U.S. gun violence worse than any other wealthy nation, costs the country billions

It's a well-known and sobering fact that Americans die from gun violence at a higher rate than their counterparts in high-income nations.

And compared to the entire world, the U.S. ranks at the 93rd percentile for overall firearm mortality, 92nd percentile for children and teens and 96th percentile for women, according to an analysis from the Commonwealth Fund.

The U.S.'s firearm death rate is five times higher than France, the country with the second highest rate, according to the Commonwealth Fund. The U.S. also has the highest firearm suicide rate compared to other wealthy countries. And more women are killed by guns than in any peer nation.

In 2019, firearms accounted for 10.4 deaths for every 100,000 people in the U.S., according to the Commonwealth Fund. That's five times greater than in countries with the second- and third-highest death rates: France's rate was 2.2 and Switzerland's was 2.1.

Americans are 26 times more likely to be shot compared to their counterparts in high-income countries, according to the Brady Center. Firearm suicides in the U.S. account for 35% of all the world's suicides, Brady found, despite the U.S. making up 4% of the world's population.

The Commonwealth Fund also found that America has more guns than people - there were 67 million more firearms than people in 2023.

The bigger picture

Figures like these are useful for illustrating the detrimental impact of ongoing gun violence on communities and the nation and offer journalists an opportunity to tackle this topic in a deeper way.

For example, reporting on how much gun violence costs for the individual and society at large is an effective strategy for showing that the costs go well beyond the physical harm. These totals from the Commonwealth Fund are likely an undercount because there isn't an exact figure. But stories like this one from Mother Jones and this explainer from The Trace are good examples of how reporters can attempt to calculate these costs.

The cost

American gun violence is expensive. Gun violence cost the U.S. $557 billion in 2022, according to an estimate from the National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation.

Of that, the foundation estimates $2.8 billion was spent on health care costs, mental health needs and emergency services. The vast majority, $489.1 billion, was related to quality-of-life impacts. That includes loss of income and childcare and the pain and suffering that follows a shooting.

Firearm deaths cost roughly $274,000 per victim and each nonfatal injury costs over $25,000 per patient, equaling an average cost of $1,700 per taxpayer annually, the foundation estimated.

Gun violence puts a major strain on the U.S. health care system. Each year, firearm injuries lead to about 30,000 inpatient hospital stays and 50,000 emergency room visits, according to the Commonwealth Fund. That generates about $1 billion in medical costs.

A 2019 study from Stanford Health found that the U.S. government takes on nearly half of all hospital expenses. Out of $5.47 billion in costs during the study period, Medicaid and Medicare paid approximately $2.5 billion. Private insurance and self-paying patients each accounted for $1.1 billion.

Firearm violence also leaves people with significant medical bills. Medical spending increases about $2,495 per person each month in the year after they're shot, according to the Commonwealth Fund.

Story ideas

• Use these figures from the Commonwealth Fund to tell the story of a gun violence survivor or someone who lost a loved one to gun violence. Ask about their medical expenses. How much time did they have to take off from work? How much do their injuries impact their day-to-day lives? A series from The Trace, Survivor Storytelling Network, is a great example of how to tell these types of stories. The series features a compelling collection of essays from survivors and features reporting based on the survivors' stories.
• Interview someone who lost a loved one to gun violence. Were they financially dependent on that person? Were they a parent or a partner? Did that person provide child care? What were their medical and funeral expenses? How are they coping?
• Focus on the mental and emotional costs of surviving or witnessing gun violence, living without a loved one who died from gun violence, or taking care of a loved one critically injured from gun violence.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.