Source: Fortune.com
Summary
A viral chart has been circulating on social media, comparing the number of deaths in Europe due to heatwaves to the number of gun deaths in the US. The chart suggests that more Europeans die from heatwaves than Americans die from gun violence. While the chart has been widely shared, data scientist Hannah Ritchie has pointed out that the methodology behind the chart is flawed. Ritchie used excess death modeling for both Europe and the US and found that the core claim mostly holds in absolute terms, but when controlling for population, gun deaths in the US are slightly larger than European heat death rates.
Our Reading
The numbers tell one story.
Europe is experiencing a severe heatwave, with temperatures topping 108°F in parts of France and 113°F in Spain. At least 40 people have drowned, and 18 have died from direct heat causes in France alone. A developing El Niño is expected to make 2027 the hottest year on record. Meanwhile, the US is grappling with its own issue of gun violence, with 44,447 deaths in 2024 and 38,700 in 2025. The viral chart highlights the stark contrast between the two issues, but Ritchie’s analysis shows that the numbers are not as clear-cut as they seem.
Europe’s lack of air conditioning infrastructure is a major contributor to heat-related deaths, with only 20% of homes having AC compared to 90% in the US. The continent’s housing stock was built to retain warmth, not expel it, and extreme weather events are costing European economies nearly $50 billion per year. In the US, firearm-related homicide and suicide rates for Americans under 25 are nearly 486 times higher than in the UK.
Things don’t have to be this bad. It’s a choice.
Author: Evan Null
