas’ data has both a higher mortality rate (between 3.8 and 4.8 per 100,000) and a higher gun ownership rate (.34 to .40 per household). With a few exceptions from the years 2011 and 2013, the state data points are clustered to show the relationship between gun ownership and firearm injuries to be high/high for Texas and low/low for New Jersey. Conclusions: From the years 2000-2016 it is, on average, 20% less likely that one will be injured by a firearm and 30% less likely that one will be killed by a firearm if one were to live in New Jersey instead of Texas, causing the conclusion that it is safer to live in New Jersey than in Texas.

Gun ownership in the United States is the highest in the world, and constitutionally protected by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. Firearms are widely used in the United States for self-defence, hunting, and recreational uses, such as target shooting.

Source: https://www.kaggle.com/datasets/nidzsharma/us-mass-shootings-19822023

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Data columns:

• 0 case
• 1 location
• 2 date
• 3 summary
• 4 fatalities
• 5 injured
• 6 total_victims
• 7 location.1
• 8 age_of_shooter
• 9 prior_signs_mental_health_issues - Cleaned
• 10 mental_health_details - Cleaned
• 11 weapons_obtained_legally
• 12 where_obtained
• 13 weapon_type
• 14 weapon_details
• 15 race - cleaned
• 16 gender - cleaned
• 17 latitude - filled from location with Google Maps API
• 18 longitude - filled from location with Google Maps API
• 19 type
• 20 year - retrieved from date column
• 21 quarter - retrieved from date column
• 22 half - retrieved from date column
• 23 month_name - retrieved from date column
• 24 day_of_week - retrieved from date column
• 25 age_group - "Teenage", "Early Adulthood", "Middle Adulthood", "Old Age"
• 26 decade - retrieved from date
• 27 name - retrieved from splitting summary
• 28 current_age - retrieved from splitting summary
• 29 description - retrieved from splitting summary

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, ** percent of Americans aged 55 years old and over personally owned a firearm, compared to ** percent of those aged 18 to 34 years old, and ** percent of those aged between 35 and 54 years old.

The civilian self-defense rifle market is experiencing robust growth, driven by increasing concerns about personal safety and home security. This demand is further fueled by factors such as rising crime rates in certain regions, political instability in some areas, and a growing preference for self-reliance among consumers. The market is segmented by rifle type (light, standard, heavy) and application (hunting, shooting sports, self-defense), with the self-defense application segment exhibiting particularly strong growth. Considering the provided data and industry trends, we can reasonably estimate the 2025 market size to be approximately $2.5 billion USD, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6% projected through 2033. This signifies a substantial market expansion and significant investment opportunities within the sector. This growth is not uniform across all regions. North America, particularly the United States, currently holds the largest market share due to high gun ownership rates and a strong culture of self-defense. However, increasing demand is observed in other regions as well, particularly in countries experiencing social or political instability. Europe and Asia-Pacific markets are projected to see notable growth, driven by factors such as increased awareness of personal safety and the rising popularity of shooting sports. The market's growth, however, faces certain restraints including stricter gun control regulations in some countries and rising manufacturing costs. This necessitates manufacturers to focus on innovative designs, enhanced features, and efficient supply chain management to navigate these challenges and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

The State Firearm Database catalogs the presence or absence of 134 firearm safety laws in 14 categories covering the 26-year period from 1991 to 2019. The classification system categorizes state firearm provisions using a methodology that both captures differences and maintains a level of comparability between states. Because of this, the database is not the most detailed nor the most comprehensive record of all state firearm policies. Other resources may provide users with a deeper understanding of individual provisions, while this database serves as an efficient way to compare the broad scope of state firearm laws across the country. These provisions covered 14 aspects of state policies, including regulation of the process by which firearm transfers take place, ammunition, firearm possession, firearm storage, firearm trafficking, and liability of firearm manufacturers. In addition, descriptions of the criteria used to code each provision have been provided so that there is transparency in how various law exemptions, exceptions, and other nuances were addressed.

Context:

The State Firearm Laws project aims to provide researchers with the data necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of various firearm laws. By carefully monitoring how gun legislation impacts firearm-related violence, we can provide policymakers with the evidence they need to make gun ownership safer for everyone.

Ammunition regulations establish rules for anyone in the business of buying or selling firearm ammunition. Federal regulation of firearm ammunition usually accompanies the regulation of firearms, rather than existing independently. For example, the federal age requirements for ammunition purchase, by type of firearm and type of dealer, are the same as those for the purchase of firearms, and the populations that are prohibited from possessing firearms are also prohibited from possessing firearm ammunition.

Content:

Data covers all 50 US States, 1991-2017 and includes:

• Vendor license required to sell ammunition.
• Records of ammunition sales must be retained by the dealer.
• Permit required to purchase ammunition.
• Background checks required for ammunition purchases.
• Sale of ammunition is restricted to the same categories of those who are legally allowed to purchase firearms.
• Purchase of any type of ammunition restricted to those ages 18 and older.
• Purchase of handgun ammunition restricted to those ages 21 and older.

Acknowledgements:

One-hundred of the 133 provisions were coded by Michael Siegel, MD, MPH, Boston University School of Public Health, with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Evidence for Action: Investigator-Initiated Research to Build a Culture of Health program (grant #73337), using data derived from the Thomson Reuters Westlaw legislative database. The other 33 provisions were coded using a database created by Everytown for Gun Safety and Legal Science, LLC. Shared in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-4.0 International License, which is incorporated herein by this reference. No changes were made to the original coding, but the data were adapted for use in this database. See the codebook for a list of which provisions were coded by which source. Additional materials include an associated report and related publications.

Inspiration:

• Which states have seen the most increase in regulation? Any decrease?
• Can you correlate gun laws and homicides from this dataset?

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, ** percent of white Americans reported that they personally owned a firearm, compared to ** percent of non-white respondents.

Context

1 in 4 mass shooting victims were children and teens. In the years between 2009 and 2020, the horrific scenes of mass shootings have haunted the nation’s collective conscience.US states with weaker gun laws and higher gun ownership rates have higher rates of mass shootings. Mass shooting is defined as any incident in which four or more people are shot and killed, excluding the shooter. The number of mass shootings that plague this country is far too high, and the counts are just a small fraction of the lives left forever changed after the tragedy of a mass shooting. So here is the data for list of mass shootings in United States from 2018 - 2022.

Content

This dataset has five csv files of years 2018 - 2022. Each data contains following attributes - Date : The date on which the mass shooting incident happened - State : The state where the incident took place - Dead : total number of people died in mass shooting - Injured: total number of people who got injured in mass shooting- - Total : total of dead and injured people - Description : description/short report of the incident which may include information like gender/place etc. Data for 2022 Mass shootings will be updated every 15 days!

Acknowledgements

This data was scraped from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mass_shootings_in_the_United_States using BeautifulSoup.

Image banner by Wall Street Journal

Inspiration

• EDA and Viz.
• Which state has highest number of mass shootings
• Contextual analysis of the description column
• Trend of mass shooting in past years
• Number of people killed/injured on an average in a month.

Check out my other works

• Datasets
• Notebooks

Vehicle Gun Safe Market Outlook

According to our latest research, the global vehicle gun safe market size reached USD 1.21 billion in 2024, reflecting the increasing demand for secure firearm storage solutions in vehicles worldwide. The market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 7.3% during the forecast period, with the total market value projected to reach USD 2.28 billion by 2033. This robust growth is primarily driven by rising concerns over firearm safety, stringent regulatory frameworks, and heightened consumer awareness regarding responsible gun ownership, particularly in regions with high gun ownership rates and evolving vehicle security standards.

One of the most significant growth drivers for the vehicle gun safe market is the global escalation in firearm ownership rates, especially in North America and parts of Europe. As more individuals lawfully acquire firearms for personal protection, hunting, or sporting activities, the necessity for safe storage within vehicles has become paramount. This trend is further amplified by the growing prevalence of concealed carry permits and the need for compliance with state and national regulations mandating secure transportation of firearms. The market has also benefited from the increasing number of vehicles on the road and the rising demand for aftermarket vehicle accessories, including security solutions tailored to firearm storage.

Technological advancements have played a crucial role in shaping the trajectory of the vehicle gun safe market. The integration of biometric and electronic locking mechanisms has significantly elevated the security and convenience of these safes, making them more appealing to tech-savvy consumers and law enforcement agencies alike. Enhanced materials such as reinforced steel and advanced composites have improved durability and resistance to tampering, further boosting consumer confidence. Moreover, the proliferation of e-commerce platforms and specialty stores has made vehicle gun safes more accessible, allowing consumers to compare features and prices with ease, thereby fueling market expansion.

Regulatory factors and public safety campaigns have also contributed to the growth of the vehicle gun safe market. Governments and advocacy groups worldwide continue to emphasize the importance of responsible firearm storage, both at home and in transit. This has led to stricter enforcement of laws requiring firearms to be secured in locked containers while in vehicles, particularly in the United States, Canada, and parts of Europe. Additionally, insurance companies are increasingly offering incentives or discounts to policyholders who utilize certified vehicle gun safes, further incentivizing adoption across both personal and professional user segments.

From a regional perspective, North America remains the dominant market for vehicle gun safes, accounting for over 53% of the global revenue in 2024. This is largely due to the United States' high rate of firearm ownership and robust regulatory landscape. However, Europe and Asia Pacific are emerging as significant growth regions, driven by rising security concerns, increased law enforcement budgets, and growing consumer awareness. Latin America and the Middle East & Africa, while representing smaller shares, are witnessing steady growth as governments and private entities invest in enhanced vehicle security infrastructure.

Product Type Analysis

The vehicle gun safe market is segmented by product type into portable vehicle gun safes, console vehicle gun safes, under-seat vehicle gun safes, and others. Portable vehicle gun safes are particularly popular among personal firearm owners who require flexibility and ease of transport. These safes are designed to be lightweight yet robust, featuring secure locking mechanisms and compact dimensions that allow users to move them between vehicles or even take them into their homes or offices. The demand for portable safes is driven by the increasing number of individuals carrying firearms

This chart offers a detailed view of the estimated sales amounts for Firearms & Weapons stores across different regions. In United States, the sales figures are particularly impressive, with the region generating $13.18B, which accounts for 86.67% of the total sales in this category. Canada follows with robust sales, totaling $103.32M and representing 0.68% of the overall sales. Australia also contributes significantly to the market with sales amounting to $86.63M, making up 0.57% of the total. These numbers not only illustrate the economic vitality of each region in the Firearms & Weapons market but also highlight regional consumer preferences and spending power.

Abstract (en): This nationally representative, anonymous, household telephone survey was conducted to explore the distribution of privately owned firearms in the United States, as well as firearm acquisition, disposal, and storage in households with guns. The study updates an earlier (1994) study by Cook and Ludwig that examined household firearm ownership in the United States (Cook P.J., Ludwig J. Guns in America: Results of a comprehensive national survey of firearms ownership and use. Washington DC: Police Foundation 1997.) Other domains of the survey included (1) past year firearm use both by respondents with firearms in their households and those without (e.g., "In the past 12 months, have you handled any gun"); (2) guns and youth (e.g., "In the last 12 months, have you ever asked another parent whether their home contains guns?"); (3) awareness of and opinions regarding state and federal firearm laws (e.g., "To the best of your knowledge, does your state have a law that holds adults liable for misuse of their guns by children or minors"; "Do you favor or oppose the sale of military style firearms?"); (4) depression and suicide (e.g., "If the Golden Gate Bridge had a barrier to prevent suicide, about how many of the 1,000 jumpers (who have committed suicide by jumping off the bridge since 1937) do you think would have found some other way to kill themselves?") and (5) aggressive driving (e.g., "In the past 12 months, have you made obscene or rude gestures at another motorist"). The survey also included extensive demographic information about the respondent and his or her family. The demographic information that was collected includes respondents' sex, age, race, education level, household income, criminal arrest history, armed forces membership status, type of residential area (e.g., urban or rural), and political philosophy. For individual level estimates, the sample can be weighted by the number of household adults. For household level estimates, the sample can be weighted by the number of working telephones in the household. ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection: Performed consistency checks.; Checked for undocumented or out-of-range codes.. Response Rates: Of the 31,302 telephone numbers called for the study, 91.1 percent did not result in an interview. Of these, 41.4 percent were ineligible numbers (e.g., non-residential, line out of service, quota reached for state). For an additional 39.2 percent, an interview did not take place after the maximum number of calls (10) had been made for one of the following reasons: only an answering machine picked up, he line was always busy, the line was never answered or the potential respondent was never available. Only 19 percent of the numbers called that did not result in an interview were refusals. Adults (18 years of age and older) living in the United States in households with at least one working telephone. Smallest Geographic Unit: state The sample was a random sample of all U.S. adults living in households with telephones (including new and unlisted numbers, but excluding cell phones). For a full description of sampling methods, see: Johnson, R.M., M. Miller, M. Vriniotis, D. Azrael, D. Hemenway. "Are Household Firearms Stored Less Safely in Homes With Adolescents?" Analysis of a National Random Sample of Parents, Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 160, 8 (August 2006), 788-792. Funding insitution(s): Joyce Foundation (Award #26765). computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI)