Gun Ownership Per Capita By Country: What Most People Get Wrong

You’ve probably heard the stat before. It’s the one where someone points out that there are more guns than people in the United States. It sounds like a hyperbole, right? Honestly, it’s not. As we head into 2026, the numbers have only gotten weirder. While the U.S. remains the undisputed heavyweight champion of civilian weaponry, the global map of gun ownership per capita by country is full of curves you wouldn't expect.

Some of the most "armed" places on Earth aren't war zones. They're quiet alpine villages or tiny islands in the South Atlantic.

The Half-Billion Problem in the States

Let's get the big one out of the way. In the U.S., the current math is staggering. We’re looking at roughly 120 to 150 firearms for every 100 people. That includes everyone—toddlers, retirees, people who’ve never even seen a Glock in person. According to recent data from the Small Arms Survey and industry trackers like Ammo.com, the total civilian stockpile has likely crossed the 500 million mark.

Why? It’s not just "gun culture" in a vague sense. It’s a mix of record-breaking sales during the early 2020s and a massive surge in first-time buyers. About 31% to 32% of American adults personally own a gun, but the per capita number is so high because the people who do own them often own a lot of them. It’s a "super-owner" phenomenon.

The Surprise Contenders

If you move past the U.S., the list gets interesting. You might expect to see places like Iraq or Afghanistan at the top. While they have plenty of hardware, they actually rank lower than several peaceful Western nations.

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• The Falkland Islands: This tiny British territory has a massive per capita rate, often cited around 62 guns per 100 people. Why? It's remote, and hunting is basically a way of life there.
• Yemen: This is the one place that fits the "conflict zone" stereotype, sitting at roughly 53 per 100 residents. It’s the only non-Western nation in the top three.
• New Caledonia: A French territory in the Pacific where ownership has spiked to over 42 per 100 people.
• The Balkan Block: Serbia and Montenegro are consistently high (around 39 per 100). This is largely a hangover from the 1990s conflicts. A lot of that stuff stayed in attics and basements.

Why Switzerland and Finland Stay Armed

People love to bring up Switzerland. It’s the classic "gotcha" in the gun debate. Swiss gun ownership is high—about 27.6 per 100 people—but it’s a very different vibe. For a long time, men were required to keep their military-issued rifles at home after service. That’s changed a bit lately, but the culture of the "citizen-soldier" remains.

Finland is similar. They have about 32 guns per 100 people. But go to Helsinki and you won't see people open-carrying at a coffee shop. Most of those guns are for hunting in the vast northern forests. It’s utilitarian. Basically, in these countries, a gun is treated more like a chainsaw or a tractor than a political statement.

The Bottom of the List: The "Zero" Club

Then you have the other extreme. If you want to see the lowest gun ownership per capita by country, look at East Asia.

Japan is the ultimate example. They have roughly 0.3 guns per 100 people. To get a gun there, you basically have to go through a psychological exam, a background check that involves interviewing your neighbors, and a shooting range test that's harder than most college finals. Taiwan and South Korea follow a similar path.

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In these places, civilian gun ownership is so rare it’s practically a myth to the average person.

It’s Not Just About Law

You’d think strict laws always equal low ownership. Not always. Look at Canada. They’ve been tightening things up like crazy over the last few years, especially with handgun freezes. Yet, they still have roughly 34.7 guns per 100 people. That puts them in the top ten globally.

The difference is the type of gun. In Canada, it’s almost all long guns for hunting. In the U.S., it’s heavily weighted toward handguns and "modern sporting rifles" (AR-15 styles).

Factors That Actually Drive the Numbers

1. Geography: If you live in a place with bears or 500 miles of empty tundra, you're more likely to own a rifle.
2. History: Post-war countries almost always have high "off-book" ownership numbers that official stats struggle to catch.
3. Trust in Police: In many parts of Latin America or Africa, people own guns because they don't think the state can protect them.
4. Wealth: Guns are expensive. You see higher legal ownership in wealthier nations because people can actually afford the permit fees and the hardware.

The Reality of the Data

We have to be honest here: these numbers are mostly educated guesses. The Small Arms Survey is the gold standard, but even they admit that counting unregistered or illegal guns is like trying to count fish in the ocean. In a place like Lebanon (roughly 32 per 100), the "official" number is likely way lower than what’s actually tucked away in closets.

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Also, "per capita" can be a misleading metric. If one guy in a village of 100 people owns 50 shotguns for a museum, that village has a "high" per capita rate, but only one person is armed. That's exactly what happens in the U.S. on a national scale.

Moving Forward: What You Should Do

If you're researching this for a project or just trying to understand the global landscape, don't just look at the raw numbers. You've got to look at the "why" behind the "how many."

• Check the source: Look for the most recent Small Arms Survey briefing papers. They are the only ones doing the heavy lifting on global totals.
• Differentiate between "ownership" and "per capita": A country with a 10% ownership rate can still have a high per capita number if those 10% are collectors.
• Look at homicide vs. ownership: This is the most controversial part of the data. High ownership doesn't always equal high violence (see: Iceland or Switzerland), but low ownership almost always equals low gun crime (see: Japan).

Understanding these nuances is the only way to get past the talking points and see the actual picture of how the world is armed.

Actionable Next Steps:

1. Verify local laws: If you are traveling, use the GunPolicy.org database to check specific carry and ownership laws for your destination, as "per capita" stats don't reflect legality for visitors.
2. Analyze the "Super-Owner" effect: When citing U.S. stats, specify the difference between total firearms (500M+) and the actual percentage of the population that owns them (~32%) to provide a more accurate social context.
3. Monitor the 2026 Small Arms Update: Keep an eye out for the mid-year report from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, which will likely provide the first post-2025 comprehensive global tally.