Most firearm deaths are suicides
In 2021, 54% of firearm deaths in the US were suicides.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, 48,830 people were killed with a firearm in the US in 2021. Suicides were 54% of all firearm-related deaths that year, compared to 43% from homicides.
The share of suicides was smaller for younger people. Suicides made up less than 40% of gun deaths for people ages 20 to 35, a share that was relatively constant throughout early adulthood. After 45, most gun deaths were suicides. By age 75, 94% of gun deaths were suicides.
In 2021, suicide by firearm was more common than homicide by firearm for people over 45
Note: The “other” category includes firearm-related deaths from “unintentional,” “undetermined,” and “legal intervention/operations of war.” Detailed descriptions of each category can be found at the CDC website.
The bars in the chart above are sized according to the number of gun deaths in each age group. Most firearm-related deaths are among people in their twenties. In 2021, about twice as many people in their twenties died from firearms than did people in their fifties. The total number of suicides was similar for people in their twenties (4,606 deaths) and fifties (4,056 deaths), even as suicide made up a much higher percentage of firearm deaths for older people.
Overall, suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in 2021. While firearm related homicides and mass shootings receive significant media attention, more than half of suicides involved a firearm.
Of the 48,830 people killed with a firearm in 2021, 54% were suicides
Note: The “other” category includes firearm-related deaths that were “unintentional,” ‘undetermined,” and “legal intervention/operations of war.” Detailed descriptions of each category can be found at the CDC website.
Other types of firearm deaths included accidents and those resulting from injuries from law enforcement or military actions, although these deaths represent 3% of all firearm-related deaths.
If you are thinking about harming yourself or attempting suicide, tell someone who can help immediately. Call 911 for emergency services. For more information and resources on suicide prevention, please see the CDC website or the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
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Sources & Footnotes
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CDC Wonder - Underlying Cause of Death Data (2018 - 2021)