Gun violence

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Gun violence is the broadly defined category of violence and crime committed with the use of a firearm; it does not include the safe lawful use of firearms for sport, hunting, target practice, law enforcement, or self-defense.[1] Gun violence encompasses intentional crime characterized as homicide (although not all homicide is automatically a crime) and assault with a deadly weapon, as well as unintentional injury and death resulting from the misuse of firearms, particularly by children and adolescents.[2]

Levels of gun violence vary greatly across the world, with very high rates in South Africa and Colombia, as well as high levels in Thailand, Guatemala, and some other developing countries.[3] Levels of gun violence are low in Singapore, Chile, New Zealand, and many other countries.[3] The United States has the highest rates among developed countries, which some account to the loose firearm laws in the U.S. compared to other developed countries[4].

[edit] Homicides by country

The homicide statistics listed below are for "intentional homicide", which is "death deliberately inflicted on a person by another person",[5] including justifiable homicide and criminal homicide.

Intentional Homicides (non-firearm and firearm homicides) by country

Source: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2000[3]

Country Non-firearm homicide rate
per 100,000 pop.		 Firearm homicide rate
per 100,000 pop.		 % homicides with firearms Overall homicide rate
per 100,000 pop.
Australia 1.26 0.31 16.3435 1.57
Azerbaijan 2.8078 0.2236 7.3770 3.0314
Barbados 7.4906 2.9963 28.5714 10.4869
Belarus 10.1300 3.3100 24.6280 13.4400
Bulgaria 4.0652 0.7714 15.9494 4.8366
Canada[6] 1.04 0.54 25 1.58
Chile 1.5461 0.1776 10.3053 1.7237
Colombia 62.7400 51.7683 45.2092 114.5083
Costa Rica[6] 6.57 3.38 34 9.95
Czech Republic 1.69 2.07 55 3.76
Denmark 1.09 0.26 19 1.35
England & Wales[6] 1.33 0.12 8 1.57
Estonia 10.4456 1.5340 12.8049 11.9795
Finland[7] 2.19 0.43 16 2.62
Germany 1.1679 0.4672 28.5714 1.6350
Guatemala 25.4737 18.5000 42.0706 43.9737
Hungary 2.0500 0.4400 17.6707 2.4900
India[6] 3.72 0.93 20 4.65
Ireland[6] 1.01 0.32 24 1.33
Latvia 10.0337 1.2648 11.1940 11.2985
Lithuania 10.0135 2.2463 18.3223 12.2598
Macedonia, FYR 2.3141 1.2802 35.6164 3.5943
Mexico 14.1112 3.6622 20.6051 17.7735
Moldova, Republic of 8.1270 0.4671 5.4348 8.5941
New Zealand 1.1747 0.1827 13.4615 1.3574
Paraguay 12.0451 7.3508 37.8987 19.3959
Poland 5.6072 0.4289 7.1062 6.0362
Portugal 2.4788 0.8488 25.3776 3.3100
Qatar[6] 0.53 0.18 25 0.71
Singapore 0.9209 0.0249 2.6316 0.9457
Slovakia 2.6473 2.1659 45.0000 4.8132
Slovenia 1.8109 0.6036 25.0000 2.4145
South Africa 51.3901 74.5748 59.2028 125.9650
Spain 1.2506 0.2456 16.4129 1.4962
Switzerland 0.96 0.56 37 1.52
Thailand 8.4679 33.0016 79.5805 41.4695
Ukraine 8.9253 0.3495 3.7682 9.2747
United States[6] 4.55 2.97 39 7.52
Uruguay 4.6149 2.5172 35.2941 7.1321
Zimbabwe 7.2381 4.7460 39.6026 11.9841

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Michigan Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence: Statistics
  2. ^ Encyclopedia of Public Health: Gun Control
  3. ^ a b c The Seventh United Nations Survey on Crime Trends and the Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (1998 - 2000). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Retrieved on 2006-11-08.
  4. ^ Cook, Philip J., Gun Violence: The Real Cost, Page 29. Oxford University Press, 2002
  5. ^ [http://www.unodc.org/pdf/crime/seventh_survey/InstrumentE.pdf Questionnaire for the Seventh United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems, covering the period 1998 - 2000]. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
  6. ^ a b c d e f g 1999 figures; 2000 figures not available
  7. ^ 1998 figures; 1999 and 2000 figures not available


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