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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
Venezuela37.31
El Salvador36.51
Guatemala32.49
United States Virgin Islands27.09
Colombia24.90
Brazil23.32
Puerto Rico21.10
Bahamas20.43
Belize19.66
Honduras19.32

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.

204 Rows

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)
Brazil49,43723.3219.81%47,5103.37%21.93
United States37,04010.7214.85%13,0010.44%3.966
Mexico22,11916.908.87%20,5092.78%16.41
India14,7111.015.9%7,9770.08%0.571
Colombia13,17124.905.28%12,5965.1%26.361
Venezuela10,59937.314.25%9,3384.99%33.273
Philippines9,26883.71%9,0281.41%8.05
Guatemala5,98132.492.4%5,1655.45%29.06
Nigeria5,1032.192.05%3,4820.22%1.62
Iraq4,4249.611.77%2,6491.47%6.291
Ethiopia3,7122.811.49%2,2930.41%2.131
South Africa3,6105.641.45%2,9370.56%5.28
Argentina3,3097.241.33%1,7090.49%3.792
Pakistan2,9481.171.18%1,7210.11%0.77
Thailand2,8043.911.12%2,3510.47%3.35
Russia2,4801.710.99%1,1450.06%0.781
El Salvador2,31436.510.93%2,3015.72%36.78
Turkey2,2322.550.89%9670.21%1.19
Kenya2,0983.720.84%1,5330.52%3.05
France2,0973.150.84%2220.04%0.342
Honduras2,09219.320.84%1,9783.73%20.15
Haiti1,97516.780.79%1,2681.27%10.22
Tanzania1,6852.460.68%1,1590.33%2.04
Bangladesh1,5800.910.63%1,2350.15%0.78
Dominican Republic1,52513.340.61%1,2881.82%11.84
DR Congo1,3251.210.53%3820.07%0.44
Somalia1,3136.910.53%7830.42%3.851
Ecuador1,1276.210.45%9891.07%5.62
China1,1260.080.45%3340%0.02
Uganda1,1082.220.44%7990.33%1.94
Mali1,1054.510.44%8410.42%3.831
Germany1,0201.210.41%840.01%0.1
Ivory Coast1,0173.180.41%7070.39%2.72
Burkina Faso9924.210.4%6820.34%3.011
Mozambique9912.860.4%5950.22%2.011
Ukraine9172.420.37%2890.04%0.66
Peru8792.570.35%5110.33%1.5
Canada8752.200.35%1700.06%0.471
Iran8730.950.35%5250.13%0.62
Egypt8160.700.33%3670.07%0.37
Italy7971.340.32%2250.03%0.37
Niger7782.880.31%5280.26%2.271
Zambia7423.480.3%5370.43%2.951
Puerto Rico68421.100.27%6391.94%18.14
Morocco6591.730.26%1710.07%0.48
Paraguay6249.010.25%5131.5%7.41
Chad6233.070.25%3800.24%2.321
Afghanistan6211.460.25%4340.17%1.131
Cameroon5892.020.24%2880.14%0.991
Saudi Arabia5341.570.21%800.06%0.22
Vietnam5060.500.2%1280.02%0.13
Chile5032.540.2%3450.31%1.9
Ghana4781.390.19%2290.11%0.73
Guinea4773.230.19%2830.25%2.241
Yemen4721.160.19%2430.14%0.77
Panama45910.160.18%4492.26%10.8
Bolivia4523.640.18%3060.4%2.54
Sudan4510.890.18%2070.1%0.51
Madagascar4471.400.18%1090.1%0.591
Indonesia4390.150.18%1530.01%0.06
Benin4242.930.17%2750.29%2.171
Costa Rica4208.190.17%3551.45%7.521
Angola4171.100.17%1610.09%0.53
Jamaica39713.980.16%3081.56%10.97
Uruguay38311.310.15%1400.41%4.074
Myanmar3650.670.15%2110.05%0.39
Eritrea35410.010.14%2410.55%3.61
Malawi3181.470.13%0.09%0.591
Sri Lanka3111.350.12%2230.16%1.02
Spain3030.630.12%700.02%0.15
Serbia3004.450.12%790.07%0.92
South Sudan2952.470.12%2020.28%2.181
Togo2682.820.11%1760.33%2.221
Palestine2654.820.11%2311.39%4.67
Algeria2540.540.1%1350.07%0.32
Zimbabwe2531.520.1%1190.09%0.793
Rwanda2511.760.1%1340.2%1.061
Senegal2411.300.1%630.07%0.421
Australia2400.900.1%450.03%0.18
Switzerland2392.680.1%180.03%0.212
Austria2372.600.09%130.02%0.151
Belgium2281.940.09%410.04%0.361
Nicaragua2253.250.09%1870.64%2.87
Burundi2221.580.09%310.04%0.261
Trinidad and Tobago22214.720.09%2171.84%15.62
Portugal2112.020.08%470.04%0.441
Kazakhstan2091.010.08%1070.08%0.58
Israel2012.140.08%950.2%1.021
Cambodia2001.130.08%1630.15%0.98
Jordan1951.690.08%1770.55%1.52
Nepal1920.650.08%300.02%0.1
Laos1922.470.08%1750.39%2.45
Central African Republic1873.510.07%590.09%1.121
Lesotho1817.740.07%1160.36%5.542
Syria1800.730.07%1460.17%1
Malaysia1790.500.07%1220.07%0.39
Czech Republic1661.550.07%170.01%0.161
United Kingdom1610.230.06%270%0.04
Finland1612.870.06%120.02%0.222
Sierra Leone1571.820.06%430.06%0.521
Sweden1511.420.06%240.03%0.241
Greece1481.470.06%410.03%0.39
Papua New Guinea1411.330.06%970.14%0.981
Bulgaria1211.790.05%400.03%0.57
Botswana1214.800.05%880.41%3.761
Poland1110.290.04%350.01%0.09
Belarus1081.190.04%450.04%0.48
Namibia1063.500.04%810.42%3.361
Georgia1032.710.04%460.09%1.25
Japan1000.080.04%270%0.02
Croatia982.530.04%160.03%0.372
North Korea930.350.04%360.02%0.14
Liberia931.660.04%400.13%0.831
Guyana9211.070.04%841.26%10.94
Republic of the Congo901.420.04%430.12%0.82
United Arab Emirates890.810.04%380.13%0.41
Mauritania891.720.04%630.3%1.57
Guinea Bissau873.950.03%550.37%2.892
Netherlands850.470.03%380.02%0.22
Lebanon821.410.03%700.21%1.35
Belize8219.660.03%673.34%16.22
Bahamas8220.430.03%812.97%21.52
Tunisia800.650.03%240.04%0.21
Cuba790.720.03%320.03%0.28
Norway771.380.03%40.01%0.071
Slovakia751.360.03%150.03%0.28
Libya700.950.03%460.15%0.68
Albania702.510.03%400.18%1.471
Eswatini655.230.03%430.37%3.76
Denmark641.070.03%80.01%0.141
Uzbekistan580.160.02%290.01%0.09
Hungary570.590.02%70.01%0.07
Turkmenistan570.760.02%330.1%0.64
Azerbaijan560.540.02%290.04%0.28
Taiwan510.220.02%300.02%0.13
Armenia511.710.02%210.07%0.68
Djibouti514.360.02%380.5%3.16
New Zealand490.940.02%70.02%0.15
Kyrgyzstan450.630.02%260.08%0.4
North Macedonia452.470.02%240.1%1.13
South Korea440.090.02%130%0.02
Cape Verde417.810.02%340.98%6.111
Tajikistan400.380.02%170.03%0.18
Bosnia and Herzegovina371.170.01%90.02%0.27
Slovenia361.700.01%40.02%0.21
Romania310.160.01%130%0.07
Mongolia310.890.01%80.03%0.23
Gambia301.090.01%50.04%0.221
Comoros303.460.01%210.43%2.991
Ireland290.550.01%90.03%0.18
Lithuania280.980.01%90.02%0.3
Gabon281.100.01%140.12%0.78
Solomon Islands283.420.01%120.19%1.771
Montenegro284.390.01%70.1%1.072
Suriname274.260.01%170.39%2.941
Latvia261.390.01%80.03%0.431
Moldova230.760.01%120.03%0.31
United States Virgin Islands2327.090.01%201.57%19.4
Saint Lucia2011.130.01%171.24%9.96
Kuwait190.390.01%150.15%0.34
Cyprus191.400.01%80.09%0.63
Estonia171.250.01%40.02%0.281
Equatorial Guinea150.790.01%90.12%0.62
Barbados155.310.01%120.4%4.19
Timor Leste130.930.01%110.14%0.83
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines1312.920.01%111.04%9.43
Greenland1017.910%10.25%2.1822
Bahrain90.560%60.15%0.43
Saint Kitts and Nevis919.210%71.43%12.08
Qatar70.230%40.09%0.14
Luxembourg71.040%10.03%0.231
Antigua and Barbuda66.400%20.3%2.04
Malta50.930%20.06%0.48
Oman40.080%10.01%0.03
Mauritius40.310%30.02%0.21
Bhutan40.510%10.02%0.11
Iceland41.020%0.01%0.061
Vanuatu41.220%0.02%0.161
Sao Tome and Principe41.700%30.31%1.55
Guam42.380%10.09%0.571
Singapore30.050%10%0.01
Samoa31.380%20.13%0.86
Seychelles21.530%20.24%1.89
Grenada21.710%10.09%0.72
Micronesia21.770%10.13%1.221
Dominica23.020%20.33%3.59
Marshall Islands25.330%10.15%1.091
Fiji10.110%10.02%0.15
Maldives10.190%10.06%0.18
Andorra11.220%0.01%0.09
Bermuda11.550%10.16%1.42
Northern Mariana Islands12.260%0.12%1.02
Monaco12.590%0.01%0.09
San Marino12.980%0.01%0.08
Brunei0%0.02%0.08
Kiribati0%0.04%0.38
Tonga0%0.03%0.2
American Samoa0%0.06%0.42
Palau0%0.07%0.86
Cook Islands0%0.02%0.17
Nauru0%0.18%1.12
Tuvalu0%0.12%1.1
Tokelau0%0.05%0.41
Niue0%0.05%0.64
Total3.06100%0%

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