Report Highlights:
- As of 2017, American civilians own 46% (approximately 393.3 million) of the world’s 857 million civilian-use firearms.
- Montana has the highest number of gun owners (66.3%).
- Wyoming has the most guns per capita, with 245.8 firearms for every 1,000 residents.
- New Jersey has the lowest rate of gun ownership at only 8.9% of the population and the least amount per capita (1.1 for every 1,000 people).
Note: The state-level ownership may be lower due to data restraints. All information regarding gun ownership is largely dependent on self-reporting, and states are less likely to publish gun ownership data.
Rate of Gun Ownership by State
Wyoming has the highest rate of gun ownership, with 245.8 known firearms for every 1,000 citizens. New Jersey has the lowest rate, with only 1.1 known firearms for every 1,000 citizens.
West Virginia, South Dakota, New Mexico, and New Hampshire round up the top five for the highest rates of gun ownership (number of firearms per resident), while Washington, Utah, Rhode Island, and New York round up the lower five
Although the U.S. has approximately five hundred million firearms (source 1), each state reports lower numbers than national data. We measure gun ownership at the state level in the number of firearms per 1,000 residents (per capita).
Gun Ownership by Country
The latest survey data in 2017 indicates that there are approximately 857 million civilian-owned firearms globally. (Source 2). The United States has the highest rate of civilian gun ownership at 120.5 firearms for every one hundred civilians.
Switzerland ranks second with only 27.58 firearms for every 100 civilians. Japan has the fewest guns per capita, at 0.33 per 100 civilians.
Note: This information is based on a survey. It is only as accurate as the respective government provides.
How Permits-to-Purchase and Background Checks Affect Gun Ownership
Although Nebraska, Minnesota, and Oregon have permit-to-purchase legislation, the states rank relatively high in gun ownership rates. Furthermore, states like Colorado and Pennsylvania require background checks for all firearm purchases yet still rank pretty high in ownership rates.3, 4, 5
While more states with strict firearm purchasing laws have fewer firearms, that isn’t always the case; despite State-mandated background checks and permits-to-purchase, many states still rank relatively high.
Continue reading Gun Ownership by State (2024 Statistics) on Ammo.com
