US Gun Violence Is Too High, But 39 Countries Are Still Worse

By Sam Stebbins Updated Jun 25, 9:48AM EDT · Published Jun 25, 1:02AM EDT

Key Points

Globally, gun violence is not among the leading causes of death — still, more than 700 people worldwide are killed by interpersonal gun violence every day.
While only about 3.3 people in every 100,000 around the world are killed by gun violence annually, in dozens of countries, rates of deadly gun violence are more than double the global average.
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US Gun Violence Is Too High, But 39 Countries Are Still Worse — © Jeff McCollough / iStock via Getty Images

An estimated 62 million people worldwide die each year. A majority of these deaths are attributable to noncommunicable diseases, such as cancer, heart attack, or stroke. A smaller but still significant number die from infectious diseases like pneumonia, tuberculosis, or HIV/AIDS. Interpersonal violence, meanwhile, accounts for less than 1% of all deaths globally. However, in many parts of the world, deadly violence—especially incidents involving firearms—is a much bigger problem than it is elsewhere.

According to a report from the Small Arms Survey, an independent Swiss research organization, over a quarter of a million people globally were violently killed by a firearm in 2021, the latest year of available data. That same year, the gun violence death rate was 3.3 killings for every 100,000 people, up from 3.1 per 100,000 the previous year. These deaths include homicides (both intentional and unintentional), as well as those resulting from conflict and legal interventions, but do not include suicides.

While gun violence accounts for only a small fraction of global fatalities each year, in certain countries, violent gun deaths are more than twice as common as they are worldwide.

Using data from the Small Arms Survey, 24/7 Wall St. identified the countries with the most deadly gun violence. We reviewed 2021 gun violence fatality data for over 200 countries and territories and ranked them by the number of firearm-related killings per 100,000 people. Only the 40 countries with the highest gun violence death rates are included on this list. Supplemental data on population and per capita gross domestic product (GDP) are from the World Bank and are for the latest available year.

In every country on this list, deadly gun violence rates are more than double the global rate of 3.3 per 100,000, and in some places, gun-related fatalities are over 10 times the global average.

In many of these countries, the prevalence of deadly gun violence is largely due to active conflict. Places on this list, like Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, have all suffered through armed conflict in recent years, as defined under international humanitarian law. In other places on this list, including Belize, Mexico, and Venezuela, deadly gun violence is largely fueled by drug cartels, economic instability, or political instability. (Here is a look at the countries with the most political violence.)

By the standards of the developed world, most of these countries are relatively poor, with a per capita GDP of less than $15,000. The most notable exception, however, is the United States. With a GDP per capita of nearly $82,800, the U.S. is by far the wealthiest country on this list.

While many of the common factors driving deadly violence in these countries are largely absent in the United States, the U.S. stands out for the widespread presence of firearms.According to the Small Arms Survey, the U.S. is the only country in the world with more civilian-owned firearms than people. The United States is also one of the only countries in the world in which gun ownership is a constitutional right. (Here is a look at the American cities with the highest gun crime rates.)

These are the countries with the highest rates of deadly gun violence.

Why It Matters

According to the latest available data, an average of 3.3 people per 100,000 worldwide are killed by gun violence every year. But in dozens of countries, rates of deadly gun violence are more than double the global average. In many of these places, high rates of gun-related fatalities are largely driven by armed conflict, economic and political instability, or organized crime. In other countries with high rates of gun violence, such as the United States, the reasons are less clear but are likely partly due to permissive gun control laws and widespread civilian gun ownership.

40. United States

New York City skyline as seen from Hudson River. Lower Manhattan with One World Trade Center as tallest building in western hemisphere. Battery Park City, Brookfield Place (World Financial Center).

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 6.7 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 22,702 (82.7% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $82,769 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 334.9 million
Global region: Northern America

39. Cote d’Ivoire

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 7.0 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 1,922 (52.0% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $2,531 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 31.2 million
Global region: Western Africa

38. Chad

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 7.1 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 1,212 (45.9% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $681 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 19.3 million
Global region: Middle Africa

37. Guadeloupe

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 7.1 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 28 (96.6% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita: N/A
Latest available population estimate: N/A
Global region: Caribbean

36. Barbados

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 7.1 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 20 (54.1% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $23,804 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 282,336
Global region: Caribbean

35. Nigeria

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 7.6 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 16,309 (44.0% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $1,597 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 227.9 million
Global region: Western Africa

34. French Guiana

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 8.1 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 24 (49.0% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita: N/A
Latest available population estimate: N/A
Global region: South America

33. Dominican Republic

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 9.4 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 1,041 (61.2% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $10,718 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 11.3 million
Global region: Caribbean

32. Democratic Republic of the Congo

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 9.4 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 9,015 (42.2% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $628 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 105.8 million
Global region: Middle Africa

31. Lesotho

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 9.5 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 217 (20.1% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $916 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 2.3 million
Global region: Southern Africa

30. Costa Rica

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 9.6 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 492 (72.8% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $16,942 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 5.1 million
Global region: Central America

29. British Virgin Islands

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 9.6 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 3 (13.6% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita: N/A
Latest available population estimate: 38,985
Global region: Caribbean

28. Somalia

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 9.9 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 1,695 (50.8% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $597 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 18.4 million
Global region: Eastern Africa

27. Iraq

U.S. Army MP's Train Iraqi Police

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 10.6 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 4,620 (61.6% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $5,565 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 45.1 million
Global region: Western Asia

26. Panama

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 10.6 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 462 (72.5% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $18,686 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 4.5 million
Global region: Central America

25. Mali

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 10.8 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 2,366 (50.5% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $869 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 23.8 million
Global region: Western Africa

24. Curaçao

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 11.0 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 21 (75.0% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $22,192 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 147,862
Global region: Caribbean

23. Myanmar

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 11.1 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 5,966 (34.4% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $1,233 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 54.1 million
Global region: South-Eastern Asia

22. South Sudan

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 11.5 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 1,239 (35.9% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita: N/A
Latest available population estimate: 11.5 million
Global region: Eastern Africa

21. Ecuador

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 11.8 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 2,098 (73.1% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $6,610 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 18.0 million
Global region: South America

20. El Salvador

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 14.1 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 890 (63.3% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $5,391 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 6.3 million
Global region: Central America

19. Guatemala

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 15.3 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 2,690 (66.4% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $5,763 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 18.1 million
Global region: Central America

18. Central African Republic

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 17.1 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 934 (22.0% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $496 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 5.2 million
Global region: Middle Africa

17. Syrian Arab Republic

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 17.9 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 3,818 (30.3% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2022: $1,052 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 23.6 million
Global region: Western Asia

16. Brazil

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 18.7 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 39,963 (76.7% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $10,295 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 211.1 million
Global region: South America

15. Colombia

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 21.1 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 10,848 (58.3% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $6,947 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 52.3 million
Global region: South America

14. Puerto Rico

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 21.3 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 694 (100.0% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $36,779 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 3.2 million
Global region: Caribbean

13. Mexico

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 22.4 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 28,342 (68.4% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $13,790 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 129.7 million
Global region: Central America

12. Saint Vincent And The Grenadines

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 24.9 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 26 (66.7% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $10,520 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 101,323
Global region: Caribbean

11. Belize

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 26.0 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 104 (71.2% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $7,460 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 411,106
Global region: Central America

10. Trinidad and Tobago

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 26.2 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 400 (70.5% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $20,016 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 1.4 million
Global region: Caribbean

9. Venezuela

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 29.3 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 8,255 (78.5% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita: N/A
Latest available population estimate: 28.3 million
Global region: South America

8. Saint Kitts and Nevis

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 29.4 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 14 (87.5% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $22,574 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 46,758
Global region: Caribbean

7. Yemen

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 30.5 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 10,056 (49.9% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $477 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 39.4 million
Global region: Western Asia

6. Saint Lucia

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 30.6 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 55 (67.1% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $13,555 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 179,285
Global region: Caribbean

5. Bahamas

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 32.6 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 133 (88.7% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $35,897 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 399,440
Global region: Caribbean

4. Honduras

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 32.7 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 3,356 (73.6% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $3,232 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 10.6 million
Global region: Central America

3. United States Virgin Islands

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 49.0 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 49 (92.5% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2022: $44,321 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 104,917
Global region: Caribbean

2. Jamaica

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 55.4 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 1,565 (85.8% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $6,840 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 2.8 million
Global region: Caribbean

1. Afghanistan

Estimated annual violent gun death rate: 56.8 per 100,000 people
Total number of annual violent gun deaths: 22,776 (50.6% of all violent deaths)
GDP per capita in 2023: $416 (current USD)
Latest available population estimate: 41.5 million
Global region: Southern Asia

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About the Author Sam Stebbins →

Sam Stebbins is a writer at 247WallSt.com where his primary focus is on government policy, politics, companies, and broad social and economic trends. Sam has been writing in the money and news verticals for over 8 years and holds a bachelor's degree from Hobart College, which he earned in 2010. Sam resides in upstate New York and enjoys hiking, biking, canoeing, and skiing in the Adirondack Mountains and across the Northeast.

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