Gun violence is the most common cause of death for children in the US

A 2018 study looked at 195 countries and territories, and found that in 2016 (the most recent year in the study) the US had a rate of 10.6 gun-related deaths per 100,000 people. This was considerably higher than countries such as France (2.7), Canada (2.1), Australia (1.0), Germany (0.9), and Spain (0.6).

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The US gun death rate is not that high when compared to some countries -

But the US had much lower gun death rates when compared to countries such as El Salvador (39.2 per 100,000 people), Venezuela (38.7), Guatemala (32.3), Colombia (25.9), and Honduras (22.5).

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Mass shooting death rates -

The definition of the term “mass shooting” is not universal. The FBI, for instance, classifies its data as “active shooter incidents,” which is defined as “one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.” According to this definition, 105 people died in 2023 (excluding the shooter).

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Mass shooting death rates -

The Gun Violence Archive uses another definition, which takes into account incidents where four or more people are shot (even when there are not fatal victims). According to this definition, 729 people died in 2023 (also excluding the shooter).

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Change in the number of mass shootings -

Without a clear definition it is harder to analyze data. Still, using the FBI's “active shooter incidents” definition, there has been an increase between 2000 (three incidents) and 2023 (48 incidents).

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Types of firearms most commonly used -

According to FBI data, handguns accounted for 59% of the murders and non-negligent manslaughters in the year 2023.

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Types of firearms most commonly used -

Rifles accounted for 3%, shotguns were used in 1% of murders, and the remainder were classified as “type not stated.”

Sources: (Pew Research Center) (CDC) (FBI) (IHME) (RAND Corporation) (Gun Violence Archive)

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Number of gun-related deaths per year -

The most recent data available from the CDC, is from 2023. In that year, 46,728 people died from gun-related injuries in America.

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Number of gun-related deaths per year (what's included) -

This number includes gun murders and those who’ve taken their own lives with a gun.

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Number of gun-related deaths per year (what's included) -

The figure also takes into account unintentional deaths, deaths where law enforcement was involved, and those who died in undetermined circumstances.

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Exclusions -

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Gun suicides -

The majority of gun deaths in the US are suicides. In 2023, 27,300 people took their own lives with a gun. This represents 58% of all gun-related deaths in the country.

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Murders -

When it comes to murders, the number was 17,927, which accounts for 38% of gun-related deaths in the US in 2023.

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Other deaths -

When it comes to the other three categories, there were 535 unintentional deaths, 611 gun-related deaths where law enforcement was involved, and 400 people died in undetermined circumstances.

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How many murders involved a gun? -

Quite a lot. In 2023, 79% of murders involved a firearm.

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Record -

The 2021 number (48,830) is the highest since 1968, which is as far back as the CDC online records go.

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How many suicides involved a gun? -

In 2023, 27,300 suicides involved a gun.

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Suicide number remained stable -

Unlike the murder data, this percentage remained stable throughout the last few years.

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How the number of gun deaths have changed over the years -

The numbers have been slightly decreasing since 2021, except in gun deaths among children which are increasing every year.

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How the number of gun deaths have changed over the years -

The figure is 17,6% higher than the one five years earlier, and it also indicated a whopping 39% increase from the previous decade.

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Gun murder -

In 2023, there were 17,927 gun murders. This shows a 8,7% decrease from 2022.

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Gun murder increase -

This represents a 24% increase from 2019 and a 28% increase over five years. The 2020 figure indicates a 60% increase in a decade.

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Gun suicide increase -

Considering the 2023 figure, the number of gun suicides went up 12% over five years and 29% over 10 years.

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Gun suicide increase -

2023 had the most gun suicides when compared to any other year (27,300).

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Rate change over the years -

The numbers do not account for the growing population. Analyzing the data on a per capita basis, there were 13.7 gun deaths per 100,000 people in 2023.

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Rate change over the years -

The rate is the highest ever since the 1990s, but in 1974 the US had a peak of 16.3 gun deaths per 100,000 people, which was considerably higher than the 2023 figure.

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Gun murder rate is below its peak - In 2023, there were 5.3 gun murders per 100,000 people, whereas in 1974 the rate was 7.2.

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Gun suicide rate is below its peak -

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The states with higher rates of gun deaths -

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The states with the lower rates of gun deaths -

The states with the lowest number of gun-related deaths in 2020 were Massachusetts (3.7), New Jersey (4.6), New York (4.7), Rhode Island (4.8), and Connecticut (6.2).

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US gun death rate is high when compared to some countries -

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The US gun death rate is not that high when compared to some countries -

But the US had much lower gun death rates when compared to countries such as El Salvador (39.2 per 100,000 people), Venezuela (38.7), Guatemala (32.3), Colombia (25.9), and Honduras (22.5).

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Mass shooting death rates -

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Mass shooting death rates -

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Change in the number of mass shootings -

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Types of firearms most commonly used -

According to FBI data, handguns accounted for 59% of the murders and non-negligent manslaughters in the year 2023.

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Types of firearms most commonly used -

Rifles accounted for 3%, shotguns were used in 1% of murders, and the remainder were classified as “type not stated.”

Sources: (Pew Research Center) (CDC) (FBI) (IHME) (RAND Corporation) (Gun Violence Archive)

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Gun violence is the most common cause of death for children in the US

What is the number of gun deaths in America?

29/04/25 | StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE Statistics

Since 2020, gun violence has been the leading cause of death among children and teenagers living in the US, ahead of car accidents and illnesses like cancer. In 2023, 2,581 children and teenagers were killed by a firearm. These shocking numbers put the US in a category all of its own. No other comparable countries have gun violence as a leading cause of death for children—in fact, it doesn't even make the top four list elsewhere.

In this gallery, we looked at statistics published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FBI, among other organizations, to try and answer some pertinent questions about gun deaths in America. Click on and take a look at the numbers.