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How bad is US gun violence? These charts show the scale of the problem How bad is US gun violence? These charts show the scale of the problem
(4 months later)
The Las Vegas shooting has revived the firearms debate – and data shows more Americans have died from guns since 1968 than in all the wars in US history
America’s gun crisis – in one chart
Mona Chalabi
Thu 5 Oct 2017 17.23 BST
Last modified on Thu 5 Oct 2017 18.03 BST
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Gun violence in the US isn’t just bad, it’s uniquely bad in terms of the number of lives that are affected by it and how rare such violence is in a wealthy country. The charts below illustrate the scale of the problem.Gun violence in the US isn’t just bad, it’s uniquely bad in terms of the number of lives that are affected by it and how rare such violence is in a wealthy country. The charts below illustrate the scale of the problem.
1. The outlier1. The outlier
Other wealthy countries don’t have as many guns as the US. They don’t have as many gun deaths as the US, either.Other wealthy countries don’t have as many guns as the US. They don’t have as many gun deaths as the US, either.
Source: Small Arms Survey, 2007-2012Source: Small Arms Survey, 2007-2012
2. The cumulative number2. The cumulative number
Comparisons can help us to understand scale. Since 1968, when these figures were first collected, there have been 1,516,863 gun-related deaths on US territory. Since the founding of the United States, there have been 1,396,733 war deaths. That figure includes American lives lost in the revolutionary war, the Mexican war, the civil war (Union and Confederate, estimate), the Spanish-American war, the first world war, the second world war, the Korean war, the Vietnam war, the Gulf war, the Afghanistan war, the Iraq war, as well as other conflicts, including in Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Somalia and Haiti.Comparisons can help us to understand scale. Since 1968, when these figures were first collected, there have been 1,516,863 gun-related deaths on US territory. Since the founding of the United States, there have been 1,396,733 war deaths. That figure includes American lives lost in the revolutionary war, the Mexican war, the civil war (Union and Confederate, estimate), the Spanish-American war, the first world war, the second world war, the Korean war, the Vietnam war, the Gulf war, the Afghanistan war, the Iraq war, as well as other conflicts, including in Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Somalia and Haiti.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1994 (gun death data), Congressional Research Service, 2010 (conflict deaths). Numbers updated by Politifact in 2015Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1994 (gun death data), Congressional Research Service, 2010 (conflict deaths). Numbers updated by Politifact in 2015
3. The breakdown3. The breakdown
When people think of gun violence, they might think of large-scale mass shootings like the one in Las Vegas on Sunday, in which 59 people were killed. But of the approximately 33,000 gun violence deaths that take place each year, only about 500 (or 1.5%) come from mass shootings. Two-thirds of gun violence deaths are from suicide.When people think of gun violence, they might think of large-scale mass shootings like the one in Las Vegas on Sunday, in which 59 people were killed. But of the approximately 33,000 gun violence deaths that take place each year, only about 500 (or 1.5%) come from mass shootings. Two-thirds of gun violence deaths are from suicide.
What doesn’t this chart show? The more than 70,000 people who are injured by guns each year.What doesn’t this chart show? The more than 70,000 people who are injured by guns each year.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012-14, FBI, 2014, Mother Jones, 2014, Global Terrorism Database, 2016Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012-14, FBI, 2014, Mother Jones, 2014, Global Terrorism Database, 2016
US gun control
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