Shootings
Rate of fatal and nonfatal shootings per 100,000 population. This includes murders and suicides as well as officer-involved, accidental, mass shootings and many other types.
Why did we include this measure?
All uses of guns create physical injury, trauma, and/or fear.
How does the US rank globally?
- Specific Measure: Rate of fatal shooting deaths per 100,000 population.
(Source: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation).
- Percentage of countries the US outperforms: 10% (out of 115 countries)
- International Rank Trend: Improving
National Trend Unclear
What do the data show?
The rate of gun violence generally tracks the murder rate. We are among the most dangerous comparison countries on this measure, though improving somewhat in global terms. We rank just below the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, and Guyana, and far below China and Russia. The rate of nonfatal shootings closely tracks fatal ones.
The fatal shooting rates are generally higher than the murder rates shown earlier because the fatal shootings measure also includes suicides and accidental shootings. We characterize this trend as “unclear” because, although shootings have increased in recent years, shootings rates closely track the murder rate, which improved in the years during which we lack shootings data.
What might explain these patterns?
Given the close connection between the murder rate and gun violence, see the explanations above for the murder rate.
For more information about data sources and treatments, download the Data Notes.