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The Top 5 Countries with the Most Guns (firearms) Per Capita
| Country | Firearms (per 100 Persons) |
Total Civilian Firearms | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 120.5 | 393,300,000 |
| 2 | Yeman | 52.8 | 14,900,000 |
| 3 | Montenegro | 39.1 | 245,000 |
| 4 | Serbia | 39.1 | 2,719,000 |
| 5 | Canada | 34.7 | 12,708,000 |
Special Report
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.)
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.)
Out of the 857 million civilian held guns estimated in 2017, 393 million are owned in the United States, which are more than those held by civilians in all the other top 25 countries combined. Even after adjusting for population, it is clear that the United States far outnumbers other countries. The United States has 4% of the world’s population, but its civilians hold almost 40% of the world’s firearms.
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.)
It is interesting to note that even though Canada makes the number 5 spot on our list for the number of firearms per capita, the murder rate by firearms in Canada, at 2.1 deaths per 100,000, is far less than the United States at 5.9 deaths per 100,000.
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:- Small Arms Survey. (2007). "Small Arms Survey 2007: Guns and the City." Retrieved Jan 3, 2011.
- Grunwald, M. "The Tucson Tragedy: Fire Away" Time Magazine. Jan 24th, 2011. page: 25. Retrieved Jan 3, 2011.
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Top 5 Most, Weapons and Arms Statistics
Sources: The Graduate Institute Small Arms Survey 2022: Global Firearms Holdings
List Notes: Data is Countries with the Most Guns (firearms) Per Capita per 100 persons from 178 countries (averaged from high and low estimates). Data includes legally and illegally acquired firearms. The Small Arms Survey is produced annually by a team of researchers based in Geneva, Switzerland, and a worldwide network of local researchers.
Sources: The Graduate Institute Small Arms Survey 2022: Global Firearms Holdings
List Notes: Data is Countries with the Most Guns (firearms) Per Capita per 100 persons from 178 countries (averaged from high and low estimates). Data includes legally and illegally acquired firearms. The Small Arms Survey is produced annually by a team of researchers based in Geneva, Switzerland, and a worldwide network of local researchers.
