HealthCrime

How many people die from gun-related injuries in the US each month?

Data updated December 10, 2024
An estimated 3.9K in May 2024, the most recent month for which data is available. This includes homicides, suicides, accidents, and other incidents where a shooting was considered the primary cause of death.
According to preliminary data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), gun-related deaths were 5% lower in May 2024 than they were the previous month.
Showing data for
In May 2024, an estimated

3.9K

people died from gun-related injuries
In May 2024, an estimated

5%

fewer people died from gun-related injuries than in April 2024
The number of gun-related deaths in the US changes each year. Between January and May 2024, an estimated 18,600 people died from gun-related injuries. This is 4% fewer people than had died during the same point in 2023.

An estimated 4% fewer people died from gun-related injuries by May 2024 than by May 2023.

Cumulative firearms deaths, data for 2023 and 2024 are provisional

To understand how frequently these deaths happen, it helps to look at the rate at which they occur. In 2023, about 13.8 out of every 100,000 people in the United States died from a gun-related injury. For context, around 13.0 out of every 100,000 people in the United States died in a motor vehicle accident that year.

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The rate of gun-related deaths has also changed over time. In the early 1990s, the rate of gun deaths in the US fluctuated between 14.5 and 15 deaths for every 100,000 people. However, between 2000 and 2014, the rate of gun deaths never exceeded 10.5 per 100,000 people. In 2023, the rate was 13.8 per 100,000 people, 7% lower than the peak in 1993.

In 2023, 13.8 of every 100K people died from gun-related injuries in the US.

Age adjusted rate of all firearms deaths, 1979 - 2023, data for 2023 are provisional

The CDC also reports the intent behind gun-related deaths when known. These intents can include homicide, suicide, and accidents, as well as other categories like law enforcement intervention.
In 2023, 95% of gun-related deaths were either suicides or homicides. While the instances of both suicides and homicides have fluctuated over time, suicide has made up the largest percentage of gun-related deaths since at least 1979. In 2023, about 55% of all gun-related deaths were suicides.

In 2023, 55% of all gun-related deaths were suicides.

Age adjusted rate, 1979 - 2023, data for 2023 are provisional

Gun-related death rates differ between states. The CDC notes that complex factors influenced these differences, including social, economic, and community conditions like poverty and racial or ethnic inequities.
In 2023, the rate of gun-related deaths was lowest in Massachusetts at 3.7 per 100,000 people. It was highest in Washington, DC at 31.0 per 100,000.

In 2023, Washington, DC had the nation’s highest gun-related death rate.

Age adjusted rate of firearms deaths, 2023 provisional data

In 2023, Washington, DC, had the highest rate of gun-related homicide at 28.8 per 100,000 people. Alternatively, the rate of gun-related suicide was highest in Wyoming, with a rate of 19.1 per 100,000.

Rate of gun deaths by state in 2023

Age-adjusted rate per 100K people

Rate of gun deaths by state in 2023

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

    National Center for Health Statistics and 2 others

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