GTA 5 Stats Explained: Strength, Shooting, Stamina & More
GTA 5 stats explained: how strength, shooting, stamina, flying, driving and lung capacity work, how to raise each one, and why they differ per character.
GTA 5 stats are eight character skills that improve as you play and shape how Michael, Franklin and Trevor perform on foot, behind the wheel and in the air. The full set covers Strength, Shooting, Stamina, Stealth, Flying, Driving, Lung Capacity and Special, and each one rises through specific activities rather than spending points. Here is how every stat works, how to raise it, and why each of the three protagonists starts in a different place.
The eight GTA 5 stats and what they do
Each stat is shown as a percentage bar in the pause menu, with the character's photo above it.
- Strength: physical power. Boosts melee damage, speeds up ladder climbing, improves sports performance and reduces damage taken from punches, falls and impacts.
- Shooting: weapon handling. Higher shooting reduces recoil, makes you more accurate, speeds up reloads and raises ammo capacity (up to 9,999 rounds per gun category).
- Stamina: how long you can sprint, swim and cycle before tiring.
- Stealth: how quietly and quickly you move while sneaking.
- Flying: aircraft control. Low flying makes planes and helicopters more sensitive to turbulence. High flying gives smoother handling and cleaner landings.
- Driving: vehicle control, especially handling while airborne and pulling off wheelies.
- Lung Capacity: how long you can stay underwater before the oxygen meter runs out.
- Special: the unique slow-motion or rage ability each protagonist carries (covered below).
How to raise stats in GTA 5
Stats climb through the actions tied to them, so the fastest route is to do each activity on purpose.
- Strength: land melee hits (roughly 1% per 20 punches) and play sports like tennis and golf.
- Stamina: run, swim, cycle and complete Triathlons. Sprinting and swimming long distances is the steady grind.
- Shooting: score hits and headshots, and clear Shooting Range challenges (gold medals give the biggest bump).
- Flying: log flight time and complete Flight School challenges. Gold medals there are the quickest gains, and stunts like flying under a bridge add small boosts.
- Driving: keep wheels off the ground (air time, stunt jumps) and drive cleanly without crashing.
- Lung Capacity: simply spend time underwater, diving and swimming below the surface.
- Stealth: move in stealth mode and perform stealth takedowns.
- Special: just use your ability. The more you use it, the faster the bar refills and the slower it drains when active.
A quick way to pad several bars at once is mixing missions, races and the shooting and flight challenges scattered across the map. If you prefer shortcuts, some console-only GTA 5 cheats can help you survive long enough to practice.
Why stats differ for Michael, Franklin and Trevor
The three protagonists do not start equal. Each begins with one stat noticeably ahead, matching their backstory:
- Michael starts highest in Shooting (and stealth), the seasoned bank robber.
- Franklin starts highest in Driving, the street racer and repo driver.
- Trevor starts highest in Flying, the former military pilot.
All three can eventually max every stat, so the gaps matter most early on. Until then, picking the right character for a job (Trevor for a helicopter, Franklin for a getaway, Michael for a shootout) gives you a real edge.
Special abilities by character
The Special stat powers a different ability for each protagonist, and using it builds the bar faster over time:
- Michael: slows time during a gunfight, letting him pick off targets with extra accuracy.
- Franklin: slows time while driving any road vehicle, making high-speed corners and tight traffic easy to thread.
- Trevor: enters a rage that doubles his damage output and makes him take far less damage, surviving hits that would otherwise be lethal.
A fully built Special bar gives more time in slow motion or rage per activation, so it is worth using the ability regularly rather than saving it. See the rest of the GTA 5 hub for character breakdowns and mission guides.
