US gun ownership: a deadly love affair

As Americans reel from another mass shooting and President Donald Trump calls for a period of reflection, a powerful lobby resists any push for tighter gun controls. The FT picks out the most revealing statistics that explain why it is so difficult for the US to curb its obsessive relationship with firearms.

The number of mass shootings (where four or more people are wounded or killed) in the US between January 1 and October 3. There were 383 in 2016 and 333 the year before, or roughly one a day. Source: Gun Violence Archive

Unintentional shootings in the US up to October 3 this year, compared with 2,200 last year. Source: Gun Violence Archive

The gun homicide rate in the US is 25.2 times higher than other high-income countries, while the total homicide rate is seven times higher.Source: American Journal of Medicine

Americans aged 15-24 are 49 times more likely to be the victim of gun-related murder than the same age group in other wealthy countries. Source: American Journal of Medicine

The rate of firearm homicide deaths per 100,000 Americans in 2014, down from 6.6 in 1993. However, the number of murders has increased in the past two years.Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The firearm suicide rate in the US per 100,000 people. The rate is nearly double that of the next wealthy country - Finland on 3.3 suicides. Among high-income countries, the overall suicide rate is highest in South Korea at 31.5 per 100,000 people. Source: American Journal of Medicine

The proportion of firearm deaths in the US that were suicides in 2014, according to government figures.Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The number children killed with guns every day in the US, including unintentional shootings. Source: Gun Violence Archive

The number of gun deaths in Japan in 2015, the lowest in the developed world and compared with 13,500 in the US for the same year. Japan has strict gun control laws. Source: Japan National Police Agency

The proportion of US adults who say they own a gun, according to a Harvard-Northeastern study in 2016. Pew puts the figure at 31 per cent. Most research suggests the level of gun ownership is falling.Source: Harvard-Northeastern

The small proportion of US adults who own half of the 265m guns in the country. That works out at an average of 17 guns each for individuals in this group. Source: Harvard-Northeastern

Percentage of civilian-owned guns around the world that are in the US, which accounts for 4 per cent of the global population.Source: Small Arms Survey

The decline in sales of American Outdoor Brands, the former Smith & Wesson, in the second quarter of this year - a reflection of Republicans taking control of Washington, making new gun control measures less likely.Source: American Outdoor Brands

Number of firearm background checks in 2016 by the FBI and other agencies. The checks are a rough indicator of trends in gun sales. Source: FBI

Firearm sales that were blocked after background checks by the authorities since the enactment of the Brady law in 1994 and December 2015.Source: FBI

Number of states that allow some form of "open carry" of firearms, although the rules for permits and specific weapons vary from state to state.Source: Politifact

States that have adopted "stand your ground" laws that allow the use of guns when people believe their lives are threatened.Source: Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence

The proportion of Americans who say it is more important to control gun ownership, according to a study published in June, against 47 per cent who say it is more important to protect the right to own guns.Source: Pew

Americans who support banning assault-style weapons - a figure which falls to 48 per cent among gun-owners. Source: Pew

Percentage of gun owners in the US who say the right to own firearms is essential to their sense of freedom.Source: Pew

Percentage of Americans who believe there should be background checks to prevent the mentally ill from owning guns.Source: Pew

Political spending by the National Rifle Association in the 2016 election cycle on candidates, parties, outside groups and its own political activity.Source: Center for Responsive Politics

Americans who believe mass shootings are a fact of life in the US today; in a poll taken after the Las Vegas attack 42 per cent said mass shootings are something that can be stopped.Source: YouGov/Huffpost

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