The cost of firearm deaths in the United States: Reduced life expectancies and increased insurance costs

Author: Lemaire, J.
Publication: Journal of Risk and Insurance
Topics: Accidents/Unintentional Ethnicity Gender Homicide Suicide U.S./National
Keywords: Cost Life insurance Life lost UNITED States Violence
Bibliographic information +

Data from the National Center for Health Statistics, the Centers for Disease Control and prevention, and the U.S. Census Bureau were used to calculate the “cost” of firearms deaths in the U.S. in terms of reduced life expectancy and increased life insurance premiums. On average, Americans lose 104 days of life due to firearms deaths—46 days to homicide, 52 days to suicide, and the remainder to unintentional injury, legal intervention, or undetermined causes. White males, on average, lose 151 days, and black males, on average, 362 days. Americans spend more than $129 billion on life insurance premiums each year; excess life insurance premiums due to firearm deaths may total $2 billion annually.