U.S. public opinion on a law that bans private handgun possession 1959-2023

The share of Americans who feel that there should be a law banning the private possession of handguns has been on the decline. In 1990, about 41 percent of surveyed Americans felt that there should be a law that would ban the private possession of handguns. In 2023, only 27 percent of respondents felt the same way.