Gun ownership, by party affiliation U.S. 2017

In the United States in 2017, 41 percent of Republicans reported that they owned at least one gun, and 15 percent said that they did not personally own a gun, but lived with someone who did. In comparison, only 16 percent of Democrats owned at least one gun, and nine percent lived with someone who did.

Who are gun owners?

In 2018, significantly more Democrats were in favor of limiting gun ownership in comparison to Republicans. On the other hand, more Republicans were in favor of protecting the right to own guns in comparison to Democrats. When examined by education level, respondents who said they only had some college, but no degree, were the most likely to have said that there is at least one gun in their household. However, nearly a quarter of Americans over 18 years old said that they rarely carry a gun on their person.

Republicans vs Democrats Debate

The gun control debate in the United States has been a highly contested one. In light of frequent mass shootings, gun control laws have become the center of policy discussions. With the 2020 presidential election coming up in November 2020, the Democratic primary candidates are putting significant emphasis on their gun control policies if they were to win. Democrats are overall more in favor in stricter gun control laws and want more background checks for those who want to purchase a gun. However, Republicans tend to work in favor of gun rights.