Several theories explain the fast pace of gun sales over the past 24 months. Among them is the violence in American cities during protests, which occurred over a year ago. Another is that the pandemic has, perhaps irrationally, increased concerns about protecting one’s property. 2021 gun sales numbers show that some of these trends may have started to taper off.
Gun sales, using the FBI’s firearms background check as a proxy, reached 38,876,673 last year, down slightly from the record set in 2020 of 39,695,315. Inexplicably, gun sales collapsed in the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2021. Still, sales were particularly large in Illinois, the state where people bought the most guns this year, at 1,167,252. It was followed by Kentucky, with 1,071,206 background checks so far this year.
As of March, the FBI had conducted 8,228,224 background checks, compared to last year’s 12,452,319 background checks. This 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.
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 considered a relatively safe city. There have been more shooting incidents in recent days, including Tuesday’s shooting at a Brooklyn subway that left at least 16 people injured. (These are the metros where murder rate is soaring.)
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there already have been 11,881 gun deaths in America as of April 12. 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. (This is the state with the worst gun laws.)
To determine the state where people have bought the most guns so far this year, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on background checks 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.
Click here to see the state where people bought the most guns this year
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50. Hawaii
> Total 2022 gun sales: 4,470
> Population: 1,420,074
> Gun sales per capita: 314.8 per 100,000 (the lowest)
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49. Rhode Island
> Total 2022 gun sales: 7,732
> Population: 1,057,798
> Gun sales per capita: 731.0 per 100,000 (4th lowest)
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48. Vermont
> Total 2022 gun sales: 11,778
> Population: 624,340
> Gun sales per capita: 1,886.5 per 100,000 (20th lowest)
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
47. Delaware
> Total 2022 gun sales: 15,512
> Population: 967,679
> Gun sales per capita: 1,603.0 per 100,000 (13th lowest)
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Source: DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images
46. Wyoming
> Total 2022 gun sales: 17,564
> Population: 581,348
> Gun sales per capita: 3,021.3 per 100,000 (10th highest)
Source: rruntsch / iStock via Getty Images
45. North Dakota
> Total 2022 gun sales: 18,425
> Population: 760,394
> Gun sales per capita: 2,423.1 per 100,000 (20th highest)
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44. Alaska
> Total 2022 gun sales: 18,688
> Population: 736,990
> Gun sales per capita: 2,535.7 per 100,000 (14th highest)
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Source: Davel5957 / iStock via Getty Images
43. Nebraska
> Total 2022 gun sales: 20,681
> Population: 1,923,826
> Gun sales per capita: 1,075.0 per 100,000 (8th lowest)
Source: peeterv / iStock via Getty Images
42. South Dakota
> Total 2022 gun sales: 22,761
> Population: 879,336
> Gun sales per capita: 2,588.4 per 100,000 (13th highest)
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41. Maine
> Total 2022 gun sales: 27,189
> Population: 1,340,825
> Gun sales per capita: 2,027.8 per 100,000 (22nd lowest)
Source: DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images
40. New Hampshire
> Total 2022 gun sales: 33,164
> Population: 1,355,244
> Gun sales per capita: 2,447.1 per 100,000 (18th highest)
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39. Montana
> Total 2022 gun sales: 34,151
> Population: 1,061,705
> Gun sales per capita: 3,216.6 per 100,000 (9th highest)
Source: photoquest7 / iStock via Getty Images
38. Nevada
> Total 2022 gun sales: 40,866
> Population: 3,030,281
> Gun sales per capita: 1,348.6 per 100,000 (9th lowest)
Source: Ultima_Gaina / iStock via Getty Images
37. New Jersey
> Total 2022 gun sales: 42,926
> Population: 8,885,418
> Gun sales per capita: 483.1 per 100,000 (2nd lowest)
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Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
36. New Mexico
> Total 2022 gun sales: 45,241
> Population: 2,097,021
> Gun sales per capita: 2,157.4 per 100,000 (25th lowest)
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
35. West Virginia
> Total 2022 gun sales: 49,719
> Population: 1,807,426
> Gun sales per capita: 2,750.8 per 100,000 (12th highest)
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Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
34. Kansas
> Total 2022 gun sales: 51,059
> Population: 2,912,619
> Gun sales per capita: 1,753.0 per 100,000 (17th lowest)
Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
33. Maryland
> Total 2022 gun sales: 58,343
> Population: 6,037,624
> Gun sales per capita: 966.3 per 100,000 (7th lowest)
Source: DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images
32. Massachusetts
> Total 2022 gun sales: 59,141
> Population: 6,873,003
> Gun sales per capita: 860.5 per 100,000 (5th lowest)
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Source: vkbhat / E+ via Getty Images
31. Idaho
> Total 2022 gun sales: 60,369
> Population: 1,754,367
> Gun sales per capita: 3,441.1 per 100,000 (7th highest)
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
30. Arkansas
> Total 2022 gun sales: 60,901
> Population: 3,011,873
> Gun sales per capita: 2,022.0 per 100,000 (21st lowest)
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29. Connecticut
> Total 2022 gun sales: 66,315
> Population: 3,570,549
> Gun sales per capita: 1,857.3 per 100,000 (19th lowest)
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
28. Mississippi
> Total 2022 gun sales: 75,215
> Population: 2,981,835
> Gun sales per capita: 2,522.4 per 100,000 (16th highest)
Source: pabradyphoto / iStock via Getty Images
27. Iowa
> Total 2022 gun sales: 76,302
> Population: 3,150,011
> Gun sales per capita: 2,422.3 per 100,000 (21st highest)
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Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
26. Oklahoma
> Total 2022 gun sales: 93,749
> Population: 3,949,342
> Gun sales per capita: 2,373.8 per 100,000 (23rd highest)
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
25. Louisiana
> Total 2022 gun sales: 94,927
> Population: 4,664,616
> Gun sales per capita: 2,035.0 per 100,000 (23rd lowest)
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Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
24. Oregon
> Total 2022 gun sales: 101,746
> Population: 4,176,346
> Gun sales per capita: 2,436.2 per 100,000 (19th highest)
Source: TomasSereda / iStock via Getty Images
23. New York
> Total 2022 gun sales: 104,917
> Population: 19,514,849
> Gun sales per capita: 537.6 per 100,000 (3rd lowest)
Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
22. South Carolina
> Total 2022 gun sales: 110,460
> Population: 5,091,517
> Gun sales per capita: 2,169.5 per 100,000 (25th highest)
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Source: Brent_1 / iStock via Getty Images
21. Arizona
> Total 2022 gun sales: 122,478
> Population: 7,174,064
> Gun sales per capita: 1,707.2 per 100,000 (16th lowest)
Source: milehightraveler / iStock via Getty Images
20. Colorado
> Total 2022 gun sales: 136,575
> Population: 5,684,926
> Gun sales per capita: 2,402.4 per 100,000 (22nd highest)
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Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
19. Missouri
> Total 2022 gun sales: 139,563
> Population: 6,124,160
> Gun sales per capita: 2,278.9 per 100,000 (24th highest)
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
18. Virginia
> Total 2022 gun sales: 145,200
> Population: 8,509,358
> Gun sales per capita: 1,706.4 per 100,000 (15th lowest)
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
17. Georgia
> Total 2022 gun sales: 165,969
> Population: 10,516,579
> Gun sales per capita: 1,578.2 per 100,000 (12th lowest)
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Source: csfotoimages / iStock via Getty Images
16. Wisconsin
> Total 2022 gun sales: 171,006
> Population: 5,806,975
> Gun sales per capita: 2,944.8 per 100,000 (11th highest)
Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
15. North Carolina
> Total 2022 gun sales: 174,330
> Population: 10,386,227
> Gun sales per capita: 1,678.5 per 100,000 (14th lowest)
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14. Ohio
> Total 2022 gun sales: 180,021
> Population: 11,675,275
> Gun sales per capita: 1,541.9 per 100,000 (11th lowest)
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Source: SteveDF / E+ via Getty Images
13. Washington
> Total 2022 gun sales: 188,012
> Population: 7,512,465
> Gun sales per capita: 2,502.7 per 100,000 (17th highest)
Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
12. Alabama
> Total 2022 gun sales: 208,356
> Population: 4,893,186
> Gun sales per capita: 4,258.1 per 100,000 (5th highest)
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Source: pawel.gaul / E+ via Getty Images
11. Michigan
> Total 2022 gun sales: 208,988
> Population: 9,973,907
> Gun sales per capita: 2,095.3 per 100,000 (24th lowest)
Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
10. Tennessee
> Total 2022 gun sales: 224,092
> Population: 6,772,268
> Gun sales per capita: 3,309.0 per 100,000 (8th highest)
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Source: Davel5957 / E+ via Getty Images
9. Minnesota
> Total 2022 gun sales: 231,172
> Population: 5,600,166
> Gun sales per capita: 4,127.9 per 100,000 (6th highest)
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Source: DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images
8. Utah
> Total 2022 gun sales: 249,043
> Population: 3,151,239
> Gun sales per capita: 7,903.0 per 100,000 (3rd highest)
Source: gangliu10 / iStock via Getty Images
7. Pennsylvania
> Total 2022 gun sales: 322,811
> Population: 12,794,885
> Gun sales per capita: 2,523.0 per 100,000 (15th highest)
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Source: DutcherAerials / E+ via Getty Images
6. California
> Total 2022 gun sales: 339,968
> Population: 39,346,023
> Gun sales per capita: 864.0 per 100,000 (6th lowest)
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
5. Indiana
> Total 2022 gun sales: 353,020
> Population: 6,696,893
> Gun sales per capita: 5,271.4 per 100,000 (4th highest)
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Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
4. Florida
> Total 2022 gun sales: 375,447
> Population: 21,216,924
> Gun sales per capita: 1,769.6 per 100,000 (18th lowest)
Source: f11photo / iStock via Getty Images
3. Texas
> Total 2022 gun sales: 438,049
> Population: 28,635,442
> Gun sales per capita: 1,529.7 per 100,000 (10th lowest)
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
2. Kentucky
> Total 2022 gun sales: 1,071,206
> Population: 4,461,952
> Gun sales per capita: 24,007.6 per 100,000 (the highest)
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Source: JaySi / iStock via Getty Images
1. Illinois
> Total 2022 gun sales: 1,167,252
> Population: 12,716,164
> Gun sales per capita: 9,179.3 per 100,000 (2nd highest)
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