The gun violence crisis in the United States is causing similar death rates to countries in active conflict, according to a new analysis from the Commonwealth Fund.
To compare gun violence in the U.S. with high-income countries as well as globally, the Commonwealth Fund used data from the Global Burden of Disease study from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which examined firearm mortality from physical violence by firearm, self-harm by firearm, and unintentional firearm injuries. The Commonwealth Fund analyzed the data for 204 countries, territories, and U.S. states.
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Key findings include:
- The U.S. ranks at the 93rd percentile of all countries and territories for overall firearm mortality, the 92nd percentile for children and teens, and the 96th percentile for women.
- Of the 204 countries and territories included in the analysis, the U.S. ranked 16th for firearm mortality in the world.
- Compared to other high-income countries, the U.S. has one of the highest rates of firearm deaths.
- The U.S. ranked among the highest in child and teen firearm mortality rates compared to high-income countries and globally.
- The U.S. has the eighth-highest firearm mortality rate in the world for women. When compared to high-income countries, the U.S. has the second-highest firearm mortality rate for women.
- U.S. states have higher firearm mortality rates than most other countries in the world. The death rates from physical violence related to firearms in U.S. states were found to be closer to rates seen in countries with the highest mortality rates in the world due to active conflict.
- Only 12 countries have a rate of self-harm by firearm as high as that of the U.S.
- American Indian and Alaska Natives and Black Americans have the highest mortality due to firearms of any racial or ethnic group in the U.S.
The gun violence crisis will be a key focus at The RISE Population Health Summit, held December 9-10 in Phoenix, with an opening keynote address from Michael-Sean Spence, managing director, community safety initiatives, Everytown for Gun Safety. Spence will present the keynote, Healing Communities: Tackling Gun Violence Disparities in Black Neighborhoods with a Public Health Approach, on Monday, December 9 at 9:10 a.m. Click here for the full agenda, list of speakers, and registration information.