Firearm sales have hit historic highs in the U.S. in recent years, and the ongoing proliferation of firearms may be fueling a rise in gun crime.
When firearms are recovered at a crime scene or taken from a suspect, they are often reported to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for tracing. In these cases, the ATF assists in criminal investigations by using serial numbers and other markings to determine when and where a firearm was originally purchased — and over the last 12 years, firearm-related offenses have been taking up a growing share of federal resources.
Between 2010 and 2022, the number of guns traced by the ATF surged by 174%, from 145,600 to 399,400, climbing by anywhere from 3% to 18% in a single year. Most homicides in the U.S. are committed with a firearm, and over the same period, the national homicide rate climbed by over 50%.
While not all guns traced by the ATF were used in a crime — and not all firearms used for illicit purposes are traced — federal tracing data offers valuable insight into trends and geographic patterns related to gun violence in the United States.
Mirroring the national trend, gun tracings are up sharply in Georgia. The ATF traced 20,011 seized firearms in the state in 2022, compared to 7,900 in 2010. Adjusting for population, gun crime has long been more common in Georgia than it is across the U.S. as a whole. In each of the last 13 years, the number of firearm tracings for every 100,000 people in the state was above the comparable national rate.
As of 2022, the most recent year of available data, the ATF traced 183 seized firearms for every 100,000 people in the state, the fifth highest gun-tracing rate among states.
2010: 7,900 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Georgia, 2010: 81.3 per 100,000 people (3rd highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2010: 47.1 per 100,000 people
- Georgia homicide rate, 2010: 5.7 per 100,000 people (11th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2010: 4.8 per 100,000 people
2011: 8,270 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Georgia, 2011: 84.3 per 100,000 people (3rd highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2011: 47.9 per 100,000 people
- Georgia homicide rate, 2011: 5.6 per 100,000 people (13th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2011: 4.7 per 100,000 people
2012: 8,281 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Georgia, 2012: 83.5 per 100,000 people (5th highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2012: 49.8 per 100,000 people
- Georgia homicide rate, 2012: 5.9 per 100,000 people (12th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2012: 4.7 per 100,000 people
2013: 8,282 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Georgia, 2013: 82.9 per 100,000 people (5th highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2013: 52.6 per 100,000 people
- Georgia homicide rate, 2013: 5.6 per 100,000 people (10th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2013: 4.5 per 100,000 people
2014: 8,563 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Georgia, 2014: 84.8 per 100,000 people (5th highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2014: 53.4 per 100,000 people
- Georgia homicide rate, 2014: 6.0 per 100,000 people (6th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2014: 4.4 per 100,000 people
2015: 9,468 firearms traced by the ATF
Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images
- Firearms traced by the ATF in Georgia, 2015: 92.7 per 100,000 people (3rd highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2015: 59.3 per 100,000 people
- Georgia homicide rate, 2015: 6.1 per 100,000 people (13th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2015: 4.9 per 100,000 people
2016: 11,400 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Georgia, 2016: 110.6 per 100,000 people (3rd highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2016: 65.4 per 100,000 people
- Georgia homicide rate, 2016: 6.6 per 100,000 people (14th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2016: 5.4 per 100,000 people
2017: 12,308 firearms traced by the ATF
Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
- Firearms traced by the ATF in Georgia, 2017: 118.0 per 100,000 people (4th highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2017: 73.4 per 100,000 people
- Georgia homicide rate, 2017: 6.5 per 100,000 people (12th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2017: 5.3 per 100,000 people
2018: 13,297 firearms traced by the ATF
Source: Pgiam / E+ via Getty Images
- Firearms traced by the ATF in Georgia, 2018: 126.4 per 100,000 people (3rd highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2018: 77.9 per 100,000 people
- Georgia homicide rate, 2018: 6.2 per 100,000 people (14th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2018: 5.0 per 100,000 people
2019: 14,058 firearms traced by the ATF
Source: Davis Turner / Getty Images News via Getty Images
- Firearms traced by the ATF in Georgia, 2019: 132.4 per 100,000 people (4th highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2019: 82.0 per 100,000 people
- Georgia homicide rate, 2019: 5.7 per 100,000 people (15th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2019: 5.1 per 100,000 people
2020: 16,409 firearms traced by the ATF
Source: Michael Wright / iStock via Getty Images
- Firearms traced by the ATF in Georgia, 2020: 156.0 per 100,000 people (4th highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2020: 93.9 per 100,000 people
- Georgia homicide rate, 2020: 8.8 per 100,000 people (10th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2020: 6.5 per 100,000 people
2021: 17,776 firearms traced by the ATF
Source: SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
- Firearms traced by the ATF in Georgia, 2021: 164.6 per 100,000 people (6th highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2021: 108.9 per 100,000 people
- Georgia homicide rate, 2021: 9.1 per 100,000 people
- U.S. homicide rate, 2021: 7.7 per 100,000 people
2022: 20,011 firearms traced by the ATF
Source: Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
- Firearms traced by the ATF in Georgia, 2022: 183.4 per 100,000 people (5th highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2022: 119.8 per 100,000 people
- Georgia homicide rate, 2022: 8.9 per 100,000 people (13th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2022: 7.3 per 100,000 people
Source: Courtesy of: 24/7 Wall St.
| Year | Firearm tracings per 100,000 people in Georgia | Firearm tracings per 100,000 people in the US | Total firearms traced by the ATF in Georgia | Total firearms traced by the ATF in the US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 183.4 | 119.8 | 20,011 | 399,397 |
| 2021 | 164.6 | 108.9 | 17,776 | 361,587 |
| 2020 | 156.0 | 93.9 | 16,409 | 306,686 |
| 2019 | 132.4 | 82.0 | 14,058 | 269,250 |
| 2018 | 126.4 | 77.9 | 13,297 | 254,700 |
| 2017 | 118.0 | 73.4 | 12,308 | 239,175 |
| 2016 | 110.6 | 65.4 | 11,400 | 211,384 |
| 2015 | 92.7 | 59.3 | 9,468 | 190,538 |
| 2014 | 84.8 | 53.4 | 8,563 | 170,344 |
| 2013 | 82.9 | 52.6 | 8,282 | 166,426 |
| 2012 | 83.5 | 49.8 | 8,281 | 156,346 |
| 2011 | 84.3 | 47.9 | 8,270 | 149,276 |
| 2010 | 81.3 | 47.1 | 7,900 | 145,604 |
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