The assassination attempt at the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner has once again drawn public attention to US firearm policy and gun violence. While gun‑related deaths in the United States have declined from the record highs seen during the COVID‑19 pandemic, they remain dramatically higher than in Australia.

Gun deaths in the United States

In 2024, 44,447 people died from gun‑related injuries in the United States, equivalent to 13.1 deaths per 100,000 people.

According to CDC Wonder data, 15,364 of these deaths were firearm homicides, a rate of 4.5 gun murders per 100,000 people.

Gun deaths in Australia

Australia’s firearm fatality rates are substantially lower. Between July 2023 and June 2024, 206 people died from gun‑related injuries, or 0.76 deaths per 100,000 people.

Of these deaths, 31 were classified as firearm homicides, translating to 0.09 gun murders per 100,000 people — approximately one‑fiftieth of the US rate.

 

Suicide and firearm deaths

The sharp contrast between the United States and Australia in gun homicides does not extend to suicide, which remains the leading cause of firearm deaths in both countries.

In 2023, suicides accounted for 58% of all gun fatalities in the United States, compared with 70% in Australia.

Access to firearms strongly correlates with an increased risk of suicide.

Firearm ownership and access

Gun ownership levels differ markedly between the two countries.

In the United States, around one‑third of adults say they personally own a firearm, and four in ten adults live in a household with a gun, according to Pew Research Center data.

In Australia, firearms remain highly regulated, though total numbers have risen over time. Data from The Australia Institute shows the national gun stock has grown by approximately 25% since 1996, the year of the Port Arthur massacre.

The Department of Home Affairs recorded 929,741 firearm licences nationwide in 2025, meaning around one in 30 Australians holds a gun licence. While the proportion of gun owners has declined since 1997, the concentration of firearms has increased, reaching approximately four firearms per licensed owner in 2024.