Global Firearms Holdings

There are more than one billion firearms in the world, the vast majority of which are in civilian hands.

The Small Arms Survey estimates that of the one billion firearms in global circulation as of 2017, 857 million (85 per cent) are in civilian hands, 133 million (13 per cent) are in military arsenals, and 23 million (2 per cent) are owned by law enforcement agencies. Our studies suggest that the global stockpile has increased over the past decade, largely due to civilian holdings, which grew from 650 million in 2006 to 857 million in 2017.

Find out more in our three briefing papers and navigate our interactive map below for a quick overview of specific country numbers:

See also:

 

Interactive Map