Some interesting data from Australia

Firearm homicide in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand: What can
we learn from long-term international comparisons?

McPhedran, S., Baker, J., & Singh, P. (2010).
Journal of Interpersonal Violence.  DOI: 10.1177/0886260510362893

Executive Summary

Background
•  It has been proposed that the declines in firearm homicide in Australia over
the past decades are the most rapid in the Western world, but this hypothesis
has not been tested.
•  It is not clear whether the ongoing downwards trend in Australian firearm
homicide differs from the long-term declines in firearm homicide in other
countries.
•  This paper compares Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian trends in firearm
homicide over a period of more than 20 years.
Method
•  Firearm homicide data and population estimates were obtained from the
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), New Zealand Police, Statistics New
Zealand, and Statistics Canada reports and online databases.
•  Negative binomial regressions were used to compare long-term trends across
countries.
Results
•  Long-term trends in Australian and Canadian firearm homicide did not differ
significantly.  
•  Firearm homicide in New Zealand declined more rapidly over the past two
decades than firearm homicides in either Australia or Canada. 
•  Over the past decade, the average firearm homicide rate in New Zealand was
0.17/100 000 population, which was lower than the average of 0.22/100 000
population in Australia. 
Conclusions
•  The proposal that Australia has experienced unique declines in firearm
homicide over the past decades was not supported.
•  Differences in firearms legislation between countries (e.g., prohibitions in
Australia, ‘registration’ requirements in Australia and Canada) do not appear
to be reflected in differences in long-term firearm homicide trends.
•  Overall economic stability and growth may have contributed to declines in
firearm homicide in all three countries. 
•  Factors such as unemployment levels, which have been lower in New Zealand
than in Australia or Canada, could also affect homicide rates. 
•  In Australia and Canada, firearm homicides are rare but occur
disproportionately in urban crime ‘hotspots’.  
•  The majority of firearms used in homicides are not legally owned.
•  There are recognised connections between the illicit drug trade, other illicit
activities, socioeconomic disadvantage, and firearm crime.  
•  Long-term monitoring of violence rates and community-based violence
prevention initiatives in disadvantaged urban areas are recommended.    

Further reading
•  Australia, Canada, and New Zealand: Summary of firearms legislation.