Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) data shows there were 38.9 million background checks conducted in 2021 – down from the record high of 39.7 million in 2020. It was also the second-highest number of checks conducted since the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) was launched in 1998. Through the end of last year, there had been 411.6 million checks conducted in total, which is 20 percent greater than the current United States population.
That would closely align with 2018 data from the Small Arms Survey, which put U.S. gun ownership at 393 million – roughly 46 percent of the global total of firearms owned by civilians. It should be noted too that the data doesn’t include guns sold before 1998 or guns bought illegally.
Every year since 1999 except for 2021, there has been an increase in the number of background checks conducted, and annual sales of firearms had first topped 25 million in 2016.
Total 2021 Gun Sales
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