Americans Own 30% of World's Guns

Americans form the biggest gun-toting posse on Earth, Reuters reports, boasting a high 90 firearms per 100 noncombatants. Other countries lag behind on a per capita basis: Yemen takes second with 61 per 100 and Finland places a surprising third with 56 for every 100 civilians. Many poor countries, like Nigeria, rank low on the list despite their reputation for gun violence.

One analyst connects civilian gun ownership with wealth, warning that “we need to think about future demand in parts of the world where economic growth is giving people larger disposable income." One gun survey estimates that 650 million guns are owned in homes worldwide, 10 million higher than the last count. Only about 1 in 10 of those are thought to be registered. (More guns stories.)