The Top 5 Countries with the Most Gun Murders (1998 - 2000)

  Country Murders 1998 Murders 1999 Murders 2000 Total Murders
(1998 - 2000)
1 South Africa 34,383 33,702 31,918 100,003
2 Thailand 23,631 21,635 20,032 65,298
3 Colombia 18,910 19,678 21,898 60,486
4 United States 9,257 8,259 (missing data) 17,516
5 Mexico 3,286 4,390 3,589 11,265
Share on Social Media:
 Special Report
  1. Civilians own approximately 650 million guns (firearms) worldwide, roughly 75 per cent of the known total. US citizens alone own some 270 million of these, with about 90 firearms for every 100 people. There is roughly one gun (firearm) for every seven people worldwide. Without the United States, this drops to about one gun (firearm) per ten people. (a.)
  2. There are at least 875 million combined civilian, law enforcement, and military firearms in the world today. Organized destruction projects have eliminated at least 8.3 million small arms since 1991, three-quarters of which come from armed services. In addition, an unknown number are lost through accidental wastage. (a.)
  3. In Iraq, high demand from people buying weapons for security, crime, or conflict has pushed up the price of a basic wooden Kalashnikov assault rifles from $80 - $150 (USD) in 2003 to $400 - $800 (USD) in 2006. Assault rifles bought in African countries are around $200 (USD) cheaper than the world average. (a.)
  4. During an average year in the United States: 31,224 people die from gun violence. More than 100,000 of them are shot in murders, assaults, suicides, accidents or by police intervention. 12,632 people are murdered with guns. 3,067 children and teens die from gun violence. 683 children and teens commit suicide with guns. 351 people are killed by police intervention. 17,352 people kill themselves. 679 are shot and injured during police interventions. 66,768 people survive gun injuries. 613 people are killed accidently and 2,161 children and teens are murdered. (b.)
  5. On an average day in the United States: 8 children and teens die from gun violence. 268 people are shot in murders, assaults, suicides, accidents or by police intervention and 86 people die from gun violence, 35 of whom are murdered. (b.)
Top 5 facts sources:
  1. Small Arms Survey. (2007). "Small Arms Survey 2007: Guns and the City." Retrieved Jan 3, 2011.
  2. Grunwald, M. "The Tucson Tragedy: Fire Away" Time Magazine. Jan 24th, 2011. page: 25. Retrieved Jan 3, 2011.
Tags: Death Statistics, Top 5 Most, Crime & Punishment Statistics, Weapons and Arms Statistics

Sources:  Seventh United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems

List Notes: Data is total recorded intentional homicides committed with a firearm from the years 1998 to 2000. Homicide data for the United States is missing for the year 2000 in the United Nations Survey report, however it still ranks as number 4 on the list even with the missing data.
Countries with the Most Gun Murders <small>(1998 - 2000)</small>

Related Top 5 Lists