The Aurora shooting has re-lit the arguments over gun control in
the US.
How does the US really compare on firearms? The world’s crime figures are collected by the UNODC through its annual crime survey. It has a special section of data on firearm homicides – and provides detailed information by size of population and compared to other crimes. It is not a perfect dataset – some key nations are missing from the data, including Russia, China and Afghanistan. But it does include the US, UK and many other developed nations.
The Small Arms Survey is also useful – although it is from 2007, it collates civilian gun ownership rates for 178 countries around the world, and has ‘normalised’ the data to include a rate per 100,000 population.
So, given those caveats, we can see which countries have the highest ownership rates for firearms – and which have the highest gun murder rates.
The key facts are:
• The US has the highest gun ownership rate in the world – an average of 88 per 100 people. That puts it first in the world for gun ownership – and even the number two country, Yemen, has significantly fewer – 54.8 per 100 people
• But the US does not have the worst firearm murder rate – that prize belongs to Honduras, El Salvador and Jamaica. In fact, the US is number 28, with a rate of 2.97 per 100,000 people
• Puerto Rico tops the world’s table for firearms murders as a percentage of all homicides – 94.8%. It’s followed by Sierra Leone in Africa and Saint Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean
The full data is below – what can you do with it?
Data summary
Gun murders and ownership
Click heading to sort table. Download this data
SOURCES: UNODC Small arms survey
Albania
65.9
56
1.76
70
8.6
270,000
Algeria
4.8
20
0.06
78
7.6
1,900,000
Angola
34
17.3
2,800,000
Anguilla
24
1
7.14
Argentina
52
1,198
3.02
62
10.2
3,950,000
Armenia
13
9
0.29
52
12.5
380,000
Australia
11.5
30
0.14
42
15
3,050,000
Austria
29.5
18
0.22
14
30.4
2,500,000
Azerbaijan
6.5
11
0.12
115
3.5
290,000
Bahamas
61.2
52
15.37
98
5.3
17,000
Bahrain
0
0
0
18
24.8
180,000
Bangladesh
43.6
1,456
1.12
169
0.5
700,000
Barbados
40
8
2.99
76
7.8
21,000
Belarus
2.5
12
0.12
79
7.3
710,000
Belgium
39.5
70
0.68
34
17.2
1,800,000
Belize
52.3
68
21.82
62
10
29,000
Benin
137
1.4
120,000
Bermuda
0
0
0
Bhutan
115
3.5
22,000
Bolivia
119
2.8
260,000
Bosnia and Herzegovina
24.7
18
0.48
34
17.3
675,000
Botswana
102
4.9
87,000
Brazil
70.8
34,678
18.1
75
8
14,840,000
Brunei
0
0
0
137
1.4
5,400
Bulgaria
29.7
51
0.67
88
6.2
480,000
Burkina Faso
149
1.1
148,000
Burundi
145
1.2
200,000
Cambodia
36.7
187
1.44
109
4.3
600,000
Cameroon
119
2.8
340,000
Canada
32
173
0.51
13
30.8
9,950,000
Cape Verde
96
5.4
9,500
Central African Republic
153
1
40,000
Chad
149
1.1
109,000
Chile
37.3
353
2.16
59
10.7
1,750,000
China
102
4.9
40,000,000
Colombia
81.1
12,539
27.09
91
5.9
2,700,000
Comoros
127
1.8
11,000
Congo
122
2.7
100,000
Congo, Dem Rep
33.2
248
1.56
137
1.4
800,000
Costa Rica
57.3
201
4.59
64
9.9
430,000
Côte d´Ivoire
124
2.4
400,000
Croatia
34.7
17
0.39
26
21.7
950,000
Cuba
4.4
27
0.24
104
4.8
545,000
Cyprus
26.3
5
0.46
6
36.4
275,000
Czech Republic
11
20
0.19
38
16.3
1,600,000
Denmark
31.9
15
0.27
54
12
650,000
Djibouti
119
2.8
22,000
Dominican Republic
65.5
1,618
16.3
99
5.1
450,000
East Timor
177
0.3
3,000
Ecuador
68.7
1,790
12.73
142
1.3
370,000
Egypt
69.1
453
0.57
115
3.5
1,900,000
El Salvador
76.9
2,446
39.9
92
5.8
400,000
England and Wales
6.6
41
0.07
88
6.2
3,400,000
Equatorial Guinea
29
19.9
100,000
Eritrea
169
0.5
20,000
Estonia
3.9
3
0.24
65
9.2
123,000
Ethiopia
174
0.4
320,000
Fiji
169
0.5
4,000
Finland
19.8
24
0.45
4
45.3
2,400,000
France
9.6
35
0.06
12
31.2
19,000,000
Gabon
46
14
190,000
Gambia
157
0.8
123,000
Georgia
13.3
24
0.55
79
7.3
330,000
Germany
26.3
158
0.19
15
30.3
25,000,000
Ghana
174
0.4
80,000
Greece
34.9
29
0.26
23
22.5
2,500,000
Grenada
0
0
0
Guatemala
84
5,009
34.81
49
13.1
1,650,000
Guinea
145
1.2
110,000
Guinea-Bissau
129
1.6
25,000
Guyana
61.3
85
11.46
45
14.6
110,000
Haiti
164
0.6
190,000
Honduras
83.4
5,201
68.43
88
6.2
500,000
Hong Kong
0
0
0
Hungary
5
7
0.07
93
5.5
560,000
Iceland
0
0
0
15
30.3
90,000
India
7.6
3,093
0.26
110
4.2
46,000,000
Indonesia
169
0.5
1,000,000
Iran
79
7.3
3,500,000
Iraq
8
34.2
9,750,000
Ireland
42
21
0.48
70
8.6
360,000
Israel
11.7
6
0.09
79
7.3
500,000
Italy
66.7
417
0.71
55
11.9
7,000,000
Jamaica
75.6
1,080
39.4
74
8.1
215,000
Japan
1.8
11
0.01
164
0.6
710,000
Jordan
38.8
26
0.49
58
11.5
630,000
Kazakhstan
12.5
210
1.34
142
1.3
200,000
Kenya
86
6.4
740,000
Korea, North
164
0.6
130,000
Korea, South
1.7
14
0.03
149
1.1
510,000
Kosovo
30
19.5
415,000
Kuwait
18
24.8
630,000
Kyrgyzstan
8.3
28
0.54
156
0.9
45,000
Laos
145
1.2
71,000
Latvia
4.6
5
0.22
32
19
280,000
Lebanon
36.5
31
0.76
28
21
750,000
Lesotho
122
2.7
47,000
Liberia
13.2
17
0.43
129
1.6
51,000
Libya
40
15.5
900,000
Liechtenstein
100
1
2.82
Lithuania
2.5
6
0.18
160
0.7
135,000
Luxembourg
42.9
3
0.62
41
15.3
70,000
Macedonia
62.5
25
1.21
20
24.1
490,000
Madagascar
157
0.8
150,000
Malawi
160
0.7
92,000
Malaysia
13.4
64
0.24
133
1.5
370,000
Maldives
62.5
5
1.63
85
6.5
21,000
Mali
149
1.1
143,000
Malta
0
0
0
55
11.9
48,000
Mauritania
129
1.6
50,000
Mauritius
2
1
0.1
44
14.7
180,000
Mexico
54.9
11,309
9.97
42
15
15,500,000
Moldova
3.3
8
0.22
83
7.1
300,000
Monaco
0
0
0
Mongolia
1.4
3
0.11
126
1.9
50,000
Montenegro
21
23.1
150,000
Morocco
101
5
1,500,000
Mozambique
99
5.1
1,000,000
Myanmar
111
4
2,000,000
Namibia
51
12.6
260,000
Nepal
13.3
84
0.3
159
0.8
205,000
Netherlands
30.7
55
0.33
112
3.9
510,000
New Zealand
13.5
7
0.16
22
22.6
925,000
Nicaragua
42.1
338
5.92
77
7.7
395,000
Niger
160
0.7
93,000
Nigeria
133
1.5
2,000,000
Northern Ireland
4.5
5
0.28
25
21.9
380,000
Norway
8.1
2
0.05
11
31.3
1,400,000
Oman
17
25.4
650,000
Pakistan
57
11.6
18,000,000
Panama
75
569
16.18
26
21.7
700,000
Papua New Guinea
145
1.2
71,000
Paraguay
56.1
466
7.35
37
17
1,000,000
Peru
50.8
757
2.63
33
18.8
750,000
Philippines
49.9
7,349
8.93
105
4.7
3,900,000
Poland
7.1
35
0.09
142
1.3
510,000
Portugal
33.8
44
0.41
72
8.5
900,000
Puerto Rico
94.8
692
18.3
Qatar
16.7
1
0.14
31
19.2
520,100
Romania
1.3
5
0.02
160
0.7
160,000
Russia
68
8.9
12,750,000
Rwanda
164
0.6
58,000
Saint Kitts and Nevis
85
17
32.44
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
30
6
5.49
Saudi Arabia
7
35
6,000,000
Scotland
93
5.5
280,000
Senegal
125
2
230,000
Serbia
33.1
45
0.46
5
37.8
3,050,000
Seychelles
96
5.4
4,600
Sierra Leone
87.7
128
2.28
164
0.6
34,000
Singapore
5.9
1
0.02
169
0.5
22,000
Slovakia
11.2
10
0.18
73
8.3
450,000
Slovenia
15.4
2
0.1
47
13.5
270,000
Solomon Islands
0
0
0
174
0.4
1,800
Somalia
66
9.1
750,000
South Africa
45
8,319
17.03
50
12.7
5,950,000
Spain
21.8
90
0.2
61
10.4
4,500,000
Sri Lanka
21.1
291
1.48
133
1.5
300,000
Sudan
93
5.5
2,000,000
Suriname
48
13.4
60,000
Swaziland
86
6.4
72,000
Sweden
33.9
37
0.41
10
31.6
2,800,000
Switzerland
72.2
57
0.77
3
45.7
3,400,000
Syria
112
3.9
735,000
Taiwan
15.9
128
0.56
106
4.4
725,000
Tajikistan
15.6
15
0.22
153
1
65,000
Tanzania
137
1.4
550,000
Thailand
39
15.6
10,000,000
Togo
153
1
60,000
Trinidad and Tobago
72.1
365
27.31
129
1.6
21,000
Tunisia
178
0.1
9,000
Turkey
16.9
535
0.77
52
12.5
9,000,000
Turkmenistan
2.4
5
0.1
114
3.8
180,000
Uganda
10.5
280
0.87
137
1.4
400,000
Ukraine
4.5
100
0.22
84
6.6
3,100,000
United Arab Emirates
24
22.1
1,000,000
United States
60
9,146
2.97
1
88.8
270,000,000
Uruguay
46.5
93
2.8
9
31.8
1,100,000
Uzbekistan
133
1.5
1,200,000
Venezuela
79.5
11,115
38.97
59
10.7
2,850,000
Vietnam
52.9
834
0.99
128
1.7
1,100,000
West Bank Gaza
72.4
105
2.95
118
3.4
125,000
Yemen
2
54.8
11,500,000
Zambia
11.7
28
0.35
68
8.9
230,000
Zimbabwe
65.6
598
4.78
106
4.4
400,000
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