A declining share of the US population participates in hunting

Since 1970, the number of paid hunting licenses issued in the U.S. has hovered around 15 million per year. At the same time, total population has grown and become more urban. As a result, the share of Americans who hunt declined from about 8% in 1970 to 4.5% in 2020.

Line chart comparing the number of paid hunting licenses issued in 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020 to total U.S. population.