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The U.S. ranks 1st in death by violence
According to the National Academy of Sciences, in 2008 the United States had a death-by-violence rate of 6.47 per 100,000 people. That is enough to make the United States rank first out of seventeen “high-income democracies” ranked in that category. The second-ranked country was Finland, with a death-by-violence rate of 2.24 per 100,000.
Graph from the National Academy of Sciences
http://sites.nationalacademies.org/DBASSE/CPOP/DBASSE_080393#violence
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Unfortunately, not at all unexpected. Perhaps you have already done this and if so please direct me to the graph, but it would be useful to see a pie chart with the number of deaths from guns broken down by type of weapon, owned by assailant, owned by victim as well as circumstances of death: robbery, homicide, domestic violence, suicide, accident. There must be many other variables but these would be interesting. Really enjoy seeing these comparisons in graphic form.
This info was posted in 2013. Why is data from 2008 being used? Please visit http://thelibertarianrepublic.com/the-numbers-dont-lie-a-fair-and-balanced-look-at-gun-ownership-and-violent-crime-in-the-u-s/ for a more comprehensive look at the data available… “Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!”
― Dr. Seuss
If you look at “violent crime rate” rather than “DEATH by violence rate,” you get a very different picture:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196941/The-violent-country-Europe-Britain-worse-South-Africa-U-S.html
“Official crime figures show the UK also has a worse rate for all types of violence than the U.S. and even South Africa – widely considered one of the world’s most dangerous countries.”
The “death by violence” rate ignores violent rapes, assaults, muggings, carjackings, maimings, kidnappings, arsons, domestic violence, and the like, perpetrated upon the defenseless by stronger predators (armed or unarmed). Ironically, it also INCLUDES self-defense killings as “bad” deaths.
@Emancipator: If you follow the link, you’ll see that although the data may be from 2008, it was compiled by the WHO in 2011. As to why it was posted in 2013–well, this is pretty much a one person hobby and so data appears whenever I come across it and/or get around to posting it.
@henrybowman: Yep, different metrics result in different ranks. That’s part of the point of this blog.