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One of the most startling comparisons is the relationship between new handgun sales in the United States and the homicide rates. The correlation (0.9815, where 1.00 is a perfect correlation) certainly provides extremely strong support for the argument "handgun sales = homicides", although it does not, by itself, establish causation.
Homicides and Handgun Sales
1950-1997 |
|
 |
 |
Year |
 |
Homicide Rate per 1,000 |
Handgun Sales in 1,000's |
 |
|
1950 |
5.3 |
307 |
1951 |
4.9 |
398 |
1952 |
5.2 |
355 |
1953 |
4.8 |
327 |
1954 |
4.8 |
362 |
1955 |
4.5 |
451 |
1956 |
4.6 |
460 |
1957 |
4.5 |
440 |
1958 |
4.5 |
519 |
1959 |
4.6 |
475 |
1960 |
4.7 |
447 |
1961 |
4.7 |
431 |
1962 |
4.8 |
453 |
1963 |
4.9 |
491 |
1964 |
5.1 |
666 |
1965 |
5.5 |
700 |
1966 |
5.9 |
926 |
1967 |
6.8 |
1,259 |
1968 |
7.3 |
1,255 |
1969 |
7.7 |
1,394 |
1970 |
8.3 |
1,448 |
1971 |
9.1 |
1,805 |
1972 |
9.4 |
1,734 |
1973 |
9.7 |
1,715 |
1974 |
10.1 |
2,024 |
1975 |
9.9 |
1,833 |
1976 |
9.0 |
1,880 |
1977 |
9.1 |
1,877 |
1978 |
9.2 |
2,124 |
1979 |
10.0 |
2,370 |
1980 |
10.7 |
2,537 |
1981 |
10.3 |
2,629 |
1982 |
9.6 |
1,967 |
1983 |
8.6 |
1,680 |
1984 |
8.4 |
1,550 |
1985 |
8.4 |
1,428 |
1986 |
9.0 |
1,659 |
1987 |
8.7 |
1,746 |
1988 |
9.0 |
2,031 |
1989 |
9.3 |
1,839 |
1990 |
10.0 |
1,838 |
1991 |
10.5 |
2,010 |
1992 |
10.0 |
2,825 |
1993 |
10.1 |
2,582 |
1994 |
9.6 |
1,723 |
1995 |
8.7 |
1,484 |
1996 |
7.9 |
1,407 |
1997 |
7.4 |
1,240 |
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