Study shows concealed handgun permits soared during pandemic, record year-over-year increase

A new study shows that the number of concealed handgun permits soared in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic and has increased over 10% since the end of last year.

According to a study conducted by the Crime Prevention Research Center, the number of concealed handgun permits surged to 21.52 million in 2020, a 48% increase since 2016 and a 10.5% increase from the same time last year.

The number of permit holders grew by a record 2 million last year which is 200,000 more than the previous record set in 2017, the study says, and adds that 8.3% of American adults have permits. In 15 states, more than 10% of adults have permits. The highest concealed carry rate is in Alabama where 32.1% of adults have permits followed by Indiana and Iowa where the rate is 21.6% and 16.5% respectively.