The trend in gun sales changed last year compared to most other years in the past decade. Gun sales, using the FBI’s firearms background check as a proxy, reached 38,876,673 in 2021. This was down slightly from the record set in 2020 of 39,695,315.
There are several theories explaining the fast pace of gun sales over the past 24 months. Among them is that violence in American cities during protests, which occurred over a year ago, caused purchases to spike. Another is that the pandemic has, perhaps irrationally, increased concerns about protecting one’s property. The 2022 numbers show that some of these trends may have started to taper off.
Despite the recent sales decline, gun violence continues to be a regular part of the news headlines this year. Murders in American cities spiked last year, particularly in large cities. So far in 2022, the trend has continued. The Wall Street Journal recently reported on a surge in gun violence in Seattle, which is generally considered a relatively safe city. In the past few days, there has been more violence, including an incident in Sacramento in which shooters killed six people and injured another 12. (These are the cities where murder rate is soaring.)
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there already have been 10,807 gun deaths in America as of April 3. Even with stricter gun ownership and purchasing laws, the difficult fact is that private citizens, the police, and the military currently own about 400 million guns. The chance that civilians who own guns will turn them into the government, no matter the incentive, is small.
One fact about who made gun purchases from 2019 through 2021 stands out. According to The Economist, “Of the 7.5m Americans who bought firearms for the first time between January 2019 and April 2021 – as gun-buying surged nationwide – half were female, a fifth black and a fifth Hispanic, according to a recent study by Matthew Miller of Northeastern University and his co-authors.”
Inexplicably, gun sales collapsed in the first three months of this year, compared to the same period in 2021.
To determine how many guns people bought in each state so far this year, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on background checks data from Jan. 1, 2022, to March 31, 2022, from the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System Firearm Checks. We used the background checks as a proxy for year-to-date gun sales as the vast majority of background checks are approved. (Population data used to calculate gun sales per capita came from the U.S. Census Bureau.)
So far this year, the FBI conducted 8,228,224 background checks, compared to last year’s 12,452,319 background checks. That means the 2022 number from January through March was only 70% of the number during the same period in 2021. The total remained high in some states. They were particularly large in Illinois at 1,167,252 during the first three months of 2022 and 1,071,206 in Kentucky. (Historically, this is the year Americans bought the most guns.)
Here are the gun sales figures for the first three months of 2022 for all 50 states
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Alabama
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 208,356
> Gun sales per capita: 42.6 per 1,000
> Total population: 4.9 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: urbanglimpses / E+ via Getty Images
Alaska
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 18,688
> Gun sales per capita: 25.4 per 1,000
> Total population: 736,990
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Davel5957 / iStock via Getty Images
Arizona
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 122,478
> Gun sales per capita: 17.1 per 1,000
> Total population: 7.2 million
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Arkansas
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 60,901
> Gun sales per capita: 20.2 per 1,000
> Total population: 3.0 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: adamkaz / E+ via Getty Images
California
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 339,968
> Gun sales per capita: 8.6 per 1,000
> Total population: 39.3 million
Source: milehightraveler / iStock via Getty Images
Colorado
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 136,575
> Gun sales per capita: 24.0 per 1,000
> Total population: 5.7 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Connecticut
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 66,315
> Gun sales per capita: 18.6 per 1,000
> Total population: 3.6 million
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
Delaware
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 15,512
> Gun sales per capita: 16.0 per 1,000
> Total population: 967,679
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Florida
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 375,447
> Gun sales per capita: 17.7 per 1,000
> Total population: 21.2 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Georgia
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 165,969
> Gun sales per capita: 15.8 per 1,000
> Total population: 10.5 million
Source: Art Wager / E+ via Getty Images
Hawaii
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 4,470
> Gun sales per capita: 3.1 per 1,000
> Total population: 1.4 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: vkbhat / E+ via Getty Images
Idaho
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 60,369
> Gun sales per capita: 34.4 per 1,000
> Total population: 1.8 million
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Gian Lorenzo Ferretti Photography / E+ via Getty Images
Illinois
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 1,167,252
> Gun sales per capita: 91.8 per 1,000
> Total population: 12.7 million
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Indiana
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 353,020
> Gun sales per capita: 52.7 per 1,000
> Total population: 6.7 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: pabradyphoto / iStock via Getty Images
Iowa
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 76,302
> Gun sales per capita: 24.2 per 1,000
> Total population: 3.2 million
Source: TriggerPhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Kansas
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 51,059
> Gun sales per capita: 17.5 per 1,000
> Total population: 2.9 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Kentucky
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 1,071,206
> Gun sales per capita: 240.1 per 1,000
> Total population: 4.5 million
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Louisiana
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 94,927
> Gun sales per capita: 20.4 per 1,000
> Total population: 4.7 million
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Maine
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 27,189
> Gun sales per capita: 20.3 per 1,000
> Total population: 1.3 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Maryland
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 58,343
> Gun sales per capita: 9.7 per 1,000
> Total population: 6.0 million
Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images
Massachusetts
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 59,141
> Gun sales per capita: 8.6 per 1,000
> Total population: 6.9 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: pawel.gaul / E+ via Getty Images
Michigan
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 208,988
> Gun sales per capita: 21.0 per 1,000
> Total population: 10.0 million
24/7 Wall St.
Source: AndreyKrav / iStock via Getty Images
Minnesota
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 231,172
> Gun sales per capita: 41.3 per 1,000
> Total population: 5.6 million
Source: Willard / iStock via Getty Images
Mississippi
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 75,215
> Gun sales per capita: 25.2 per 1,000
> Total population: 3.0 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Missouri
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 139,563
> Gun sales per capita: 22.8 per 1,000
> Total population: 6.1 million
Source: Jon Bilous / iStock via Getty Images
Montana
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 34,151
> Gun sales per capita: 32.2 per 1,000
> Total population: 1.1 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: Davel5957 / iStock via Getty Images
Nebraska
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 20,681
> Gun sales per capita: 10.7 per 1,000
> Total population: 1.9 million
Source: photoquest7 / iStock via Getty Images
Nevada
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 40,866
> Gun sales per capita: 13.5 per 1,000
> Total population: 3.0 million
Source: DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images
New Hampshire
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 33,164
> Gun sales per capita: 24.5 per 1,000
> Total population: 1.4 million
[in-text-ad-2]
New Jersey
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 42,926
> Gun sales per capita: 4.8 per 1,000
> Total population: 8.9 million
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
New Mexico
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 45,241
> Gun sales per capita: 21.6 per 1,000
> Total population: 2.1 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: Shooter_Sam / iStock via Getty Images
New York
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 104,917
> Gun sales per capita: 5.4 per 1,000
> Total population: 19.5 million
Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
North Carolina
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 174,330
> Gun sales per capita: 16.8 per 1,000
> Total population: 10.4 million
Source: rruntsch / iStock via Getty Images
North Dakota
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 18,425
> Gun sales per capita: 24.2 per 1,000
> Total population: 760,394
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: espiegle / iStock via Getty Images
Ohio
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 180,021
> Gun sales per capita: 15.4 per 1,000
> Total population: 11.7 million
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Oklahoma
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 93,749
> Gun sales per capita: 23.7 per 1,000
> Total population: 3.9 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Oregon
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 101,746
> Gun sales per capita: 24.4 per 1,000
> Total population: 4.2 million
Source: Ultima_Gaina / iStock via Getty Images
Pennsylvania
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 322,811
> Gun sales per capita: 25.2 per 1,000
> Total population: 12.8 million
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Rhode Island
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 7,732
> Gun sales per capita: 7.3 per 1,000
> Total population: 1.1 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
South Carolina
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 110,460
> Gun sales per capita: 21.7 per 1,000
> Total population: 5.1 million
Source: peeterv / iStock via Getty Images
South Dakota
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 22,761
> Gun sales per capita: 25.9 per 1,000
> Total population: 879,336
[in-text-ad]
Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
Tennessee
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 224,092
> Gun sales per capita: 33.1 per 1,000
> Total population: 6.8 million
Source: f11photo / iStock via Getty Images
Texas
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 438,049
> Gun sales per capita: 15.3 per 1,000
> Total population: 28.6 million
Source: Adventure_Photo / E+ via Getty Images
Utah
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 249,043
> Gun sales per capita: 79.0 per 1,000
> Total population: 3.2 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Vermont
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 11,778
> Gun sales per capita: 18.9 per 1,000
> Total population: 624,340
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Virginia
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 145,200
> Gun sales per capita: 17.1 per 1,000
> Total population: 8.5 million
[in-text-ad]
Source: aiisha5 / iStock via Getty Images
Washington
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 188,012
> Gun sales per capita: 25.0 per 1,000
> Total population: 7.5 million
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
West Virginia
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 49,719
> Gun sales per capita: 27.5 per 1,000
> Total population: 1.8 million
Source: csfotoimages / iStock via Getty Images
Wisconsin
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 171,006
> Gun sales per capita: 29.4 per 1,000
> Total population: 5.8 million
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images
Wyoming
> Estimated gun sales YTD: 17,564
> Gun sales per capita: 30.2 per 1,000
> Total population: 581,348
Sponsored: Want to Retire Early? Here’s a Great First Step
Want retirement to come a few years earlier than you’d planned? Or are you ready to retire now, but want an extra set of eyes on your finances?
Now you can speak with up to 3 financial experts in your area for FREE. By simply clicking here you can begin to match with financial professionals who can help you build your plan to retire early. And the best part? The first conversation with them is free.
Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you make financial decisions.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Editors' Picks
