Key facts about Americans and guns
About six-in-ten U.S. adults (58%) favor stricter gun laws. Another 26% say that U.S. gun laws are about right, while 15% favor less strict gun laws.
Gun Policy
About 1 in 4 U.S. teachers say their school went into a gun-related lockdown in the last school year
59% of public K-12 teachers say they are at least somewhat worried about the possibility of a shooting ever happening at their school.
For Most U.S. Gun Owners, Protection Is the Main Reason They Own a Gun
Gun owners in the United States continue to cite protection far more than other factors, including hunting and sport shooting, as a major reason they own a gun. About half of Americans who don’t own a gun say they could never see themselves owning one (52%) while nearly as many could imagine themselves as gun owners in the future (47%).
Sign up for our politics newsletter
Our latest politics data every month
All
Gun Policy
Publications
Displaying 1-10 of ? results
Filtering by:
Reset
-
What Google searches can tell us about Americans’ interest in guns
Read key findings from an analysis that looks into the public’s interest in guns as potential consumer products, rather than as a subject of general interest.
-
The Generation Gap in American Politics
Generational differences have long been a factor in U.S. politics. These divisions are now as wide as they have been in decades, with the potential to shape politics well into the future.
-
In 2017, Americans narrowly opposed allowing teachers and school officials to carry guns
Last year, more than half of U.S. adults said they would oppose allowing teachers and officials to carry guns in K-12 schools.
-
Supporters of stricter gun laws are less likely to contact elected officials
About one-in-five U.S. gun owners say they have ever contacted a public official to express their opinion on gun policy, compared with 12% of non-gun owners.
-
Rural and urban gun owners have different experiences, views on gun policy
Nearly six-in-ten rural Americans have a gun in their household, compared with smaller shares of suburban and urban gun owners.
-
Among U.S. gun owners, parents more likely than non-parents to keep their guns locked and unloaded
Among gun-owning parents with children in their household, 54% say all guns in their home are kept in a locked place and 53% say they are all kept unloaded.
-
Key takeaways on Americans’ views of guns and gun ownership
About four-in-ten Americans say they either own a gun themselves or live in a household with guns, and 48% say they grew up in a household with guns.
-
America’s Complex Relationship With Guns
Americans have broad exposure to guns, whether they personally own one or not. About seven-in-ten say they have fired a gun at some point and 42% currently live in a gun-owning household.
-
Public Views About Guns
Explore 20 years of data on public opinion about gun control vs. gun rights.
-
A closer look at police officers who have fired their weapon on duty
About a quarter of all officers say they have ever fired their service weapon while on the job. Are some more likely than others to have fired their weapon in the line of duty?
REFINE YOUR SELECTION
DATE
Year
Date Range
Formats
Regions & Countries
Topics
Authors
Research Teams
© 2024 Pew Research Center