15 Stats Reveal America’s Relationship With Firearms
America’s relationship with firearms is nuanced. As the nation grapples with questions of safety, access, and the role of firearms in society, it becomes evident that the conversation surrounding weapons is not only multifaceted but also influenced by political affiliations and personal beliefs. These are 15 statistics showing where Americans currently stand on firearm topics.
1: Want Stricter Laws
According to Gallup polling, 57% of Americans want stricter laws covering the sale of firearms. While some states require background checks and waiting periods when purchasing a weapon, many states make it relatively easy to buy a firearm.
2: Keep Firearms Close
Almost half of the country (45%) says they have a firearm on their property. Of that 45%, most said the weapon was in their home rather than a garage or outbuilding. This is close to the 1994 peak when 51% of Americans reported owning a firearm.
3: Worried About Weapons
Though many Americans choose to own a firearm, they also express worry about others having access to them. Forty-four percent of poll respondents reported worrying a “great deal” about the availability of guns.
4: Dissatisfied With Legislation
In 2023, the majority of Americans (63%) said they were dissatisfied with the nation’s overall firearm policy. In December 2023, the Justice Department passed model legislation to assist states in creating firearm safety laws. But otherwise, little has been done to curb firearm violence on a federal level.
5: Don’t Ban Firearms
While Americans want stricter regulations, they are adamantly against banning weapons. The vast majority (73%) said the government should not ban handguns.
6: Need It For Safety
In the past decade, the number of Americans who purchased a firearm for self-protection significantly increased. In 2005, 67% of poll respondents said they owned a firearm to protect against crime. In 2022, that percentage jumped to 88%.
7: Mass Shooting Fears
Many Americans worry that mass shootings will affect them personally. Just under half of poll respondents (48%) said they were very or somewhat worried that a family member would be a mass shooting victim. According to BBC reports, mass shootings in the US have increased by 8% since 2020.
8: Assault Rifle Bans
The nation is divided on whether an assault rifle ban would be beneficial. When asked about semi-automatic weapons, 55% said they should be illegal to manufacture or sell, and 44% said they should remain legal.
9: Weapon Access Leads To Violence
Over one-third of Americans feel that easy access to firearms makes mass shootings more common. However, many thought the spread of extremist viewpoints was also a major factor.
10: Want Background Checks
A massive majority of Americans (92%) say they want background checks to be required for firearm purchases. Currently, only 20 states have background check regulations in place.
11: The Minority Against Background Checks
The minority who were against federally mandated background checks claimed such a law would violate their Second Amendment rights. Some also noted that background checks don’t stop illegally purchased weapons.
12: Waiting Periods Are Popular
Most Americans also want to implement 30-day waiting periods when purchasing a weapon. In polling, 77% of respondents said they would be in favor of waiting period legislation.
13: Preventing School Shootings
When it comes to school shootings in particular, most Americans said they believed background checks for firearm purchases, better training for first responders, and more school security checkpoints could be an effective means of prevention.
14: School Security Over Firearm Laws
When asked whether Congress and the President should focus more on school security and mental health or on firearm laws, most Americans chose the former. Fifty-six percent of respondents said they wanted the government to focus on mental health and school security rather than firearm laws.
15: A Partisan Issue
While 91% of Democrats support implementing nationwide stricter firearm laws, only 24% of Republicans feel the same. Just under half of independent voters (45%) side with Democrats on this issue.
States With the Highest and Lowest Firearm Fatality Rates
Most Americans would agree that too many citizens lose their lives to firearms. However, some states have higher rates of firearm fatalities than others. These are the states with the most and least annual firearm fatalities.
States With the Highest and Lowest Firearm Fatality Rates Ranked From 1 to 50
