Gun Deaths by Country

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Gun deaths are a concern for any country that has firearms.

The gun debate in the U.S. has raged for decades, but how does the U.S. compare to the rest of the world?

Which countries have the most deaths due to guns?

Gun Deaths by Country

What is Considered a Gun Death?

It’s tempting to equate gun deaths with homicides, but homicides only account for a percentage of deaths due to firearms.

Homicide and suicide are the most common causes of death due to guns.

Accidental deaths and deaths due to law enforcement are also included in gun deaths.

This means that gun deaths should not be considered an indication of a country’s crime rate.

Gun violence is a different metric.

Gun violence counts as any act of violence that involves a firearm, regardless of whether or not it causes death.

This includes armed robbery, assault with a gun, and shootings.

Measuring Gun Deaths

There are two ways to measure gun deaths.

The first is the total number of deaths in a country in a given time period, which is usually one year.

The other way to measure gun deaths is by considering the population.

Generally, the more people in a country, the more gun deaths you can expect.

When a smaller population has a higher rate of gun deaths, this is an indication there’s a more serious gun problem.

Total Gun Deaths

Brazil has the highest number of gun deaths, with 49,437.

The country also has the highest number of homicides in the world, with 64,000 in 2019.

73% of these homicides involved guns.

The U.S. is next on the list, with 37,040 deaths each year.

Mexico is next on the list, with 22,118.

India has the next highest rate, at 14,712.

Lowest Gun Deaths

Generally, the countries with very low gun deaths also have small populations.

However, this is only one factor in their low rates.

They also have peaceful populations.

Bhutan, Mauritius, Oman, Iceland, and Guam have 4 gun deaths each year.

Micronesia, Samoa, and Singapore have 3 deaths each year.

Grenada, Maldives, and Fiji have 2 deaths each year.

Monaco, Bermuda, Brunei, American Samoa, and Marshall Islands have 1 gun death each year.

Gun Deaths by Population

Gun deaths by population measure the number of gun deaths per every 100,000 residents.

When you take a look at the gun deaths based on the population, the lists change significantly.

For example, the U.S. is 2nd in total gun deaths, but 22nd in gun deaths by population.

Venezuela has the most gun deaths by population, with 36.7.

The total deaths are 10,599.

However, the country is relatively small, which explains the discrepancy.

El Salvador is next, with 36.34, despite having only 2,313 total deaths.

Guatemala is third.

Guatemala has a rate of 33.06, and 5,982 total deaths.

Brazil has the highest number of total gun deaths.

Their rate per 100,000 is 22.85, which puts them in 6th.

Lowest Gun Deaths by Population

Singapore has the lowest rates of gun death by population, with a rate of .05, and 3 total gun deaths.

China is the next lowest, with a rate of .079, and 1,126 total deaths.

Their large population helps keep the rate exceedingly low.

Japan is next on the list, with a rate of .082, and 101 total gun deaths.