A armed violence in Brazil presents a profile of victims concentrated in specific groupsreflecting structural inequalities, according to the 3rd edition of the research “Costs of Armed Violence: public health spending on care for victims of firearms”, by the Sou da Paz Institute.
The study, based on hospital data until 2024, reveals that the majority of patients hospitalized for firearm injuries are composed of men (89%) e black people (82%).
Furthermore, young people Between 15 and 29 years old are the most affected age group, corresponding to 52% of those hospitalized. Aggression by third parties is the main cause of these injuries that lead to hospitalization, accounting for 77.3% of cases.
Race, gender and age
The profile of hospitalized patients is similar to that of people who die from firearms in the country.
The research shows that inequalities are not only manifested in victimization, but also in the type of injury. See the highlights:
- Race: As black people are more exposed to firearm violencewhich is the cause of 79% of hospitalizations in this group, compared to 69% among non-black patients.
- Gender: Aggression is the cause of 78% of male hospitalizations, while for women, aggression accounts for 70% of cases. Women, in turn, are relatively more exposed to accidents, 21% compared to 14% among men.
- Age: The young people of 15 to 29 years old They are the focus of armed violence, accounting for 52% of cases of hospitalization. Next are adults between 30 and 39 years old, with 23% of registrations. Aggression begins to increase from the age group of 15 to 19 years old, reaching a peak between 20 and 29 years old.
Region
O North East stands out for concentrating the largest number of hospitalizations and federal spending. In 2024, the region accounted for 42% of hospitalizations for firearms in the country, surpassing the 33% recorded in the Southeast region.
It also goes against the national downward trend in hospitalizations, being the only region that recorded an increase in the rate between 2022 and 2024.
Armed aggression remains the main cause of hospitalizations in all regions, but reaches the highest proportion in , where it represents 83% of cases.
