While no country completely bans all guns for everyone (exceptions often exist for military/police), countries like Japan, China, Singapore, Brunei, North Korea, Somalia, Myanmar, Eritrea, and the Solomon Islands have extremely strict or near-total bans, allowing civilian ownership only under very narrow conditions, if at all, for hunting or sport shooting, with severe penalties for violations. Other nations, including the UK and Australia, have significant restrictions requiring licenses and good reasons like sport or collecting, but not outright bans for all citizens.
In eighteen countries or territories, the police do not carry firearms unless the situation is expected to merit it: Botswana, Cook Islands, Fiji, Iceland, Ireland, Kiribati, Malawi, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, the United Kingdom (except for Northern Ireland), the ...
First on our list is the United States—a country where guns are deeply woven into its history and identity. The Second Amendment guarantees citizens' rights to bear arms, leading many states like Texas to adopt permissive laws regarding open carry and concealed weapons.
All states allow some form of concealed carry, the carrying of a concealed firearm in public. Many states allow some form of open carry, the carrying of an unconcealed firearm in public on one's person or in a vehicle.
Only if you purchase a weapon, you must send the sales contract to your cantonal weapons office within 30 days. If you are a foreign national without a settlement permit, you require a weapons acquisition permit for all types of weapon and their essential components (e.g. the barrel or casing).
Citizens are allowed to keep firearms (most commonly for hunting and/or sports shooting). The acquisition and storage of guns is regulated by the state.
The United States leads by a wide margin, with more guns than people, averaging over 120 guns per 100 residents. Other high-ownership nations include Canada, Finland, Norway, and Switzerland, where firearm culture is often tied to hunting and national defense.
New Hampshire tops the list of gun-friendly states for 2025. It is a Constitutional Carry state. Anyone over 18 years old who can lawfully possess a firearm can open or carry a concealed weapon. New Hampshire recognizes gun permits from all other states.
Prohibition on assault-style firearms
Firearms that exceed a maximum threshold for muzzle energy (greater than 10,000 Joules) and bore diameter (20 mm bore or greater) are also prohibited. A Criminal Code amnesty period is currently in effect until October 30, 2026.
The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." In 1791, the United States adopted the Second Amendment, and in 1868 adopted the Fourteenth Amendment.
1. United States — The Gun Capital of the World. With over 393 million firearms owned by civilians, more than its population, the US tops the list by a massive margin. Gun rights are enshrined in the Second Amendment, and ownership ranges from hunting rifles to military-grade semi-automatics.
The issue of the legality of self-defence with a firearm in Canada has been the subject of controversy. While self-defence is legal, it is very restricted. Use of force with a firearm is legal as long as a life is in danger and the force used is not excessive.
To buy a firearm in France, in line with the European Firearms Directive, a hunting license or a shooting sport license is necessary depending on the type, function and magazine capacity of the weapon.
The consequence of those policies is that firearms are now carried by most patrol officers and detectives in all Australian states and territories all of the time. Firearms carriage policy in Australian policing has changed considerably in the last four decades.
Most police officers in the UK do not routinely carry firearms. Where firearms support is needed, it is carried out by specially trained and accredited firearms officers known as authorised firearms officers (AFOs). In the Met, firearms support is primarily provided by MO19 Specialist Firearms Command.
lbf, and Air Pistol are under 6 ft. lbf and can be purchased without a gun license in England. In Scotland, you must have an Air Weapon Certificate. You must be 18 or older to buy or own an airgun, and you can only shoot on private land with permission.
In Australia, prohibited weapons include items like butterfly knives, flick knives, nunchakus, brass knuckles, weighted gloves, blow guns, catapults with arm braces, extendable batons, throwing stars, and laser pointers over 1mW, along with disguised or concealed weapons like knife belts or credit card knives. You generally need a permit or "lawful excuse" (like for work or sport) to possess or carry other items like knives, machetes, swords, or bayonets, with self-defence never being a lawful excuse, and these laws vary slightly by state/territory.
Australians favor barriers to gun ownership
It overhauled its gun ownership laws in the wake of what remains its deadliest mass shooting. In 1996, 35 people were killed by 25-year-old Martin Bryant in Port Arthur, Tasmania. In response, a national gun buyback scheme reduced the number of guns in Australia.
As part of its long-standing commitment to tackling gun violence in Canadian communities, the Government of Canada has banned more than 2,500 makes and models of assault-style firearms since May 2020.
Gun Ownership by State (2025 Statistics)
Apart from the picture-perfect overview, Switzerland is widely known for its vast gun culture and having some of the most relaxed gun laws in the world. Until 2010, all capable males were required to keep a Sig SG 550 and a Sig Sauer p229 at home or at the local armory, to provide for the national defense.
Highlights from 2025 Gun Law Rankings:
The top five ranked states are California, Massachusetts, Illinois, New York and Connecticut. Idaho ranks 50th in the nation due to the weakness of its gun laws. Mississippi and Arkansas follow at 49th and 48th, respectively.
The first firearms were invented in China, following the invention of gunpowder.
Firearms regulation in Finland incorporates the political and regulatory aspects of firearms usage in the country. Both hunting and shooting sports are common hobbies. There are approximately 300,000 people with hunting permits, and 34,000 people belong to sport shooting clubs.
Gun Violence by Country 2026