Skip to content

Tuesday, Jul. 8, 2025

Do states with fewer gun laws and more guns have higher suicide rates?

Matthew Yim, Oklahoma Watch
yes

A KFF analysis of CDC data divided the states equally into three groups — those with the most, moderate, and the fewest firearm law provisions — and found that states with the fewest gun law provisions had twice the gun suicide rate of states with the most, at a rate of 10.8 per 100,000 people. 

States with the most, moderate, and the least firearm law provisions had averages of 61, 19, and six provisions, respectively. Oklahoma has eight provisions. The analysis found that the variation in state-level suicide rates is primarily driven by rates of firearm suicide.

Another CDC analysis also showed that states with lower gun ownership rates and stronger gun laws have the lowest suicide rates. 

Studies have concluded that where firearm ownership levels are higher, a disproportionately large number of people die from suicide, even when accounting for psychological risk factors and underlying suicidal behavior. 

 Oklahoma has a household gun ownership rate of 54.7% 

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

About fact briefs

Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.

See all fact briefs

Oklahoma Watch is a nonprofit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) corporation that produces in-depth and investigative journalism as a public service for the benefit of all Oklahomans. Through investigative, fact-driven journalism, we dig deep and examine significant issues facing our state. Our work engages all Oklahomans, amplifies the discussion of important issues and leads to change. We help develop the journalists and journalism of the future.

Learn More

Latest Fact Briefs

Be a Friend of facts

Help us fund more great fact briefs like this one.