Violence Policy Center

VPC

IndexOnline News Press ReleasesFact SheetsPublicationsLinksHomeAbout VPC
Looking for something?
Who Dies? A Look at Firearms Death and Injury in America—Revised Edition

Appendix One: Number and Rates* of Firearm Mortality—United States, 1965-1996

HOMICIDE SUICIDE UNINTENTIONAL LEGAL INTERVENTION UNDETERMINED INTENTION TOTAL
Year No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate No. Rate

1965

6,158

3.7

9,898

5.2

2,344

1.3

271

0.2

#

#

18,671

10.4

1966

6,855

4.1

10,407

5.5

2,558

1.4

298

0.2

#

#

20,118

11.1

1967

8,332

4.9

10,550

5.5

2,896

1.6

387

0.2

#

#

22,165

12.2

1968

9,425

5.4

10,911

5.6

2,394

1.3

343

0.2

802

0.4

23,875

12.9

1969

10,174

5.8

11,304

5.7

2,309

1.2

347

0.2

760

0.4

24,894

13.3

1970

11,213

6.2

11,772

5.9

2,406

1.2

329

0.2

823

0.4

26,543

13.9

1971

12,423

6.7

12,288

6.0

2,360

1.2

409

0.2

942

0.5

28,422

14.7

1972

13,382

7.1

13,348

6.4

2,442

1.2

296

0.2

886

0.5

30,354

15.3

1973

13,752

7.1

13,317

6.3

2,618

1.3

372

0.2

965

0.5

31,024

15.4

1974

14,737

7.5

14,345

6.7

2,513

1.2

370

0.2

1091

0.5

33,056

16.1

1975

14,295

7.1

14,873

6.9

2,380

1.1

330

0.2

974

0.5

32,852

15.7

1976

12,766

6.2

14,728

6.6

2,059

1.0

286

0.1

891

0.4

30,730

14.4

1977

12,874

6.1

16,084

7.1

1,982

0.9

259

0.1

884

0.4

32,083

14.7

1978

13,386

6.2

15,387

6.6

1,806

0.8

259

0.1

797

0.4

31,635

14.2

1979

14,491

6.6

15,543

6.6

2,004

0.9

341

0.2

640

0.3

33,019

14.6

1980

15,500

6.9

15,396

6.4

1,955

0.9

303

0.1

626

0.3

33,780

14.7

1981

15,089

6.7

16,139

6.7

1,871

0.8

272

0.1

679

0.3

34,050

14.6

1982

13,830

6.0

16,560

6.7

1,756

0.8

276

0.1

535

0.2

32,957

13.9

1983

12,040

5.2

16,600

6.6

1,695

0.7

257

0.1

507

0.2

31,099

12.8

1984

11,815

5.0

17,113

6.7

1,668

0.7

253

0.1

482

0.2

31,331

12.8

1985

11,836

5.0

17,363

6.7

1,649

0.7

242

0.1

476

0.2

31,566

12.7

1986

13,029

5.4

18,153

6.0

1,452

0.6

247

0.1

492

0.2

33,373

13.3

1987

12,657

5.2

18,136

6.8

1,440

0.6

257

0.1

405

0.2

32,895

12.9

1988

13,645

5.7

18,169

6.8

1,501

0.7

232

0.1

442

0.2

33,989

13.3

1989

14,464

6.0

18,178

6.7

1,489

0.6

305

0.1

340

0.1

34,776

13.7

1990

16,218

6.8

18,885

7.0

1,416

0.6

289

0.1

347

0.1

37,155

14.6

1991

17,746

7.5

18,526

6.8

1,441

0.6

240

0.1

364

0.2

38,317

15.1

1992

17,488

7.4

18,169

6.6

1,409

0.6

302

0.1

408

0.2

37,776

14.9

1993

18,253

7.7

18,940

6.8

1,521

0.7

318

0.1

563

0.2

39,595

15.6

1994

17,527

7.4

18,765

6.7

1,356

0.6

339

0.1

518

0.2

38,505

15.1

1995 15,551 6.6 18,503 6.5 1,225 0.5 284 0.0 394 0.1 35,957 13.9
1996

14,037

5.9

18,166

6.2

1,134

0.4

 290 0.0

413

0.2

34,040

12.9

Total 424,988

.

496,516

.

61,049

.

9,603

.

18,446

.

1,010,602

.

*Age-adjusted; per 100,000.
#Data not available for 1965 through 1967.

Sources:
1. National Center for Health Statistics, Mortality Data Tapes and CDC Wonder at www.cdc.gov. Totals computed by the Violence Policy Center.
2. Ikeda, R.M., Gorwitz, R., James, S., Powell, K.E., Mercy, J.A., "Trends in Fatal Firearm-Related Injuries, United States, 1962-1993," American Journal of Preventative Medicine, Volume 13, No. 5, Sept/Oct 1997.
3. "Fatal Firearm Injuries in the United States, 1962-1994," Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Violence Surveillance Summary Series, No. 3 (in press).



Go to next section: Appendix Two: Domestic Production of Civilian Firearms, 1899 to 1996 (in Thousands)

Back to Who Dies? Table of Contents







All contents © 1999 Violence Policy Center