A joint Report by the Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security, the Caribbean Public Health Agency, the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre at The University of the West Indies, and the Small Arms Survey, with financial support from the German Federal Foreign Office.

This collaborative Report provides new detailed data and analysis on the complex issues underpinning firearm-related violence and trafficking in the Caribbean and proposes data-driven policy recommendations that create pathways to effective policies. Selected findings from the Report include:

• The Caribbean continues to suffer from high rates of gun violence, with the situation deteriorating over time and trends varying by jurisdiction. The proportion of homicides perpetrated with firearms increased substantially to reach 86% in 2023-24, partly due to the deteriorating conditions in Haiti.
• Maritime consignments from the United States are a primary vector for illicit trafficking, with procurement clustered in small southern areas, primarily in Florida. Seizures of rifles - especially AR- and AK-pattern models - have risen in recent years but still comprise a small percentage of all seized firearms.
• The average direct medical costs of treatment provided to patients with gunshot wounds greatly exceed annual healthcare expenditures per capita, as well as the costs of care for patients injured by other types of weapons. Firearm-related violence continues to divert scarce public resources towards dealing with the impacts of violence - that could otherwise be invested in prevention, education and development.