Introduction
Mass shootings have sadly become a common occurrence in the world, plaguing countries from all continents. In 2019 and 2020, numerous mass shootings have occurred across the globe, leaving hundreds of people dead or injured. While the United States has consistently been the country with the most mass shootings in the world, the devastating impact of these events has been felt around the world as well, with other notable mass shooting incidents including an attack on two mosques in New Zealand that killed 51 people, an Easter Sunday bombing in Sri Lanka that left more than 250 dead and 500 injured, and an attack on a popular nightclub in Istanbul that resulted in 39 deaths. Europe has also been the victim of multiple mass shootings in recent years, most of them linked to acts of terrorism. Sadly, the aftermath of these tragedies often entails physical and psychological trauma for survivors and their families, as well as negatively impacts the population of the countries concerned in the long term.
Number of Mass Shootings by Country
# | Country | Number of Mass Shootings |
---|---|---|
1 | United States of America | 101 |
2 | Russia | 21 |
3 | France | 8 |
4 | Germany | 5 |
5 | Canada | 4 |
6 | Finland | 3 |
7 | Belgium | 2 |
8 | Czech Republic | 2 |
9 | Italy | 2 |
10 | Netherlands | 2 |
11 | Switzerland | 2 |
12 | Australia | 1 |
13 | Austria | 1 |
14 | Croatia | 1 |
15 | Lithuania | 1 |
16 | New Zealand | 1 |
17 | Norway | 1 |
18 | People's Republic of China | 1 |
19 | Slovakia | 1 |
20 | United Kingdom | 1 |
Mass Shootings in US vs World
Mass shootings are defined differently across the world, and these definitions have a major impact on how they are calculated. In the United States alone, whether one counts the total number of mass shootings, regardless of the number of deaths, or the number of mass shootings with 3 or more deaths changes the number of mass shootings counted drastically. As a point of comparison, in 2022, the US had 647 mass shooting incidents, but only 12 of these had 3 or more fatalities.
In many African countries, mass shootings are not counted as such, but rather are classified as other types of deadly events. This is due to the fact that there can be different interpretations of what constitutes a mass shooting in different cultures, resulting in varying definitions that can mask the true number of incidents. For example, some countries may not include shootings if there are fewer than four fatalities. Other nations might also count an event as a mass shooting even if it involves fewer deaths if it was carried out by multiple individuals.
There is also the issue of weapon type; some countries may only consider firearms when calculating mass shootings while others will also take into account explosives or other weapons. Ultimately, all these discrepancies mean that the total number of recorded mass shooting incidents varies greatly from country to country, which poses a major challenge when trying to obtain reliable data and make accurate comparisons between regions or nations, and also explains why parts of the world seem to not have any mass shooting incidents.
Mass Shootings in Europe
Mass shootings in Europe have become an increasingly alarming phenomenon in recent years. While there have been several isolated incidents of gun violence occurring on the continent for many years, the frequency and severity of these events has increased dramatically over the last decade. The majority of mass shooting incidents in Europe occur in France and Germany, but other European countries with high rates of violent crime include Norway, Belgium, and Finland.
In 2016, at least seven people were killed when a gunman opened fire on shoppers at Munich’s Olympia shopping mall, while in 2015 a gunman killed six people in an attack near Liege in Belgium. The following year, a man attacked pedestrians with knives in Turku, Finland and killed two people before being shot by police. In December 2018, an attack took place in Strasbourg that left four dead and eleven injured. Another mass shooting to occur in Europe took place on October 9th 2019 at a synagogue in Halle, Germany. In some instances such as with the 2015 Paris attacks or 2019 Utøya massacre in Norway, mass shootings have been perpetrated by extremists who used firearms as part of terrorist attacks targeting innocent civilians. Sadly, these are only a few examples out of the many other mass shootings to occur in Europe over the past few years that have resulted in numerous fatalities and victims injured.
Countries with Most Mass Shootings
The countries with the most mass shootings by country are the US, Russia, France, Germany, Canada, Finland, Belgium, Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. The United States of America tops the list of the countries with the most mass shootings, with 101 mass shootings with four or more victims between 1998 and 2019. This number is significantly higher than the second country with the highest number of mass shootings, Russia, which has 21 mass shooting incidents in comparison. Third place France follows far behind Russia, with 8 mass shootings recorded. After France comes Germany, as the fourth country with the most mass shootings, with 5 mass shootings, followed by Canada and Finland both with 4 mass shootings each. Further down the list are Belgium, the Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, and Switzerland all tied at 2 mass shooting incidents in that time period with four or more victims.
The countries with the highest number of mass shootings are:
1. United States – 101
2. Russia – 21
3. France – 8
4. Germany – 5
5. Canada – 4
6. Finland – 3
7. Belgium – 2
8. Czech Republic – 2
9. Italy – 2
10. Netherlands – 2
11. Switzerland – 2
Country with Most Mass Shootings
The United States is the country with the most mass shootings in the world, with 101 mass shootings involving 4 or more people killed between 1998 and 2019. This is a sobering statistic, particularly when compared to other developed countries. In fact, no other developed nation comes even close to having such an atrocious number of mass shootings. The US accounts for almost half of all of the world’s mass shootings over this timeframe. Aside from the sheer number of mass shootings, more than 1,200 people were killed during these incidents and more than 3,000 were injured. And these numbers are much smaller compared to the actual number of mass shootings that happened in the same time frame that had less than 4 people killed. To compare these numbers, in 2022 alone, there have been a total of 647 mass shooting incidents in the US, 12 of which had three or more fatalities.
Mass Shootings Worldwide
Australia
Number of Mass Shootings
1
Ranked in the World
#12
There has been one mass shooting in Australia, ranking the country twelfth in the world in terms of the number of mass shootings. The mass shooting occurred in June 2019 in Darwin, Northern Territory, and resulted in four persons killed and one injured. The perpetrator was given three life sentences.
Austria
Number of Mass Shootings
1
Ranked in the World
#13
Belgium
Number of Mass Shootings
2
Ranked in the World
#7
There have been two mass shootings in Belgium, ranking the country seventh in the world in terms of the number of mass shootings. Both of these tragedies occurred in the city of Liège; the first happened on December 13th, 2011 when a gunman opened fire on Saint-Lambert Square, killing six people and wounding 125 others before taking his own life. The second shooting occurred on May 24th, 2014 when a gunman opened fire at the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels, killing four people. In response, Belgian law enforcement has implemented several measures such as increased surveillance at schools, increased security presence at public gatherings, and improved alertness measures for potential terrorist threats.
Canada
Number of Mass Shootings
4
Ranked in the World
#5
There have been four mass shootings in Canada, ranking the country fifth in the world in terms of the number of mass shootings. In 1999, a mass shooting took place in Ottawa, Ontario. A gunman killed four people and injured another two before taking his own life. In 2014, a man went on a killing spree in Edmonton, Alberta, killing eight individuals, including two children. The perpetrator then committed suicide. In 2016, another mass shooting occurred in La Loche, Saskatchewan when a shooter killed four people and injured seven more before being apprehended by police. Finally, in 2017 a gunman opened fire at a mosque in Quebec City, killing six people and wounding nineteen others before being arrested shortly afterward.
Croatia
Number of Mass Shootings
1
Ranked in the World
#14
Czech Republic
Number of Mass Shootings
2
Ranked in the World
#8
Finland
Number of Mass Shootings
3
Ranked in the World
#6
There have been three mass shootings in Finland, ranking the country sixth in the world in terms of the number of mass shootings. The first mass shooting took place in November 2007, when a student killed eight people at a school in Tuusula. The second mass shooting occurred in September 2008, when a 22-year-old gunman went on a rampage that left ten people killed and eleven injured at the Seinäjoki University of Applied Science in Kauhajoki. The third mass shooting took place in December 2009 at the Prisma hypermarket in Sello, leaving five individuals dead. In response to these events, stricter legislation was put into place which saw nationwide bans on handgun ownership and greater restrictions on gun sales.
France
Number of Mass Shootings
8
Ranked in the World
#3
There have been eight mass shootings in France, ranking the country third in the world in terms of the number of mass shootings. In 2015, first the Charlie Hebdo shooting left twelve people dead and eleven injured. Then the tragedy of the Bataclan massacre in Paris occurred in November, where 130 people lost their lives. Most recently, in 2018, there was one incident at a Christmas market in Strasbourg that left five dead and eleven injured. These tragic events have raised awareness of gun violence and terrorism in France.
Germany
Number of Mass Shootings
5
Ranked in the World
#4
There have been five mass shootings in Germany, ranking the country fourth in the world in terms of the number of mass shootings. One of the most recent shootings happened in 2016, when a man opened fire in the Olympia shopping mall in Munich, killing nine people and injuring thirty-six others. The incident was the deadliest attack of its kind since 2002 when a former student shot dead 16 people at a school in Erfurt. Another mass shooting occurred at a secondary school in Winnenden in 2009 when fifteen people were killed and several injured by the perpetrator. Finally, in 1999, another mass shooting took place in Bad Reichenhall; four people died.
Italy
Number of Mass Shootings
2
Ranked in the World
#9
There have been two mass shootings in Italy, ranking the country ninth in the world in terms of the number of mass shootings. While there were only two mass shootings in Italy during this period, they were not the only instances of gun-related violence. Between 1998 and 2019, numerous other incidents across the country saw multiple victims injured or killed by firearms. In addition to these acts of violence, Italy has also seen a rise in the illegal possession of weapons and ammunition over the years due to organized crime groups operating in some parts of the country. As a result, tougher legislation was put into place to combat gun-related crimes and help strengthen public safety measures across Italy.
Lithuania
Number of Mass Shootings
1
Ranked in the World
#15
Netherlands
Number of Mass Shootings
2
Ranked in the World
#10
There have been two mass shootings in the Netherlands, ranking the country ninth in the world in terms of the number of mass shootings. The first mass shooting occurred in 2011 when a gunman killed six people and wounded seventeen others in the Ridderhof mall in Alphen aan den Rijn. More recently, in 2019, another mass shooting took place in Utrecht where four people were murdered and six others were injured. These incidents demonstrate that gun violence is still an issue that needs to be addressed in the Netherlands despite having one of the most restrictive gun control laws in Europe.
New Zealand
Number of Mass Shootings
1
Ranked in the World
#16
Norway
Number of Mass Shootings
1
Ranked in the World
#17
There has been one mass shooting in Norway, ranking the country seventeenth in the world in terms of the number of mass shootings. On July 22, 2011, a right-wing extremist opened fire at an island youth camp near Oslo, targeting the participants of the camp. The perpetrator killed seventy-seven people and injured more than three hundred individuals. This attack is considered to be the deadliest mass shooting in modern Norwegian history. In recent years, there have been government-led initiatives to help reduce gun violence in the country by introducing more stringent gun control laws and providing better mental health services for those suffering from psychological disorders.
People's Republic of China
Number of Mass Shootings
1
Ranked in the World
#18
There has been one mass shooting in China, ranking the country eighteenth in the world in terms of the number of mass shootings. The mass shooting occurred in June 2013, in Shanghai where a man killed six people and injured another four. The perpetrator was then arrested by the police.
Russia
Number of Mass Shootings
21
Ranked in the World
#2
There have been twenty-one mass shootings in Russia, ranking the country second in the world in terms of the number of mass shootings. They have ranged from mass killings in shopping malls to attacks on schools and other public places.
Slovakia
Number of Mass Shootings
1
Ranked in the World
#19
Switzerland
Number of Mass Shootings
2
Ranked in the World
#11
There have been two mass shootings in Switzerland, ranking the country eleventh in the world in terms of the number of mass shootings. One of them took place in September 2001, when a gunman killed fourteen people and injured eighteen more in Zug. In 2013, another mass shooting occurred near the city of Menznau, where a man killed four people and injured five others.
United Kingdom
Number of Mass Shootings
1
Ranked in the World
#20
There has been one mass shooting in the United Kingdom, ranking the country twentieth in the world in terms of the number of mass shootings. The mass shooting occurred in Cumbria in 2010. On June 2nd of that year, a man opened fire randomly on people killing twelve people and injuring eleven others before turning the gun on himself. While the number of mass shootings remains low compared to other countries, the UK continues to raise awareness on gun violence through different programs which work to reduce gun-related injuries and fatalities through research and advocacy.
United States of America
Number of Mass Shootings
101
Ranked in the World
#1
There have been one hundred and one mass shootings in the United States, ranking the country first in the world in terms of the number of mass shootings. It remains a serious issue and has been on the rise over recent years. The two deadliest mass shooting incidents include a mass shooting that occurred in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2017, leaving sixty persons dead and more than eight-hundred injured, and in Orlando, Florida in 2016, leaving forty-nine dead and fifty-eight injured.
FAQs
What country has the most mass shootings ?
The country with the most mass shootings with 4 or more fatalities is the United States, with 101 such mass shooting incidents between over a 20-year-period.
Do mass shootings occur in other countries ?
Yes, mass shootings do occur in other countries besides the United States. While the frequency and severity of these incidents may vary across different countries, mass shootings have been reported in various parts of the world, including Canada, Australia, Europe, and Asia.
Why does the US have more mass shootings ?
The reasons for the high number of mass shootings in the US are complex and multifaceted and include factors such as easy access to firearms, mental health issues, and societal and cultural factors.