The United States is not only known for having some of the most intriguing politicians but is also a nation of gun owners. With more civilian-owned firearms than any other country in the world, it’s clear that guns are deeply ingrained in our culture.
However, gun ownership in America isn’t as simple as many believe. Between growth trends and demographic disparities, there is a lot to learn about guns in the U.S.
We’ve done a deep dive into guns in the U.S. and listed our findings in the following sections.
Report Highlights:
- An estimated 32% (107,000,000) of Americans personally own at least one firearm.
- Men own more guns than women, but women are the fastest-growing demographic of gun owners.
- As of 2017, Americans possessed 46% of the world’s civilian-owned firearms.
- 40% (or 52 million) of American households contain at least one firearm).
- 81% of gun owners and 57% of non-gun owners say a firearm makes them safer.
How Many Americans Own Guns?
Despite many new first-time gun buyers and the highest-ever gun sales, just under half of the adult American population owns guns. Recent polls show that 30% (or 100,800,000 people) of the American population owns guns as of 2024. 1
As of 2023, over 65 million households in the United States have at least one firearm, up from 56 million households in 2019. This means that more than half of the homes in the U.S. have firearms. 2
- In 2023, approximately 32% of Americans own a firearm, which equates to roughly 84 million people.
- In 2023, 40% of American households have at least one firearm, totaling about 52.8 million households.
- In 2019, 30% of American households had at least one firearm, equating to approximately 39.6 million households.
Number of People vs. Guns in the U.S.
The recent estimates from the FBI NICS background check system indicate that there were over 500 million privately owned firearms in the United States as of 2023. This figure aligns with data from sources such as the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and other industry reports, which consistently show high numbers of firearm sales and ownership in the U.S. 7, 8, 10
Additionally, the U.S. population is approximately 336 million people as of recent estimates. This figure is based on the latest census and population data available (NSSF).
These statistics underscore the significant presence of firearms in the United States, both in terms of the number of guns and the percentage of the population that owns them. 30, 31
To say that Americans have more guns than any other country is an understatement. There are 1.5 firearms for every U.S. citizen and nearly two for every U.S. adult. 30, 31
- The United States has a population of approximately 336 million people as of 2024 and there are estimated to be over 400 million privately owned firearms in the United States. 3, 10, 12
- This means there are roughly 1.2 firearms for every U.S. citizen.
- There are approximately 1.5 firearms per adult, given that not all citizens are adults.
Continue reading Gun Facts in the U.S. 2024: The Reality of Firearms in America on Ammo.com
