Poland surpasses 1 million registered guns as Poles continue to arm themselves

Euronews · Feb 18, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Poland issued a record 50,700 gun permits in 2025, pushing the total number of registered civilian firearms above 1 million for the first time, according to police statistics. The number of active permits reached 411,769 by the end of last year, more than double the 192,819 registered in 2015. The number of weapons in civilian hands climbed to 1,037,778, an increase of more than 107,000 from 2024. Collector permits accounted for the most applications in 2025, with 21,071 decisions. Sporting permits came second with 17,601, followed by 7,254 permits for personal protection. The surge in ownership began in 2022, when 37,402 new permits were issued compared to 19,939 the previous year. Polish shooting ranges reported a sharp rise in visitors in the weeks after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February that year. Despite the increase, Poland has approximately 2.5 firearms per 100 inhabitants, the lowest rate in the EU, according to 2017 data from the Small Arms Survey. Finland leads the bloc with 32.4 weapons per 100 people, followed by Austria with 30 and Cyprus with 29.1. Critics call for reform of permit system Dariusz Loranty, a former Warsaw police superintendent who worked on criminal terrorism and homicide cases, said the current system concentrates too much authority in a single agency. "The current system of granting weapons violates the sacred principle of the separation of powers," Loranty said. The police "check, then make a decision and legislate for themselves under the current law". He proposed transferring formal decision-making power from police to civil administration, with governors issuing permits through administrative procedures that include both police input and citizen participation. Administrative decisions could then be challenged in court. Loranty said gun ownership fundamentally changes behaviour, primarily through increased responsibility. Polish law strictly forbids carrying or possessing weapons under the influence of alcohol. "When someone is with a gun, he won't drink any vodka," he said. "Of course there is a different sense of responsibility." Loranty also called for more rigorous psychiatric evaluations, saying anyone showing symptoms of depression should be barred from gun ownership. Examinations should not be superficial, requiring psychiatrists to evaluate candidates at least twice in different situations, he said. Fear of crime drives applications The popular belief that Poles are arming themselves over fears of conflict with Russia does not reflect reality, according to Loranty. "This is such a delusion. A very small proportion of people have this delusion," he said. "In fact, the rationale is that people are afraid of an increase in crime in a broad sense". He pointed to Georgian criminal groups as a particular concern, saying they are more likely to attack Polish citizens than Ukrainians. Poland 2050, a centrist party in the ruling coalition, submitted draft legislation in October 2025 requiring mandatory regular medical and psychological examinations for all gun permit holders, including hunters. Under the proposal, people up to age 70 would present certificates every five years to maintain valid permits, while those over 70 would do so every two years. Collectors and historical re-enactors whose weapons pose no direct threat would be exempt. The hunting community has opposed the measure, and a previous similar initiative affecting only hunters was rejected by parliament at first reading. Public consultation on the draft remains open, allowing any citizen to submit opinions. The US has approximately 120 firearms per 100 inhabitants, making guns about seven to eight times more available than in the European Union. The right to gun ownership is enshrined in the US Constitution's Second Amendment, which has contributed to relatively liberal gun laws in many states. EU regulations are generally more restrictive and vary significantly between member states. Firearm homicide rates in the US are substantially higher than EU averages, with some European countries recording rates dozens of times lower than US levels.