Gun ownership by country statistics are most often reported as (1) the estimated number of civilian-held firearms per 100 people and (2) the estimated total number of civilian-held firearms in each country. The most widely used global, country-by-country dataset for these measures is the Small Arms Survey’s 2017 civilian firearms estimates (published in 2018 and still referenced as the latest comprehensive global benchmark).
Gun Ownership by Country Statistics (Top Highlights)
- There were an estimated 857 million civilian-held firearms globally (2017 estimate), out of more than one billion firearms in circulation overall.
- The Small Arms Survey estimates civilian holdings grew from about 650 million (2006) to 857 million (2017).
- US civilians held an estimated 393.3 million firearms (2017)—about 46% of the world’s civilian-held stock (derived from Small Arms Survey totals).
- The United States ranks #1 by civilian firearms per capita at 120.5 firearms per 100 people (2017 estimate).
- Next-highest among countries in the same dataset: Yemen (52.8), Montenegro (39.1), and Serbia (39.1) firearms per 100 people.
- Canada and Uruguay are both estimated at 34.7 firearms per 100 people (2017).
- Several European countries sit in the ~30–35 range, including Cyprus (34.0), Finland (32.4), Iceland (31.7), and Austria (30.0).
- Big-population countries can rank high by total guns even with low per-capita rates: India (71.1M; 5.3 per 100) and China (49.7M; 3.6 per 100).
- The top 10 countries by total civilian-held firearms account for about 76% of the global civilian stock (derived from Small Arms Survey totals).
What “Gun Ownership” Means in Cross-Country Data
In international comparisons, “gun ownership” is often shorthand for civilian-held firearms—the estimated number of firearms in civilian possession (including both registered and unregistered), not the share of adults who personally own a gun. A country can have a high “guns per 100 people” figure even if ownership is concentrated among a smaller share of households.
The Small Arms Survey’s 2017 annex table reports, by country/territory, the estimated number of firearms in civilian possession, civilian firearms per 100 people, and (where available) a split between registered and unregistered firearms, along with a “computation method” category.
Countries With the Highest Civilian Firearms per 100 People
The chart below uses the Small Arms Survey’s 2017 estimate of civilian firearms per 100 people for the highest-ranking countries (sovereign states) commonly cited from the annex table.
| Country | Bar | Firearms per 100 people (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 120.5 | |
| Yemen | 52.8 | |
| Montenegro | 39.1 | |
| Serbia | 39.1 | |
| Canada | 34.7 | |
| Uruguay | 34.7 | |
| Cyprus | 34.0 | |
| Finland | 32.4 | |
| Lebanon | 31.9 | |
| Iceland | 31.7 | |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | 31.2 | |
| Austria | 30.0 |
Max = 120.5 firearms per 100 people. Widths: United States 100.00%, Yemen 43.82%, Montenegro 32.45%, Serbia 32.45%, Canada 28.80%, Uruguay 28.80%, Cyprus 28.22%, Finland 26.89%, Lebanon 26.47%, Iceland 26.31%, Bosnia & Herzegovina 25.89%, Austria 24.90%.
Countries With the Most Civilian-held Firearms (Total)
Total civilian-held firearms can look very different from per-capita rankings. The countries below lead by estimated number of civilian-held firearms in the Small Arms Survey’s 2017 dataset.
| Country | Bar | Civilian-held firearms (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 393.3M | |
| India | 71.1M | |
| China | 49.7M | |
| Pakistan | 43.9M | |
| Russia | 17.6M | |
| Brazil | 17.5M | |
| Mexico | 16.8M | |
| Germany | 15.8M | |
| Yemen | 14.9M | |
| Turkey | 13.2M |
Max = 393.3M civilian-held firearms. Widths: United States 100.00%, India 18.08%, China 12.64%, Pakistan 11.16%, Russia 4.48%, Brazil 4.45%, Mexico 4.27%, Germany 4.02%, Yemen 3.78%, Turkey 3.37%.
Why Per-capita and Total Rankings Don’t Match
- Population size changes the story. India’s per-capita rate is estimated at 5.3 per 100, but its total is estimated at 71.1 million firearms—second only to the United States.
- High per-capita doesn’t always mean the biggest total. Yemen’s estimated 52.8 per 100 is very high, but its estimated total (~14.9 million) sits well below India and China because the population is much smaller.
- Some mid-per-capita countries still rank high in totals. Germany’s per-capita estimate is 19.6 per 100, yet it appears among the top totals (~15.8 million) in this dataset.
Global Context: Civilian vs Military vs Law Enforcement
Globally, the Small Arms Survey estimates that (as of 2017) about 85% of firearms were held by civilians (857 million), about 13% were in military arsenals (133 million), and about 2% were owned by law enforcement (23 million).
These figures are estimates rather than a global “registry count,” and the Survey’s published methodology describes how registry data, surveys, expert estimates, and comparisons to similar countries are used to produce country-level estimates.
Important Caveats (Read This Before Comparing Countries)
- Data year: The country-by-country figures shown here are from 2017 estimates (published in 2018).
- Guns ≠ owners: “Firearms per 100 people” measures the number of firearms in civilian possession, not the number of gun owners or households with guns.
- Registered vs unregistered: The annex table includes separate columns for registered and unregistered firearms where data exists—useful, but not complete for every country.
- Country specifics may be newer: Some countries publish more recent national estimates or licensing totals, but they are often not directly comparable across countries the way a single global dataset is.
Sources
- Small Arms Survey — Global Firearms Holdings (global totals and sector split): https://www.smallarmssurvey.org/database/global-firearms-holdings
- Small Arms Survey — Estimating Global Civilian-held Firearms Numbers (methodology and headline estimates): https://www.smallarmssurvey.org/sites/default/files/resources/SAS-BP-Civilian-Firearms-Numbers.pdf
- Small Arms Survey — Civilian Firearms Holdings, 2017 (annex table with country-level totals and per-capita rates): https://www.smallarmssurvey.org/sites/default/files/resources/SAS-BP-Civilian-held-firearms-annexe.pdf
- Small Arms Survey — Press release (headline “more than one billion firearms” framing): https://www.smallarmssurvey.org/sites/default/files/resources/SAS-Press-release-global-firearms-holdings.pdf