16 Firearm Ownership Statistics Showing Where the Divide Is and Isn’t
A stark divide persists between American citizens advocating for minimal firearm regulation and those pushing for more restrictions. Despite this, there are some aspects in which most seem to share the same views. Here are 16 statistics showing where Americans disagree or share common ground.
1: Gender Divide
According to Pew Research Center, approximately 40% of men in the U.S. report owning a firearm. Only 25% of women can say the same. Among non-firearm owners, 50% of males said they were likely to purchase one in the future, while only 40% of women reported the same.
2: Rural vs City
While 47% of rural Americans own a firearm, only 20% of those in urban areas do. Many cities and densely populated states, like New York, have strict firearm regulations, while laws tend to be more lenient in rural areas.
3: Race
Thirty-eight percent of White Americans own a firearm. The number of firearm owners significantly decreases with other races. For example, only 10% of Asians report owning a firearm.
4: Education Difference
Most firearm owners have graduated high school or had some college education. In contrast, those with college degrees and postgraduate work under their belts are less likely to own a firearm.
5: Personal Protection
The vast majority of firearm owners say they purchased their weapons for self-protection. Fewer people own one for hunting and sport shooting.
6: Feeling Good
71% of firearm owners say they enjoy owning their weapons. However, there’s an interesting divide between political parties in this area. Republicans are significantly more likely to report enjoying gun ownership than Democrats.
7: Future Ownership
About half of non-firearm owners say they would never purchase a weapon, but the other half says they could see themselves with one in the future.
8: Safety
Americans are split on whether firearms increase safety or not. Forty-nine percent of Americans say that firearm ownership amongst law-abiding citizens makes the country safer as a whole. The other half of the population disagrees.
9: A Problem
Six out of ten Americans believe that firearm violence is a major issue today. There have been over 500 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2023.
10: Violence May Rise
Most Americans (62%) believe that firearm violence will increase over the next five years. Homicides have seen modest decreases in recent years, but firearm deaths overall seem to be increasing, especially among teens.
11: Too Easy To Obtain
Sixty-one percent of Americans think it’s too easy to legally obtain a firearm. Though laws vary greatly from state to state, many parts of the U.S. have few restrictions on firearm ownership.
12: Current Laws
Only 26% of Americans believe current firearm regulations are enough. The vast majority favor stricter laws on purchasing and owning a weapon.
13: Worried For Schools
Thirty-two percent of American parents are worried about a shooting at their children’s school. Many of these parents said they also believed better mental health screening and tools could curb violence in schools.
14: Concealed Carry
The majority of Americans are against concealed carry laws that don’t require a permit. Twenty-five states currently allow permitless concealed carry.
15: Giving Firearms to Teachers
Seventy-four percent of Republicans say they would support arming teachers and support staff in K-12 schools. Democrats disagree; only 27% of Democrats said they would support such a measure.
16: Mental Health Screenings
Most Americans want to prevent people with mental illnesses from owning a firearm. Eighty-seven percent of current firearm owners and 89% of non-owners supported putting measures in place to prevent this.
Firearm Ownership Rates by State Ranked From 1 to 50
Do you know which states have the highest and lowest rates of firearm ownership? Find out where your state stands.
Firearm Ownership Rates by State Ranked From 1 to 50
14 Hygiene Habits Abroad Americans View as Unhygienic
What Americans see as hygienic doesn’t always hold true in the rest of the world. From using a twig as a toothbrush to washing one’s hands in ash, these are some of the things non-Americans do that we see as unhygienic.
