Survey suggests a significant rise in Americans owning firearms for protection, reflecting evolving trends and demographics.
- A nationally representative survey conducted in 2023 found that around 65 million Americans own firearms for protection, making up about 80% of the estimated 81 million gun owners in the country.
- The profile of gun owners is changing, with increasing numbers of women and individuals from minority ethnic backgrounds citing protection as the primary reason for owning a firearm.
- The reasons for gun ownership in the U.S. have shifted from tools of necessity to tools of self-defense, with 60-70% of firearm owners citing protection as the main reason for ownership in recent years.
- Ownership for protection was not notably higher among firearm owners living in states with stand your ground (SYG) laws; however, these owners were more likely to carry a gun outside of the home.
- Factors strongly associated with ownership for protection included gender and race/ethnicity, as women and individuals of Black and Hispanic descent were more likely to own firearms for protection than for other reasons.
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Public Health & Prevention, Emergency Medicine, Psychiatry & Mental Health