Most gun deaths in the U.S. result from suicides: a trend that declined during COVID due to increased homicides, but which has now increased back to nearly two-thirds of all gun deaths.
Prior to 2020, suicide-related gun deaths made up 60% of all gun deaths. During COVID, suicides still comprised more than half of all gun deaths, but were slightly lower at around 54%. In 2024, the percentage increased to around 62%.
Report Highlights:
- Of the 44,446 firearm-related deaths in 2024, 62% were suicides.
- Among white Americans, 84.6% of gun deaths were suicides, compared to 43.67% among Hispanics and 20.4% among black Americans in 2024.
- Older, non-Hispanic, white males are most at risk of suicide-related firearm death.
Related Studies: Accidental Shooting Statistics 1979-2024 | Gun Death Statistics by Caliber | Gun Deaths in the U.S. (At-Risk Demographics)
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Methodology
Deaths in the United States are reported in the CDC WONDER database, which provides comprehensive data on mortality by cause and intent.
The information compiled in this report is sourced from the CDC WONDER database and encompasses firearm-related suicide data organized by race, ethnicity, gender, and age.
Suicide Gun Deaths Percentage by Year
Suicides contribute the majority of gun deaths in the U.S.
Prior to 2020, suicide-related gun deaths made up 60% of all gun deaths. During COVID, suicides still comprised more than half of all gun deaths, but were slightly lower at around 54%. In 2024, the percentage increased to around 62%.
- 2018 – 61.5% (24,432 of 39,740 deaths)
- 2019 – 60.3% (23,941 of 39,707 deaths)
- 2020 – 53.7% (24,292 of 45,222 deaths)
- 2021 – 53.9% (26,328 of 48,830 deaths)
- 2022 – 56.0% (27,032 of 48,204 deaths)
- 2023 – 58.4% (27,300 of 46,728 deaths)
- 2024 – 62.1% (27,592 of 44,446 deaths)
Suicide Gun Deaths Percentage by Race
White non-Hispanic Americans have the highest percentage of suicide-related gun deaths at 84.6%, followed by Asians at 68.9%. Suicides account for less than half of gun deaths among Native Americans and Hispanics at 49.8% and 43.7%, respectively. Suicides account for 20.4% of black non-Hispanic American gun deaths.
When we look at suicide-related gun deaths by race, we see that some demographics are more likely to succumb to suicide than other intents (unintentional, homicide, or legal intervention).
- White non-Hispanic – 84.6% (21,838 of 25,815 deaths)
- Asian – 68.9% (418 of 607 deaths)
- Native American – 49.8% (220 of 442 deaths)
- Hispanic – 43.7% (2,178 of 5,369 deaths)
- Black non-Hispanic – 20.4% (2,325 of 11,424 deaths)
Suicide Gun Deaths Percentage by Age
In 2024, suicides accounted for less than half of all firearm deaths among Americans under age 35. The share of gun deaths caused by suicide increased to 53.7% among those aged 35–44, 66.4% for ages 45–54, and between 80–90% for individuals aged 55 and older.
Suicide-related gun deaths increase by age, while other intents (unintentional, homicide, or legal intervention) decrease:
- 5-14 years – 33.8% (185 of 548 deaths)
- 15-24 years – 41.4% (3,283 of 7,936 deaths)
- 25-34 years – 48.6% (4,177 of 8,595 deaths)
- 35-44 years – 53.7% (4,091 of 7,616 deaths)
- 45-54 years – 66.4% (3,912 of 5,896 deaths)
- 55-64 years – 81.3% (4,469 of 5,495 deaths)
- 65-74 years – 87.9% (3,564 of 4,051 deaths)
- 75-84 years – 93.0% (2,844 of 3,057 deaths)
- 85+ years – 95.4% (1,066 of 1,117 deaths)
Suicide Gun Deaths Percentage by Gender
In 2024, 38,087 men died from gunshot wounds in the U.S. Of those, 24,041 (63.1%) were attributed to suicides.
That same year, 6,359 women in the U.S. died from gunshot wounds. Of those, 3,551 (55.8%) were attributed to suicides.
Gun Deaths by Intent in 2024
In 2024, 62% of gun deaths were attributed to suicides, while 34.6% were attributed to homicides. Unintentional, underdetermined, and legal intervention intents accounted for less than 4% of all gun deaths that year.
Suicides and Gun Deaths: Wrap-Up
Most gun deaths in the U.S. result from suicides: a trend that declined during COVID due to increased homicides, but which has now increased back to nearly two-thirds of all gun deaths.
Suicide by firearm is especially common among older non-Hispanic white men, while black and Hispanic Americans are more affected by firearm-related homicide.
Sources:
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