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Gun Deaths by Country 2024

Snapshot

  • Over 250,000 people died from firearms in 2019, with the majority of deaths being homicides, especially in countries like Brazil and the United States.

  • Latin America experiences high gun violence due to factors like gang activity and drug trafficking, with countries like Venezuela and El Salvador having high homicide rates.

  • Countries like Japan, the UK, and Australia, with strict gun control laws, have significantly lower rates of gun deaths.

Gun-related deaths are tragically common. 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.

Gun-related violence occurs all around the world, including (to a lesser extent) countries in which guns are illegal. However, 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. Gun deaths are considered an epidemic in the United States (which leads the world in civilian gun ownership) by many people, particularly those on the left side of the political spectrum.

Countries with the Highest Total Gun Deaths (all causes) in 2019

Country
All Causes 2019 (#)
Brazil49,437
United States37,040
Mexico22,119
India14,711
Colombia13,171
Venezuela10,599
Philippines9,268
Guatemala5,981
Nigeria5,103
Iraq4,424

Nearly nine out of 10 people killed by gun violence in 2019 were men. The highest number of homicide deaths occurred among people 20-24 years old, while the highest number of gun-enabled suicides happened among those aged 55-59. Brazil recorded the world's highest number of total gun deaths from all causes combined, with 49,436 out of 250,227 worldwide. The United States has the second-highest number of gun deaths with 37,038.

That said, if one isolates the violent gun deaths and adjusts for population size by expressing the rate as the number of homicides per 100k people, the list changes significantly.

Countries with the Highest Rates of Violent Gun Death (Homicides) per 100k residents in 2019

Country
Firearm-related death rate
El Salvador36.18
Venezuela36.06
Guatemala32.58
Colombia25.16
United States Virgin Islands23.46
Brazil22.72
Puerto Rico20.93
Bahamas19.75
Belize19.68
Honduras19.44

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.

Gangs are much less of an issue in the United States, yet it is second only to Brazil on the list in total gun deaths. Many people understandably assume the high number of gun deaths in the U.S. is due to mass shootings, which receive frequent attention from the media. In truth, mass shootings account for only a small percentage of gun deaths in the United States. Rather, nearly two-thirds (63%) of gun deaths in the US in 2019 were suicides.

Countries with the Highest Rates of Firearm-Related Suicide (per 100k) in 2019

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 incentives or passed legislation to decrease the number of firearms in circulation. For example, in July 2021, Australia implemented a permanent gun amnesty program, in which unregistered firearms could be anonymously surrendered at police stations.

Japan boasts a population of more than 127 million people, yet finished 2019 with a gun death rate of only .02 per 100,000 people. One major factor in this success is that Japan has some of the strictest gun control laws in the world. For Japanese citizens to purchase a gun, they must attend an all-day class, pass a written exam, and complete a shooting range test, scoring at least 95% accuracy. Candidates will also receive a mental health evaluation, performed at a hospital, and will have a comprehensive background check done by the government. Only shotguns and rifles can be purchased. The class and exam must be retaken every three years.

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Country
All Causes 2019 (#)
Firearm-related death rate (per 100k)
% of World Gun Deaths
Violence (#)
Violence (% of Country Deaths)
Violence (Rate per 100k)
Suicide Rate (per 100k)
Brazil49,43722.7219.81%47,5103.37%21.930
United States37,04010.8414.85%13,0010.44%3.966
Mexico22,11917.108.87%20,5092.78%16.410
India14,7111.025.9%7,9770.08%0.571
Colombia13,17125.165.28%12,5965.1%26.361
Venezuela10,59936.064.25%9,3384.99%33.273
Philippines9,2687.783.71%9,0281.41%8.050
Guatemala5,98132.582.4%5,1655.45%29.060
Nigeria5,1032.232.05%3,4820.22%1.620
Iraq4,4249.511.77%2,6491.47%6.291
Ethiopia3,7122.861.49%2,2930.41%2.131
South Africa3,6105.921.45%2,9370.56%5.280
Argentina3,3097.181.33%1,7090.49%3.792
Pakistan2,9481.201.18%1,7210.11%0.770
Thailand2,8043.901.12%2,3510.47%3.350
Russia2,4801.720.99%1,1450.06%0.781
El Salvador2,31436.180.93%2,3015.72%36.780
Turkey2,2322.590.89%9670.21%1.190
Kenya2,0983.730.84%1,5330.52%3.050
France2,0973.230.84%2220.04%0.342
Honduras2,09219.440.84%1,9783.73%20.150
Haiti1,97516.640.79%1,2681.27%10.220
Tanzania1,6852.430.68%1,1590.33%2.040
Bangladesh1,5800.900.63%1,2350.15%0.780
Dominican Republic1,52513.340.61%1,2881.82%11.840
DR Congo1,3251.250.53%3820.07%0.440
Somalia1,3137.020.53%7830.42%3.851
Ecuador1,1276.130.45%9891.07%5.620
China1,1260.080.45%334 0.020
Uganda1,1082.220.44%7990.33%1.940
Mali1,1054.600.44%8410.42%3.831
Germany1,0201.230.41%840.01%0.100
Ivory Coast1,0173.440.41%7070.39%2.702
Burkina Faso9924.160.4%6820.34%3.011
Mozambique9912.840.4%5950.22%2.011
Ukraine9172.420.37%2890.04%0.660
Peru8792.530.35%5110.33%1.500
Canada8752.240.35%1700.06%0.471
Iran8730.970.35%5250.13%0.620
Egypt8160.710.33%3670.07%0.370
Italy7971.360.32%2250.03%0.370
Niger7782.760.31%5280.26%2.271
Zambia7423.510.3%5370.43%2.951
Puerto Rico68420.930.27%6391.94%18.140
Morocco6591.720.26%1710.07%0.480
Paraguay6248.980.25%5131.5%7.401
Chad6233.310.25%3800.24%2.321
Afghanistan6211.430.25%4340.17%1.131
Cameroon58920.24%2880.14%0.991
Saudi Arabia5341.420.21%800.06%0.220
Vietnam5060.510.2%1280.02%0.130
Chile5032.560.2%3450.31%1.900
Ghana4781.370.19%2290.11%0.730
Guinea4773.280.19%2830.25%2.241
Yemen4721.340.19%2430.14%0.770
Panama45910.140.18%4492.26%10.800
Bolivia4523.600.18%3060.4%2.540
Sudan4510.910.18%2070.1%0.510
Madagascar4471.440.18%1090.1%0.591
Indonesia4390.160.18%1530.01%0.060
Benin4243.010.17%2750.29%2.171
Costa Rica4208.010.17%3551.45%7.521
Angola4171.100.17%1610.09%0.530
Jamaica39714.050.16%3081.56%10.970
Uruguay38311.190.15%1400.41%4.074
Myanmar3650.660.15%2110.05%0.390
Eritrea3549.270.14%2410.55%3.601
Malawi3181.480.13%0.09%0.591
Sri Lanka3111.420.12%2230.16%1.020
Spain3030.640.12%700.02%0.150
Serbia3004.230.12%790.07%0.902
South Sudan2952.620.12%2020.28%2.181
Togo2682.890.11%1760.33%2.221
Palestine2654.820.11%2311.39%4.670
Algeria2540.550.1%1350.07%0.320
Zimbabwe2531.490.1%1190.09%0.793
Rwanda2511.740.1%1340.2%1.061
Senegal2411.320.1%630.07%0.421
Australia2400.900.1%450.03%0.180
Switzerland2392.700.1%180.03%0.212
Austria2372.640.09%130.02%0.151
Belgium2281.950.09%410.04%0.361
Nicaragua2253.150.09%1870.64%2.870
Burundi2221.630.09%310.04%0.261
Trinidad and Tobago22214.430.09%2171.84%15.620
Portugal2112.060.08%470.04%0.441
Kazakhstan2091.050.08%1070.08%0.580
Israel2012.160.08%950.2%1.021
Cambodia2001.170.08%1630.15%0.980
Jordan1951.710.08%1770.55%1.520
Nepal1920.610.08%300.02%0.100
Laos1922.480.08%1750.39%2.450
Central African Republic1873.160.07%590.09%1.121
Lesotho1817.680.07%1160.36%5.542
Syria1800.740.07%1460.17%1.000
Malaysia1790.520.07%1220.07%0.390
Czech Republic1661.580.07%170.01%0.161
United Kingdom1610.240.06%27 0.040
Finland1612.900.06%120.02%0.222
Sierra Leone1571.750.06%430.06%0.521
Sweden1511.410.06%240.03%0.241
Greece1481.440.06%410.03%0.390
Papua New Guinea1411.340.06%970.14%0.981
Bulgaria1211.830.05%400.03%0.570
Botswana1214.450.05%880.41%3.761
Poland1110.280.04%350.01%0.090
Belarus1081.140.04%450.04%0.480
Namibia1064.010.04%810.42%3.361
Georgia1032.770.04%460.09%1.250
Japan1000.080.04%27 0.020
Croatia982.460.04%160.03%0.372
North Korea930.350.04%360.02%0.140
Liberia931.680.04%400.13%0.831
Guyana9211.230.04%841.26%10.940
Republic of the Congo901.440.04%430.12%0.820
United Arab Emirates890.930.04%380.13%0.410
Mauritania891.780.04%630.3%1.570
Guinea Bissau873.960.03%550.37%2.892
Netherlands850.480.03%380.02%0.220
Lebanon821.570.03%700.21%1.350
Belize8219.680.03%673.34%16.220
Bahamas8219.750.03%812.97%21.520
Tunisia800.640.03%240.04%0.210
Cuba790.710.03%320.03%0.280
Norway771.400.03%40.01%0.071
Slovakia751.320.03%150.03%0.280
Libya701.010.03%460.15%0.680
Albania702.480.03%400.18%1.471
Eswatini655.320.03%430.37%3.76
Denmark641.080.03%80.01%0.141
Uzbekistan580.160.02%290.01%0.090
Hungary570.570.02%70.01%0.070
Turkmenistan570.860.02%330.1%0.640
Azerbaijan560.540.02%290.04%0.280
Taiwan510.210.02%300.02%0.130
Armenia511.840.02%210.07%0.680
Djibouti514.430.02%380.5%3.160
New Zealand490.930.02%70.02%0.150
Kyrgyzstan450.660.02%260.08%0.400
North Macedonia452.160.02%240.1%1.13
South Korea440.090.02%13 0.020
Cape Verde416.780.02%340.98%6.111
Tajikistan400.390.02%170.03%0.180
Bosnia and Herzegovina371.160.01%90.02%0.270
Slovenia361.700.01%40.02%0.201
Romania310.160.01%13 0.070
Mongolia310.890.01%80.03%0.230
Gambia301.060.01%50.04%0.221
Comoros303.460.01%210.43%2.991
Ireland290.570.01%90.03%0.180
Lithuania281.040.01%90.02%0.300
Gabon281.130.01%140.12%0.780
Solomon Islands283.700.01%120.19%1.771
Montenegro284.470.01%70.1%1.072
Suriname274.290.01%170.39%2.941
Latvia261.440.01%80.03%0.431
Moldova230.690.01%120.03%0.310
United States Virgin Islands2323.460.01%201.57%19.40
Saint Lucia2011.060.01%171.24%9.960
Kuwait190.440.01%150.15%0.340
Cyprus191.500.01%80.09%0.630
Estonia171.290.01%40.02%0.281
Equatorial Guinea150.850.01%90.12%0.620
Barbados155.310.01%120.4%4.190
Timor Leste130.940.01%110.14%0.830
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines1312.540.01%111.04%9.430
Greenland1017.610%10.25%2.1822
Bahrain90.600%60.15%0.430
Saint Kitts and Nevis918.810%71.43%12.08
Qatar70.260%40.09%0.140
Luxembourg71.060%10.03%0.231
Antigua and Barbuda66.330%20.3%2.040
Malta50.930%20.06%0.480
Oman40.080%10.01%0.030
Mauritius40.310%30.02%0.210
Bhutan40.500%10.02%0.110
Iceland41.060%0.01%0.061
Vanuatu41.170%0.02%0.161
Sao Tome and Principe41.690%30.31%1.550
Guam42.300%10.09%0.571
Singapore30.050%1 0.010
Samoa31.310%20.13%0.860
Grenada21.580%10.09%0.720
Micronesia21.720%10.13%1.221
Seychelles21.850%20.24%1.890
Dominica22.730%20.33%3.590
Marshall Islands24.720%10.15%1.091
Fiji10.110%10.02%0.150
Maldives10.190%10.06%0.180
Andorra11.240%0.01%0.090
Bermuda11.560%10.16%1.420
Northern Mariana Islands120%0.12%1.02
Monaco12.770%0.01%0.09
San Marino12.970%0.01%0.08
Total3.08100%
showing: 194 rows

Which country has the most gun deaths?

Brazil has the most gun deaths, according to the most recent statistics from 2019. Brazil had 49,436 gun deaths in 2019.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources