About Gun Owner Demographics
American gun owners are a large and varied group. According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in June 2023, 32% of U.S. adults personally own a gun, and about four in ten live in a household with one. Ownership is higher among men (40%) than women (25%), and it varies sharply by community type: 47% of rural adults own a gun, compared with 30% of suburban adults and 20% of urban adults. By political affiliation, 45% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents own a gun, compared with 20% of Democrats and Democratic leaners.
Ownership also crosses racial and ethnic lines. Pew found that 38% of White adults, 24% of Black adults, 20% of Hispanic adults and 10% of Asian adults personally own a gun. When asked why they own firearms, 72% of gun owners named protection as a major reason, well ahead of hunting (32%), sport shooting (30%), collecting (15%) and work (7%). For advocates, these numbers show that self-defense is now the leading reason Americans own guns, and that gun ownership reaches well beyond any single region, party or background.
Key Facts
- June 5-11, 2023: Pew Research Center American Trends Panel survey
- 32% of U.S. adults personally own a gun; about 4 in 10 live in a gun-owning household
- Men 40%, women 25%; rural 47%, suburban 30%, urban 20%
- White 38%, Black 24%, Hispanic 20%, Asian 10%
- 72% of gun owners cite protection as a major reason for owning a gun
Learn More
Sources
- Pew Research Center: Key facts about Americans and guns (July 2024)
- Pew Research Center: For most U.S. gun owners, protection is the main reason (August 2023)
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