Gun Violence

INTRODUCTION

This page shows statistics about gun violence including homicide rates.

Charts

1. Civilian Guns per 100 People and Homicides per Million People 

2. Homicide Rate in Old West Compared to Present

3. Registered Guns per 500 People and Homicides per 100,000 People by Region of UnitedStates

The chart suggests a broad relationship between the number of civilian firearms and homicide rates across these eight major Western countries. In general, countries with higher levels of gun ownership tend to have higher homicide rates. Firearms are one of the most effective and accessible tools for lethal violence, so greater availability can increase the likelihood that violent incidents result in death rather than injury.

The comparison focuses on large, developed, high-income Western countries, which helps reduce the impact of factors such as extreme poverty or political instability that can influence homicide rates elsewhere in the world. Within this group, the United States stands out dramatically. It has far higher levels of civilian gun ownership than any of the other countries and also the highest homicide rate in the group.

Canada ranks second in both gun ownership and homicide rates, though it remains far below the United States on both measures. European countries such as Spain, Italy, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom all have much lower levels of civilian gun ownership and correspondingly lower homicide rates.

However, gun availability is not the only factor influencing violence. Differences in inequality, urban crime patterns, policing, cultural attitudes toward violence, and social policy can also affect homicide levels. The chart therefore illustrates a strong association but does not by itself prove that gun ownership alone determines national homicide rates.

The data suggests that the American Old West was indeed far more violent than the modern United States, supporting the traditional historical portrayal of frontier society as dangerous and unstable. During the late 19th century, gun ownership was widespread and law enforcement institutions were often weak or poorly established. Disputes between individuals were frequently settled through personal violence, including gunfights, which contributed to extremely high homicide rates.

Some modern opponents of gun control have argued that the Old West demonstrates how a heavily armed society can remain relatively safe. According to this argument, widespread gun ownership supposedly deterred crime. However, historical research examining court records, newspapers, and local archives has largely refuted this interpretation.

As shown in the chart, homicide rates in places such as Gila County, Arizona and Las Animas County, Colorado during the late 19th century were dramatically higher than in the modern United States. Even the lower estimates for frontier regions still far exceed contemporary national homicide levels.

This comparison highlights how the combination of widespread firearms, weak legal institutions, and social instability in frontier communities contributed to levels of violence far above those seen in the United States today.