Child Firearms Deaths in Utah

Claims

"Children ages 18 and under in Utah are killed at higher rates than most other states:

New Jersey	one child out of every 38,192
New York	one child out of every 24,725
Utah	one child out of every 13,053

"
- Something Interesting About Kids and Guns, mazeministry.com

Is Utah's rate of child firearms deaths higher than most states?

The author of the article referenced above has selected for comparison with Utah two states with low child firearms death rates in order to make Utah's rate look unusually high. However, Utah's rate is usually lower than the national average.

Figure 1 shows the child firearms death rates for Utah and the United States. Rates are the number of deaths caused by firearms per 100,000 residents age 18 and under.

Figure 1. Child firearms death rates for the United States and Utah, 1990-2002.

How does Utah's rate compare to the rest of the country?

Table 1 shows how Utah's rate compares to the rest of the states. A rank of 1 indicates the highest rate.

Table 1. Child firearms death rates for the United States, and New Jersey's, New York's, and Utah's rate and rank, 1993-2002.

Year High Average Low New Jersey New York Utah

1993 13.6 LA 6.3 0.6 HI 1.9 (49th) 5.5 (27th) 4.6 (33rd)
1994 11.6 LA 6.3 1.6 NH 2.4 (47th) 5.2 (30th) 5.5 (28th)

1995 11.3 MS 5.6 0.9 HI 2.0 (48th) 3.7 (39th) 6.1 (18th)

1996 10.6 LA 4.7 0.9 HI 2.3 (43rd) 2.9 (41st) 4.5 (25th)

1997 9.1 AK 4.3 0.4 RI 1.7 (46th) 2.2 (44th) 4.2 (25th)

1998 8.0 AR 3.8 0.5 DE 1.6 (45th) 1.6 (46th) 3.2 (31st)

1999 10.5 AK 3.3 0.0 HI 1.1 (47th) 1.9 (43rd) 2.0 (42nd)

2000 8.5 AK 2.9 0.3 HI 1.5 (45th) 1.7 (42nd) 1.4 (46th)

2001 7.5 AK 2.8 0.6 ND 0.8 (49th) 2.0 (38th) 2.7 (27th)

2002 7.5 AK 2.7 0.0 HI 0.9 (45th) 1.4 (43rd) 1.8 (39th)

The following map shows how child firearms death rates vary across the country.

Figure 2. State child firearms death rates, 1998-2002 average.

Sources

All data was retrieved from the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control's WISQARS statistics engine. Go to Injury Mortality Reports

Back to the Utah Statistics page

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Year	High	Average	Low	New Jersey	New York	Utah
1993	13.6 LA	6.3	0.6 HI	1.9 (49th)	5.5 (27th)	4.6 (33rd)
1994	11.6 LA	6.3	1.6 NH	2.4 (47th)	5.2 (30th)	5.5 (28th)
1995	11.3 MS	5.6	0.9 HI	2.0 (48th)	3.7 (39th)	6.1 (18th)
1996	10.6 LA	4.7	0.9 HI	2.3 (43rd)	2.9 (41st)	4.5 (25th)
1997	9.1 AK	4.3	0.4 RI	1.7 (46th)	2.2 (44th)	4.2 (25th)
1998	8.0 AR	3.8	0.5 DE	1.6 (45th)	1.6 (46th)	3.2 (31st)
1999	10.5 AK	3.3	0.0 HI	1.1 (47th)	1.9 (43rd)	2.0 (42nd)
2000	8.5 AK	2.9	0.3 HI	1.5 (45th)	1.7 (42nd)	1.4 (46th)
2001	7.5 AK	2.8	0.6 ND	0.8 (49th)	2.0 (38th)	2.7 (27th)
2002	7.5 AK	2.7	0.0 HI	0.9 (45th)	1.4 (43rd)	1.8 (39th)