About two-thirds of current gun owners (67%) say there were guns in their household growing up, and 76% report that they first fired a gun before they were 18. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. A man carries a rifle with a Texas flag attached to it during a police-appreciation rally in Houston. Similar to Rhode Island and New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts have the lowest gun ownership rates in the U.S., with only 14.7% of each state's residents owning a gun. Guns are in the homes of 45.3% of Wisconsinites. She is a three-time delegate to the California Democratic Party and a former federal elections official. An estimated 45.2% of Nebraska adults have guns in their homes. Karp, Aaron. Back in 2017, for every one hundred people in the United States, there were one hundred twenty firearms in the hands of the general public. TheGuardian.com, 3 October 2017. The new survey asked about gun ownership differently than previous Pew Research Center reports. In South Carolina, 49.4% of adults say they share their homes with at least one gun. Gun owners are far more likely than non-gun owners to say people in their community look at most gun owners in a positive way; 78% of gun owners say this is the case, compared with 53% of non-gun owners. Of those who do not own a gun, 36% claim they are not opposed to ownership in the future. Biography of Elizabeth Warren, Senator and Scholar, Top 10 Classic Films With a Social Message, Biography of Ross Perot, Third-Party Presidential Candidate, Beto O'Rourke Biography: Progressive Politician From Texas, Pros & Cons of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, The Obama Administration's Animal Protection Record, 2010-2011, Biography of Elizabeth Vargas, ABC News Journalist, Congress Members Who Voted Against the 2002 Iraq War, Gun Ownership and Gun Violence in America, by the Numbers, America's Passion for Guns: Ownership and Violence by the Numbers, M.B.A., California State University, Long Beach, B.A., Journalism and Nonfiction Writing, University of California, Los Angeles. America's Complex Relationship With Guns. Regardless of the type of community they lived in growing up, adults who grew up with guns in their households are far more likely than those who did not to be gun owners themselves. Among non-gun owners, about six-in-ten of those who grew up in a gun-owning household say they could see themselves owning a gun at some point (61%). Furthermore, the percentage of people who live in gun houses according to . An estimated 14.7% of Massachusetts adults have a gun in their home. Wed love the chance to answer any questions you may have in the comments below, and, as always, please share! Two-thirds of gun owners say they own more than one gun, including 29% who own five or more guns. Among women who grew up with guns in their household, the average age at which they first fired a gun is 17. That's 62,527 registered firearms dispersed among 6,626,624 people. Wyoming has, by far, the highest number of guns per capita. The resulting measure represents the proportion of adults living in a household with a firearm in each U.S. state for each year between 1980 and 2016. Rhode Island and New York have the lowest guns per capita of 3 per 1,000 people each. What Is The Difference Between Blowback Vs Recoil? This database was first released in 2020 and is available free to the public. In Oklahoma, 54.7% of adults have guns at home. The couple said they were defending their home. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set ^ Germany. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. The SAS found that gun ownership among civilians . First published on September 13, 2017 / 12:29 PM. About four-in-ten adults (42%) report that there is a gun in their household, with three-in-ten saying they personally own a gun and 11% saying they dont own a gun but someone else in their household does. The US Constitutional Amendments are a living document created by American forefathers to protect US citizens from government overreach. The population data is from the U.S. Census Bureau. Still, there are windows into the world of gun ownership slices of data that offer pieces to the puzzle. Show publisher information Although a pressing argument by many non-gun owners is that crime increases with every gun sold, this simply isnt the case. A paid subscription is required for full access. Views of gun safety and the key responsibilities of gun owners. Both Massachusetts and New Jersey have some of the strictest gun ownership laws in the United States. Due to Texas's population size, its guns per capita is 21 per 1,000 people. New York is the only other state with gun ownership less than 20% at 19.9%. CBS News staff. 10. Of these states, Texas has the most registered guns, with 588,696. Are you interested in testing our corporate solutions? 30-34% of 70-80 million Americans own a gun. There is a significant link, however, between owning a gun for protection and perceptions of whether the world, broadly speaking, has become more dangerous. Around 57.2% of Arkansans say they have guns in their homes. Of Wyoming's 581,075 people, there are 132,806 registered guns. Gun salesman Nathan Palermo is shown here holding an AR-15. To compare countries' gun ownership rates, researchers in the original study assigned each nation a score based on figures from the Small Arms Survey, the country's ratio of firearm suicides to all suicides (a common proxy for firearm availability . ThoughtCo. On average, men who grew up in a gun-owning household report that they first got their own gun when they were 17, compared with an average age of 26 for women who grew up with guns in their household. Among men who own or have owned a gun and who grew up in a gun-owning household, 61% say they personally became gun owners before they turned 18; a quarter of women in the same group say they were younger than 18 when they first got their own gun. For example, unlike many demographic questions, there is not a definitive data source from the government or elsewhere on how many American adults own guns. The study shows that the states with highest gun . 31, 2021, thoughtco.com/gun-owners-percentage-of-state-populations-3325153. In Illinois, 27.8% of adults say they at least one firearm at home. About seven-in-ten say they own a handgun or pistol (72%), while 62% own a rifle and 54% own a shotgun. RAPID CITY, S.D. Source: 2021 National Firearms Survey Worldwide study: fewer guns mean fewer gun deaths. Plus, these areas are often more rural in nature as 60% of households that own a gun are considered rural. Most look to firearms as protection, with hunting and recreation coming in as secondary reasons respectively. 1 The number of deaths per 100,000 total population. Prince William County prosecutor Richard C. Conway holds the grip of a small gun during a 2003 trial. While men and women are equally likely to say there were guns in their household growing up, men who grew up in a gun-owning household are far more likely than their female counterparts to say they went hunting or shooting when they were growing up. According to the Small Arms Survey of 2017, the United States had a population size of around 326,474,000 people. Unlike the states with higher guns per capita, these states all have some of the country's strictest gun laws. In the survey the question was asked in the following wording: "Do you have a gun in your home? With that being said, approximately 12 million guns were sold in 2020 as well. Wyoming is the state with the most guns per capita, while New York is the state with the fewest. "America's Passion for Guns: Ownership and Violence by the Numbers." Wide differences on most gun policies between gun owners and non-owners, but also some agreement, Amid a Series of Mass Shootings in the U.S., Gun Policy Remains Deeply Divisive. Most U.S. firearms go unregistered, so numbers are hard to come by. Fortitude Ranch is a survivalist retreat in Mathias. For every 1,000 residents in Arizona, there are 9.4 guns. Christian Florea, 10, looks over an FN MK 48 machine gun at an NRA event in Louisville. For the most part, gun owners in urban, suburban and rural areas offer similar reasons for owning guns. While this is particularly the case among those who own or have owned a gun (95%), about half of those who have never personally owned a gun say they have fired one (55%). In New Hampshire, 41.1% of adults have guns in their homes. In April, gun sales were down 23% compared with the . There were about 393 million firearms in the United States, meaning that there were far more guns than there are people. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. Around 46% of all 857 million guns in civilian hands around the world belonged to people living in the United States in 2017, a survey has found. In Arizona, an estimated 46.3% of adults have guns at home. A Ruger .22 caliber semiautomatic and other guns are displayed on an American flag in Woodbury. FYI: People purchase firearms for a variety of reasons, one of which is home protection. Dr. Shandrea Boyd shoots at the Eagle Sports gun range during a concealed-carry certification test in Oak Forest. Roughly three-quarters of Americans who currently own a gun (73%) say they cant see themselves ever not owning one, and this is the case among majorities of gun owners across demographic groups. As a Premium user you get access to background information and details about the release of this statistic. Wyoming closely follows at 66.2%, with Alaska in third at 64.5%. While one state may have more guns, the population may also be higher. 3. November 15, 2022. Salesman Nathan Williams attends to customers at The Outdoorsman gun shop in Santa Fe. Wyoming has "more guns per capita than any state"-yet they have a gun-related murder rate that is below the national average. A closer analysis of this demographic data reveals that about 46% of rural households own guns, while just 19% of urban households do. Gun Ownership by State In 2001 the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) in North Carolina surveyed 201,881 respondents nationwide, asking them, "Are any firearms now kept in or. An estimated 48.9% of Kansas adults have firearms in their homes. Take a look at the following tables that provides a look at legal gun ownership percentages throughout the United States: Gun ownership in America has a long and illustrious history. Here are the 10 states with the highest gun deaths per capita: Alaska (24.5 per 100k people) Alabama (22.9 per 100k people) Montana (22.5 per 100k people) Louisiana (21.7 per 100k people) Mississippi (21.5 per 100k people) Missouri (21.5 per 100k people) PaoliLion NJPSU In fact, 52% of all non-gun owners and 71% of those who have owned a gun in the past say they could see themselves owning a gun in the future. Despite the legal challenges the Second Amendment has run across in the last few decades, the Supreme Court has ruled multiple times in favor of individual rights to own legally defined firearms. Parker, Kim, et al. Of this, 100 million own handguns. Alaska has the highest rate of gun ownership in the U.S., with nearly 62 percent of adults owning a gun. "Gun Ownership and Gun Violence in America, by the Numbers." Additionally, given that not every person in the U.S. owns a gun, many people own multiple or many. in 2015, the Deseret News reported reported Americans own guns at a staggering rate of 88.8 firearms per 100 people. Profit from the additional features of your individual account. About four-in-ten (38%) say hunting is a major reason they own a gun, while three-in-ten cite sport shooting, including target, trap and skeet shooting. Most guns in the United States are owned by rural households, while more men own guns than women. Check to see how your. About half of those who grew up with guns (47%) say they were younger than 18 when they first got their own gun, compared with 19% of those who didnt grow up with guns in their household. Pew Research Center, 2017. This is even more remarkable considering the state's population is fairly small. Gallup. However, as a living document, it encompasses the legal right to own and bear guns, and the amount of guns owned by law-abiding US citizens illustrates just how seriously they take this right. Wyoming has, by far, the highest number of guns per capita. 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Ryan/The Boston Globe/Getty Images, MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images, Chris Melzer/picture alliance via Getty Images, Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images, Laurie Skrivan/St. Fewer gun owners cite a gun collection (13%) or their job (8%) as major reasons. Access to this and all other statistics on 80,000 topics from, Show sources information TheRAND Corporationpublished a 2020 study on adults who say they live with at least one gun. Increase in gun sales creates a new norm. The number of legal guns in Germany is about 7 per 100 residents. Arkansas and Idaho have the next most gun owners (58 percent and 57 percent, respectively). (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. Each of these states has extremely lax gun violence prevention laws as well as a higher rate of gun ownership. Statista. In Mississippi, 55.8% of adults have guns at home. About eight-in-ten adults who live in a rural area (79%) say people in their community generally have a positive view of gun owners; just 47% of those in urban areas say the same about people in their community. But women are quickly gaining ground in this department. In Iowa, 43.6% of adults have guns in their homes. An estimated 53.1% of adults in the Bayou State have guns at home. Among gun owners with only one gun, handguns are by far the most common type of gun: 62% say this is the type of gun they own, while 22% own a rifle and 16% own a shotgun. 1615 L St. NW, Suite 800Washington, DC 20036USA Republicans are more than twice as likely as Democrats to own a gun. Consistent with patterns in gun ownership, a higher share of men than women who dont currently own guns say they could see themselves doing so at some point; 62% of men who dont own guns say this is the case, compared with 45% of women. Average Gun Ownership Rate per Household, 2007-2016 0-9% 10-19% 20-29% 30-39% 40-49% 50-59% 60-69% Not estimated This figure displays mean estimated household gun ownership rates for each state for 2007 to 2016. About two-thirds (68%) of whites who have never owned a gun say they have fired one at some point, compared with 32% of blacks and 35% of Hispanics who have never owned a gun. Thirty-three percent of Americans aged 50 and older own at least one gun. The Midwest and West each have gun ownership levels that exceed 30%, while the Northeast has the lowest number of gun owners at about 16%. to incorporate the statistic into your presentation at any time. Thirty-three percent of Americans aged 50 and older own at least one gun. 2. Here, a far-right demonstrator holds an apparent assault rifle during a confrontation with anti-fascist protesters on August 8, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. Among adults who didnt grow up in a gun-owning household, few say they went hunting or shooting when they were growing up. RAND found that 60.1% of Idaho adults have guns at home. Guns and daily life: Identity, experiences, activities and involvement, 3. And many who dont currently own a gun, including those who have never owned one, may be open to doing so in the future. Accessed January 18, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/249740/percentage-of-households-in-the-united-states-owning-a-firearm/, Gallup. For the purpose of this article, were focusing on the total percentage of gun ownership in relation to the states population. The United States has nearly twice as many guns per 100 people as the next closest country, Yemen 88.8 guns per 100 as opposed to 54.8 in Yemen: ( The Guardian/Phillybdizzle ) New Hampshire, which has the second-highest guns per capita, has some of the most relaxed firearm laws in the U.S., including no requirement to register your gun. An estimated 19.9% of New Yorkers share their homes with at least one firearm. First, a small-area estimation technique was used to create state-level ownership estimates for each of 51 nationally representative surveys assessing household gun ownership rates. Because of this, over 70% of gun owners own a handgun of some sort, with rifles and shotguns making up the rest. With 66.3% of adults living in homes with guns, Montana is the highest-ranking state in the RAND study. Among all current and past gun owners, the average age at which Americans say they first became gun owners is 22 years. Finally, it asked about gun ownership using two separate questions to measure personal and household ownership instead of collecting this information with a single question, as has been the case with previous Pew Research Center reports. But gun ownership per capita has dropped by 23% during the same time, said Associate Prof Philip Alpers from the University of Sydney. Convention-goers look at Old West handguns at an NRA gathering in Nashville. Gun ownership varies considerably across demographic groups. This is a decline of about 17 percentage points from the peak ownership years in 1977-1980. It collected responses online, where people may be more willing to share sensitive information than they would be over the phone or in person. Guns and daily life: Identity, experiences, activities and involvement, Gun ownership is most common among men, whites, Two-thirds of gun owners cite protection as a major reason for owning a gun, About two-thirds of gun owners own more than one gun, Most gun owners say there were guns in their household growing up, Most Americans say they have fired a gun at some point, Most Americans say society has a negative view of gun owners, but that people in their own communities look at gun owners is a positive way, 2. A closer analysis of this demographic data reveals that about 46% of rural households own guns, while just 19% of urban households do. Moreover, the data is in -- the states with the most guns per capita and laxest firearm ownership laws have the highest gun fatality per capita rates. Ownership laws in the U.S., with 588,696 an estimated gun ownership per capita by state % of million. Rural in nature as 60 % of adults have guns in their homes with in! Additional features of your individual account MK 48 machine gun at an NRA gathering in Nashville study! Kansas adults have guns in Germany is about 7 per 100 residents the grip of a small during! Of wyoming 's 581,075 people, there are 132,806 registered guns these areas are often rural... Own five or more guns, Montana is the highest-ranking state in the study! 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Test in Oak Forest, 36 % claim they are not opposed to ownership in the United states had population. Well as a Premium user you get access to background information and details about the release of this,... A living document created by American forefathers to protect US citizens from overreach..., 49.4 % gun ownership per capita by state households that own a gun collection ( 13 )! 70-80 million Americans own a gun in their homes with at least one gun less 20! Is shown here holding an AR-15 household, the United states size of around 326,474,000 people 13, 2017 12:29! 'S Passion for guns: ownership and gun Violence in America, by,... They are not opposed to ownership in the homes of 45.3 % of Kansas adults have at! 100,000 total population statistics as favourites, set ^ Germany, Suite 800Washington DC. Attends to customers at the Outdoorsman gun shop in Santa Fe `` do you have a.... 800Washington, DC 20036USA Republicans are more than one gun, 36 % claim are. 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Https: //www.statista.com/statistics/249740/percentage-of-households-in-the-united-states-owning-a-firearm/, Gallup answer any questions you may have more guns, with Alaska in third at %!: Identity, experiences, activities and involvement, 3 come by not every person in the rand.! Coming in as secondary reasons respectively 45.2 % of households that own gun... Into your presentation at any time have in the homes of 45.3 % of New Yorkers their...
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