Formation | 1999 |
---|---|
Headquarters | Geneva |
Director | Daniel de Torres |
Parent organization | Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies |
Website | https://www.smallarmssurvey.org/ |
The Small Arms Survey (SAS) is an independent research project located at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. It provides information on all aspects of small arms and armed violence, as a resource for governments, policy-makers, researchers, and activists, as well as research on small arms issues.
The survey monitors national and international initiatives (governmental and non-governmental), and acts as a forum and clearinghouse for the sharing of information. It also disseminates best practice measures and initiatives dealing with small arms issues.
SAS's mandate is to look at all aspects of small arms and armed violence. It provides research and analysis by which to support governments to reduce the incidence of armed violence and illicit trafficking through evidence-based analysis.
The project's staff includes international experts in security studies, political science, law, international public policy, development studies, economics, conflict resolution, and sociology. The staff works closely with a worldwide network of researchers and partners. [1] [2] [3]
The Small Arms Survey was established in 1999 «on the initiative» of Switzerland's Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) [4] and «in conjunction with other interested governments». [5] They placed the project under the tutelage of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID). [4]
In July 1999, Keith Krause (born 1960) became the founder and programme director. The Canadian political scientist, who wrote his PhD thesis at Oxford University on the issue of international arms transfers and has been a professor of international politics at the IHEID since 1994, remained in that position until December 2015. [6]
The Small Arms Survey hosts the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development Secretariat. [7]
The Small Arms Survey's Human Security Baseline Assessment for Sudan and South Sudan project supports violence reduction initiatives, including disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programmes, incentive schemes for civilian arms collections and security sector reform, and arms control interventions across Sudan. [8] [9]
The Security Assessment in North Africa project supports efforts to build a more secure environment in North Africa and the Sahel-Sahara region. The project produces evidence-based research and analysis on the availability and circulation of small arms, the dynamics of emerging armed groups, and related insecurity. The research stresses the effects of the recent uprisings and armed conflicts in the region on community safety. [10]
In 2018, Small Arms Survey reported that there are over one billion small arms distributed globally, of which 857 million (about 85 percent) are in civilian hands. [11] [12] According to Small Arms Survey's estimates, U.S. civilians alone account for 393 million (about 46 percent) of the worldwide total of civilian held firearms. [13] [12] This amounts to "120.5 firearms for every 100 residents." [12]
According to the report, the world's armed forces control about 133 million (about 13 percent) of the global total of small arms, of which over 43 percent belong to two countries: the Russian Federation (30.3 million) and China (27.5 million). [11] And, the world's law enforcement agencies control about 23 million (about 2 percent) of the global total of small arms. [11]
Small Arms Survey estimates of worldwide firearms holdings, 2017 [14] [15] [16] [17] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Location | Civilian held firearms | Population 2017 | Civilian held firearms per 100 persons | Military held firearms | Law enforcement held firearms |
Total firearms = approximately 1,013,000,000 | 857,000,000 | - | - | 133,000,000 | 23,000,000 |
Afghanistan | 4,270,000 | 34,169,000 | 12.5 | 331,170 | 239,000 |
Albania | 350,000 | 2,911,000 | 12.0 | 21,750 | 19,000 |
Algeria | 877,000 | 41,064,000 | 2.1 | 637,720 | 363,000 |
American Samoa | 400 | 56,000 | 0.7 | - | 90 |
Andorra | 10,000 | 69,000 | 14.1 | - | 976 |
Angola | 2,982,000 | 26,656,000 | 11.2 | 203,300 | 60,000 |
Antigua and Barbuda | 5,000 | 94,000 | 5.4 | 438 | 800 |
Argentina | 3,256,000 | 44,272,000 | 7.4 | 679,770 | 391,000 |
Armenia | 186,000 | 3,032,000 | 6.1 | 509,240 | 18,000 |
Aruba | 3,000 | 105,000 | 2.6 | - | 700 |
Australia | 3,573,000 | 24,642,000 | 14.5 | 214,520 | 69,000 |
Austria | 2,577,000 | 8,592,000 | 30.0 | 240,880 | 37,900 |
Azerbaijan | 362,000 | 9,974,000 | 3.6 | 537,920 | 18,000 |
Bahamas | 74,000 | 397,000 | 18.8 | 2,470 | 5,000 |
Bahrain | 181,000 | 1,419,000 | 12.8 | 25,796 | 20,000 |
Bangladesh | 659,000 | 164,828,000 | 0.4 | 410,305 | 333,000 |
Barbados | 10,000 | 286,000 | 3.5 | 1,675 | 2,000 |
Belarus | 581,000 | 9,459,000 | 6.1 | 780,600 | 165,000 |
Belgium | 1,451,000 | 11,444,000 | 12.7 | 80,880 | 78,000 |
Belize | 37,000 | 375,000 | 10.0 | 3,690 | 2,000 |
Benin | 33,000 | 11,459,000 | 0.3 | 8,700 | 26,000 |
Bermuda | 3,000 | 61,000 | 4.6 | - | 500 |
Bhutan | 6,000 | 793,000 | 0.8 | 15,200 | 4,000 |
Bolivia | 218,000 | 11,053,000 | 2.0 | 87,590 | 42,000 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1,185,000 | 3,793,000 | 31.2 | 27,300 | 29,000 |
Botswana | 97,000 | 2,344,000 | 4.1 | 17,100 | 11,000 |
Brazil | 17,510,000 | 211,243,000 | 8.3 | 1,316,300 | 803,000 |
Brunei Darussalam | 6,000 | 434,000 | 1.4 | 20,220 | 4,000 |
Bulgaria | 590,000 | 7,045,000 | 8.4 | 176,640 | 59,400 |
Burkina Faso | 175,000 | 19,173,000 | 0.9 | 43,780 | 43,000 |
Burundi | 238,000 | 11,936,000 | 2.0 | 75,960 | 24,278 |
Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) | 31,000 | 533,000 | 5.7 | 2,280 | 19,000 |
Cambodia | 717,000 | 16,076,000 | 4.5 | 258,670 | 64,000 |
Cameroon | 510,000 | 24,514,000 | 2.1 | 27,360 | 15,000 |
Canada | 12,708,000 | 36,626,000 | 34.7 | 233,949 | 103,000 |
Cayman Islands | 6,000 | 62,000 | 9.2 | - | 400 |
Central African Republic | 94,000 | 5,099,000 | 1.8 | 8,580 | 10,000 |
Chad | 151,000 | 14,965,000 | 1.0 | 25,020 | 34,000 |
Channel Islands | 23,000 | 165,000 | 14.0 | - | 500 |
Chile | 2,220,000 | 18,313,000 | 12.1 | 311,900 | 66,000 |
China | 49,735,000 | 1,388,233,000 | 3.6 | 27,466,400 | 1,971,000 |
China, Macao SAR | 22,000 | 606,000 | 3.6 | - | 4,000 |
Christmas Island | 0 | 2,000 | 0.0 | - | 50 |
Colombia | 4,971,000 | 49,068,000 | 10.1 | 350,689 | 283,000 |
Comoros | 12,000 | 826,000 | 1.5 | 600 | 2,000 |
Congo, Republic of | 119,000 | 4,866,000 | 2.4 | 12,000 | 11,000 |
Costa Rica | 493,000 | 4,906,000 | 10.0 | - | 17,000 |
Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) | 1,049,000 | 23,816,000 | 4.4 | 33,045 | 15,000 |
Croatia | 576,000 | 4,210,000 | 13.7 | 75,120 | 39,000 |
Cuba | 234,000 | 11,390,000 | 2.1 | 958,100 | 42,000 |
Curaçao | 4,000 | 160,000 | 2.6 | - | 600 |
Cyprus, North | 61,000 | 349,000 | 17.4 | - | 2,000 |
Cyprus, Rep. of | 285,000 | 839,000 | 34.0 | 99,000 | 11,000 |
Czech Republic | 1,323,000 | 10,555,000 | 12.5 | 157,233 | 76,000 |
Democratic Republic of Congo | 946,000 | 82,243,000 | 1.2 | 161,100 | 46,000 |
Denmark | 567,000 | 5,712,000 | 9.9 | 124,120 | 20,000 |
Djibouti | 28,000 | 911,000 | 3.1 | 19,855 | 5,000 |
Dominica | 5,000 | 73,000 | 6.2 | - | 600 |
Dominican Republic | 795,000 | 10,767,000 | 7.4 | 106,495 | 46,000 |
Ecuador | 402,000 | 16,626,000 | 2.4 | 253,668 | 41,000 |
Egypt | 3,931,000 | 95,215,000 | 4.1 | 1,544,750 | 1,530,000 |
El Salvador | 737,000 | 6,167,000 | 12.0 | 127,840 | 30,000 |
England and Wales | 2,731,000 | 58,877,000 | 4.6 | - | 28,000 |
Equatorial Guinea | 112,000 | 894,000 | 12.5 | 2,760 | 2,000 |
Eritrea | 23,000 | 5,482,000 | 0.4 | 668,550 | 12,000 |
Estonia | 65,000 | 1,306,000 | 5.0 | 38,760 | 18,000 |
Ethiopia | 377,000 | 104,345,000 | 0.4 | 525,600 | 79,000 |
Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | 2,000 | 3,000 | 62.1 | - | 30 |
Faroe Islands | 5,000 | 49,000 | 9.9 | - | 200 |
Fiji | 5,000 | 903,000 | 0.5 | 16,700 | 2,000 |
Finland | 1,793,000 | 5,541,000 | 32.4 | 475,030 | 14,000 |
France | 12,732,000 | 64,939,000 | 19.6 | 566,430 | 497,000 |
French Guiana | 55,000 | 283,000 | 19.6 | – | 2,000 |
French Polynesia | 7,000 | 289,000 | 2.5 | - | 400 |
Gabon | 61,000 | 1,801,000 | 3.4 | 5,640 | 4,000 |
Gambia | 137,000 | 2,120,000 | 6.5 | 1,080 | 5,000 |
Georgia | 402,000 | 3,973,000 | 10.1 | 63,950 | 41,000 |
Germany | 15,822,000 | 80,636,000 | 19.6 | 483,016 | 466,000 |
Ghana | 2,280,000 | 28,657,000 | 8.0 | 18,600 | 28,000 |
Gibraltar | 1,000 | 32,000 | 4.1 | - | 600 |
Greece | 1,920,000 | 10,893,000 | 17.6 | 642,510 | 99,000 |
Greenland | 13,000 | 56,000 | 22.3 | – | 300 |
Grenada | 5,000 | 108,000 | 4.6 | – | 1,000 |
Guadeloupe | 40,000 | 472,000 | 8.5 | - | 2,000 |
Guam | 20,000 | 174,000 | 11.5 | - | 500 |
Guatemala | 2,062,000 | 17,005,000 | 12.1 | 160,600 | 43,000 |
Guinea | 130,000 | 13,291,000 | 1.0 | 23,080 | 13,000 |
Guinea-Bissau | 29,000 | 1,933,000 | 1.5 | 10,260 | 4,000 |
Guyana | 122,000 | 774,000 | 15.8 | 10,890 | 4,000 |
Haiti | 291,000 | 10,983,000 | 2.6 | 380 | 15,000 |
Holy See | 0 | 1,000 | 0.0 | - | 200 |
Honduras | 1,171,000 | 8,305,000 | 14.1 | 107,720 | 29,000 |
Hong Kong SAR, China | 265,000 | 7,402,000 | 3.6 | - | 28,000 |
Hungary | 1,023,000 | 9,788,000 | 10.5 | 147,880 | 17,000 |
Iceland | 106,000 | 334,000 | 31.7 | 650 | 590 |
India | 71,101,000 | 1,342,513,000 | 5.3 | 3,900,000 | 1,700,000 |
Indonesia | 82,000 | 263,510,000 | 0.0 | 1,711,450 | 429,000 |
Iran, Islamic Republic of | 5,890,000 | 80,946,000 | 7.3 | 3,333,550 | 98,000 |
Iraq | 7,588,000 | 38,654,000 | 19.6 | 611,000 | 56,000 |
Ireland | 342,000 | 4,749,000 | 7.2 | 26,636 | 3,000 |
Israel | 557,000 | 8,323,000 | 6.7 | 1,016,900 | 41,000 |
Italy | 8,609,000 | 59,798,000 | 14.4 | 502,960 | 273,000 |
Jamaica | 246,000 | 2,813,000 | 8.8 | 8,681 | 12,000 |
Japan | 377,000 | 126,045,000 | 0.3 | 745,514 | 252,000 |
Jordan | 1,473,000 | 7,877,000 | 18.7 | 286,450 | 60,000 |
Kazakhstan | 504,000 | 18,064,000 | 2.8 | 375,690 | 65,000 |
Kenya | 750,000 | 48,467,000 | 1.5 | 45,790 | 51,527 |
Kiribati | 900 | 116,000 | 0.8 | - | 200 |
Korea, DPR (North) | 76,000 | 25,405,000 | 0.3 | 8,363,100 | 76,000 |
Korea, Republic of (South) | 79,000 | 50,705,000 | 0.2 | 2,688,020 | 115,000 |
Kosovo | 436,000 | 1,831,000 | 23.8 | 9,500 | 21,000 |
Kuwait | 685,000 | 4,100,000 | 16.7 | 82,580 | 11,000 |
Kyrgyzstan | 171,000 | 6,125,000 | 2.8 | 145,010 | 18,000 |
Lao, People's Democratic Republic | 215,000 | 7,038,000 | 3.0 | 224,690 | 21,000 |
Latvia | 205,000 | 1,945,000 | 10.5 | 27,936 | 17,000 |
Lebanon | 1,927,000 | 6,039,000 | 31.9 | 130,150 | 41,000 |
Lesotho | 105,000 | 2,185,000 | 4.8 | 2,400 | 5,000 |
Liberia | 97,000 | 4,730,000 | 2.1 | 2,520 | 5,000 |
Libya | 851,000 | 6,409,000 | 13.3 | - | - |
Liechtenstein | 11,000 | 38,000 | 28.8 | - | 200 |
Lithuania | 385,000 | 2,831,000 | 13.6 | 81,240 | 17,000 |
Luxembourg | 110,000 | 584,000 | 18.9 | 2,340 | 5,000 |
Macedonia, Former Yugoslav Republic of | 621,000 | 2,083,000 | 29.8 | 29,530 | 21,000 |
Madagascar | 168,000 | 25,613,000 | 0.7 | 25,320 | 20,000 |
Malawi | 47,000 | 18,299,000 | 0.3 | 24,480 | 8,400 |
Malaysia | 217,000 | 31,164,000 | 0.7 | 428,170 | 102,000 |
Maldives | 23,000 | 376,000 | 6.2 | 9,500 | 3,000 |
Mali | 206,000 | 18,690,000 | 1.1 | 15,800 | 3,000 |
Malta | 119,000 | 421,000 | 28.3 | 5,547 | 1,637 |
Marshall Islands | 300 | 53,000 | 0.5 | - | 80 |
Martinique | 34,000 | 396,000 | 8.5 | - | 1,000 |
Mauritania | 120,000 | 4,266,000 | 2.8 | 22,820 | 10,000 |
Mauritius | 106,000 | 1,281,000 | 8.3 | 4,845 | 11,000 |
Mexico | 16,809,000 | 130,223,000 | 12.9 | 895,285 | 591,000 |
Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 700 | 106,000 | 0.7 | - | 200 |
Moldova, Republic of | 121,000 | 4,055,000 | 3.0 | 98,600 | 21,000 |
Monaco | 7,000 | 38,000 | 19.6 | - | 1,000 |
Mongolia | 242,000 | 3,052,000 | 7.9 | 323,400 | 7,000 |
Montenegro | 245,000 | 626,000 | 39.1 | 5,396 | 8,000 |
Montserrat | 300 | 5,000 | 5.4 | - | 90 |
Morocco | 1,690,000 | 35,241,000 | 4.8 | 588,020 | 91,000 |
Mozambique | 1,337,000 | 29,538,000 | 4.5 | 60,000 | 24,000 |
Myanmar | 877,000 | 54,836,000 | 1.6 | 788,900 | 76,000 |
Namibia | 396,000 | 2,569,000 | 15.4 | 11,880 | 15,000 |
Nauru | 0 | 10,000 | 0.0 | - | 60 |
Nepal | 444,000 | 29,187,000 | 1.5 | 183,540 | 62,000 |
Netherlands | 442,000 | 17,033,000 | 2.6 | 108,676 | 96,000 |
New Caledonia | 115,000 | 270,000 | 42.5 | - | 700 |
New Zealand | 1,212,000 | 4,605,000 | 26.3 | 38,280 | 13,000 |
Nicaragua | 323,000 | 6,218,000 | 5.2 | 261,800 | 8,590 |
Niger | 117,000 | 21,564,000 | 0.5 | 11,110 | 10,000 |
Nigeria | 6,154,000 | 191,836,000 | 3.2 | 224,200 | 362,400 |
Northern Ireland | 206,000 | 1,873,000 | 11.0 | - | 13,000 |
Northern Mariana Islands | 1,000 | 56,000 | 2.6 | - | 80 |
Norway | 1,537,000 | 5,331,000 | 28.8 | 188,646 | 13,000 |
Oman | 792,000 | 4,741,000 | 16.7 | 118,360 | 31,000 |
Pakistan | 43,917,000 | 196,744,000 | 22.3 | 2,315,480 | 944,000 |
Palau | 100 | 22,000 | 0.5 | - | 30 |
Palestinian Territories | 56,000 | 4,952,000 | 1.1 | 44,410 | 33,000 |
Panama | 436,000 | 4,051,000 | 10.8 | - | 30,000 |
Papua New Guinea | 79,000 | 7,934,000 | 1.0 | 7,200 | 4,800 |
Paraguay | 1,140,000 | 6,812,000 | 16.7 | 235,780 | 21,000 |
Peru | 633,000 | 32,166,000 | 2.0 | 473,400 | 142,000 |
Philippines | 3,776,000 | 103,797,000 | 3.6 | 454,700 | 139,043 |
Poland | 968,000 | 38,564,000 | 2.5 | 307,200 | 188,000 |
Portugal | 2,186,000 | 10,265,000 | 21.3 | 333,640 | 89,000 |
Puerto Rico | 422,000 | 3,679,000 | 11.5 | - | 26,000 |
Puntland | 246,000 | 1,995,000 | 12.3 | 3,600 | 8,000 |
Qatar | 390,000 | 2,338,000 | 16.7 | 30,680 | 5,000 |
Réunion | 171,000 | 873,000 | 19.6 | - | 2,000 |
Romania | 506,000 | 19,238,000 | 2.6 | 240,180 | 251,000 |
Russian Federation | 17,620,000 | 143,375,000 | 12.3 | 30,272,900 | 2,432,000 |
Rwanda | 66,000 | 12,160,000 | 0.5 | 66,500 | 14,000 |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | 2,000 | 57,000 | 3.4 | - | 600 |
Saint Lucia | 6,000 | 188,000 | 3.4 | - | 1,000 |
Saint Martin (France) | 3,000 | 32,000 | 8.5 | - | 100 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 4,000 | 110,000 | 3.4 | - | 1,000 |
Samoa | 20,000 | 196,000 | 10.1 | - | 400 |
San Marino | 5,000 | 32,000 | 14.4 | - | 300 |
São Tomé and Principe | 7,000 | 198,000 | 3.4 | 570 | 100 |
Saudi Arabia | 5,468,000 | 32,743,000 | 16.7 | 481,350 | 214,000 |
Scotland | 305,000 | 5,436,000 | 5.6 | - | 2,000 |
Senegal | 323,000 | 16,054,000 | 2.0 | 16,320 | 6,000 |
Serbia | 2,719,000 | 6,946,000 | 39.1 | 384,422 | 53,100 |
Seychelles | 4,000 | 98,000 | 4.1 | 798 | 200 |
Sierra Leone | 35,000 | 6,733,000 | 0.5 | 10,200 | 12,000 |
Singapore | 20,000 | 5,785,000 | 0.3 | 574,140 | 9,000 |
Sint Maarten (Netherlands) | 2,000 | 40,000 | 4.2 | - | 300 |
Slovakia | 355,000 | 5,432,000 | 6.5 | 33,150 | 43,000 |
Slovenia | 324,000 | 2,071,000 | 15.6 | 131,686 | 13,000 |
Solomon Islands | 1,000 | 606,000 | 0.2 | - | 70 |
Somalia | 1,145,000 | 9,225,000 | 12.4 | 37,620 | 8,000 |
Somaliland | 456,000 | 3,823,000 | 11.9 | 23,750 | 4,000 |
South Africa | 5,351,000 | 55,436,000 | 9.7 | 350,636 | 250,481 |
South Sudan | 1,255,000 | 13,096,000 | 9.6 | 351,500 | 42,000 |
Spain | 3,464,000 | 46,070,000 | 7.5 | 333,660 | 264,196 |
Sri Lanka | 494,000 | 20,905,000 | 2.4 | 509,700 | 134,000 |
Sudan | 2,768,000 | 42,166,000 | 6.6 | 590,170 | 129,000 |
Suriname | 88,000 | 552,000 | 15.9 | 5,985 | 2,000 |
Swaziland | 64,000 | 1,320,000 | 4.8 | 5,700 | 4,000 |
Sweden | 2,296,000 | 9,921,000 | 23.1 | 139,180 | 38,000 |
Switzerland | 2,332,000 | 8,454,000 | 27.6 | 324,484 | 34,000 |
Syrian Arab Republic | 1,547,000 | 18,907,000 | 8.2 | 655,500 | 124,000 |
Taiwan (Republic of China) | 10,000 | 23,405,000 | 0.0 | 2,022,150 | 76,000 |
Tajikistan | 37,000 | 8,858,000 | 0.4 | 56,490 | 9,000 |
Tanzania, United Republic of Africa | 427,000 | 56,878,000 | 0.8 | 190,050 | 37,000 |
Thailand | 10,342,000 | 68,298,000 | 15.1 | 1,052,815 | 230,000 |
Timor-Leste (East Timor) | 3,000 | 1,237,000 | 0.3 | 2,527 | 4,000 |
Togo | 58,000 | 7,692,000 | 0.8 | 12,850 | 5,000 |
Tonga | 9,000 | 108,000 | 8.0 | - | 200 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 43,000 | 1,369,000 | 3.2 | 7,695 | 9,000 |
Tunisia | 123,000 | 11,495,000 | 1.1 | 68,020 | 73,000 |
Turkey | 13,249,000 | 80,418,000 | 16.5 | 1,390,180 | 620,000 |
Turkmenistan | 23,000 | 5,503,000 | 0.4 | 184,700 | 27,000 |
Turks and Caicos Islands | 1,000 | 35,000 | 3.3 | - | 100 |
Tuvalu | 100 | 10,000 | 1.2 | - | 26 |
Uganda | 331,000 | 41,653,000 | 0.8 | 116,660 | 54,000 |
Ukraine | 4,396,000 | 44,405,000 | 9.9 | 6,600,000 | 289,000 |
United Arab Emirates | 1,569,000 | 9,398,000 | 16.7 | 163,800 | 41,000 |
United Kingdom Combined civilian, military and law enforcement numbers for (England and Wales), (Northern Ireland) & (Scotland). | 3,242,000 | 66,186,000 | 4.9 | 539,680 | 43,000 |
United States of America | 393,347,000 | 326,474,000 | 120.5 | 4,535,380 | 1,016,000 |
Uruguay | 1,198,000 | 3,457,000 | 34.7 | 62,130 | 30,000 |
Uzbekistan | 127,000 | 30,691,000 | 0.4 | 268,400 | 150,000 |
Vanuatu | 11,000 | 276,000 | 3.9 | - | 350 |
Venezuela | 5,895,000 | 31,926,000 | 18.5 | 353,300 | 173,000 |
Vietnam | 1,562,000 | 95,415,000 | 1.6 | 3,829,200 | 285,000 |
Virgin Islands (U.K.) | 300 | 31,000 | 0.8 | - | 500 |
Virgin Islands (U.S.) | 18,000 | 107,000 | 16.6 | - | 300 |
Yemen | 14,859,000 | 28,120,000 | 52.8 | 28,500 | - |
Zambia | 158,000 | 17,238,000 | 0.9 | 41,040 | 16,000 |
Zimbabwe | 455,000 | 16,338,000 | 2.8 | 91,580 | 23,000 |
American civilians own over 393 million guns. "Americans made up 4 percent of the world's population but owned about 46 percent of the entire global stock of 857 million civilian firearms." [18] That is three times as many guns as the combined stockpile of the world's armed forces. [19] American civilians own more guns "than those held by civilians in the other top 25 countries combined." [20]
The Small Arms Survey's reports are widely used and considered to be accurate, though all of the figures involve "some degree of estimation", and estimates for certain countries are highly uncertain. [21] [22]
In response to a report about the number of firearms in Finland, the Finnish Ministry of the Interior issued a statement saying that the number was inflated and completely wrong. [23] [24]
The project's flagship publication is the Small Arms Survey, an annual review of global small arms issues such as production, stockpiles, brokering, legal and illicit arms transfers, the effects of small arms, and national, bilateral, and multilateral measures to deal with the problems associated with small arms. [25] Published by Cambridge University Press, it is recognized as the principal international source of impartial and reliable information on all aspects of small arms. It is widely used by policy-makers, government officials and non-governmental organizations. [26]
In addition to its annual yearbook, the Small Arms Survey publishes a wide range of periodical research findings. These include a Book Series, Occasional Papers, Special Reports, Working Papers, and short Issue Briefs and Research Notes. [34] These publications present substantial research findings on data, methodological, and conceptual issues related to small arms or detailed country and regional case studies. Most of these are published in hard copy and are also accessible on the project's web site. [2]
Gun laws and policies, collectively referred to as firearms regulation or gun control, regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, and use of small arms by civilians. Laws of some countries may afford civilians a right to keep and bear arms, and have more liberal gun laws than neighboring jurisdictions. Countries that regulate access to firearms will typically restrict access to certain categories of firearms and then restrict the categories of persons who may be granted a license for access to such firearms. There may be separate licenses for hunting, sport shooting, self-defense, collecting, and concealed carry, with different sets of requirements, permissions, and responsibilities.
Arms trafficking or gunrunning is the illicit trade of contraband small arms, explosives, and ammunition, which constitutes part of a broad range of illegal activities often associated with transnational criminal organizations. The illegal trade of small arms, unlike other organized crime commodities, is more closely associated with exercising power in communities instead of achieving economic gain. Scholars estimate illegal arms transactions amount to over US$1 billion annually.
Gun control, or firearms regulation, is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms by civilians.
Gun politics is defined in the United States by two primary opposing ideologies concerning the private ownership of firearms. Those who advocate for gun control support increasingly restrictive regulation of gun ownership; those who advocate for gun rights oppose increased restriction, or support the liberalization of gun ownership. These groups typically disagree on the interpretation of the text, history and tradition of the laws and judicial opinions concerning gun ownership in the United States and the meaning of the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. American gun politics involves these groups' further disagreement concerning the role of firearms in public safety, the studied effects of ownership of firearms on public health and safety, and the role of guns in national and state crime.
The small arms trade is the markets of both authorized and illicit small arms and light weapons (SALW), as well as their parts, accessories, and ammunition.
The arms industry, also known as the defense industry, military industry, or the arms trade, is a global industry which manufactures and sells weapons and military technology. Public sector and private sector firms conduct research and development, engineering, production, and servicing of military material, equipment, and facilities. Customers are the armed forces of states, and civilians. An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition – whether privately or publicly owned – are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination. Products of the arms industry include weapons, munitions, weapons platforms, military communications and other electronics, and more. The arms industry also provides other logistical and operational support.
Gun culture in the United States encompasses the behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs about firearms and their use by private citizens. Gun ownership in the United States is legally protected by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. Firearms are used for self-defense, hunting, and recreation.
Gun violence is a term of political, economic and sociological interest referring to the tens of thousands of annual firearms-related deaths and injuries occurring in the United States. In 2022, up to 100 daily fatalities and hundreds of daily injuries were attributable to gun violence in the United States. In 2018, the most recent year for which data are available, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics reported 38,390 deaths by firearm, of which 24,432 were suicides. The national rate of firearm deaths rose from 10.3 people for every 100,000 in 1999 to 11.9 people per 100,000 in 2018, equating to over 109 daily deaths. In 2010, there were 19,392 firearm-related suicides, and 11,078 firearm-related homicides in the U.S. In 2010, 358 murders were reported involving a rifle while 6,009 were reported involving a handgun; another 1,939 were reported with an unspecified type of firearm. In 2011, a total of 478,400 fatal and nonfatal violent crimes were committed with a firearm.
Gun-related violence is violence committed with the use of a firearm. Gun-related violence may or may not be considered criminal. Criminal violence includes homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, and suicide, or attempted suicide, depending on jurisdiction. Non-criminal violence includes accidental or unintentional injury and death. Also generally included in gun violence statistics are military or para-military activities.
Small arms and light weapons (SALW) refers in arms control protocols to two main classes of man-portable weapons.
This is a list of countries by estimated number of privately owned guns per 100 people. The Small Arms Survey 2017 provides estimates of the total number of civilian-owned guns in a country. It then calculates the number per 100 people. This number for a country does not indicate the percentage of the population that owns guns. This is because individuals can own more than one gun.
In 2018, the Small Arms Survey reported that there are over one billion small arms distributed globally, of which 857 million are in civilian hands. The survey stated that American civilians account for an estimated 393 million of the worldwide total of civilian held firearms, or about 120.5 firearms for every 100 American residents.
The Type 80 is a general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) manufactured by Norinco in China, based on the Soviet PKM. The machine gun was certified for design finalisation in 1980 and entered the PLA service in the mid-1980s, specifically in 1983. The Type 80 was intended as a successor to the Chinese independently developed Type 67, doing well in tests conducted in the Chengdu Military Region before it was dropped and instead, opted to keep the Type 67 GPMG in use.
The concept of armed violence reduction (AVR) has gained significant in importance after the 2006 Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development. According to OECD, more than 740,000 people die each year as a result of the violence associated with armed conflicts and large- and small-scale criminality. Furthermore, armed violence impedes humanitarian and socio-economic development and, hence, it is an obstruction to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).
Firearms in Thailand refers to the number and types of firearms in the country in civilian (unofficial) hands and the laws and societal norms that govern their possession and use.
Ukrainian law allows firearm ownership on may-issue basis. With approximately 10 civilian firearms per 100 people, Ukraine is the 88th most armed country in the world per capita, and 22nd overall.
The disarmament of the Lou Nuer was a forcible disarmament campaign undertaken by the SPLA in Southern Sudan in December 2005. While other groups had been peacefully disarmed, the Lou section of the Nuer in Northern Jonglei State refused to comply. The SPLA organized a force under Peter Bol Kong to forcibly disarm the Lou Nuer, whose White Army resisted until a defeat in the battle of Motot, after which they fled the area.
Crime in Cote d'Ivoire is prevalent and versatile across the West African country. The most common forms of crime include child labour, arms trafficking, terrorism and human rights abuse. Other less common, but still evident types of crime include cannabis and synthetic drug trade, sex trafficking, fauna and flora crimes.
This is a list of countries by the estimated percent of households with guns. It is further broken down by the estimated percent of households with handguns. Also, by the estimated percent of adults living in armed households. The data is from GunPolicy.org which is hosted by the Sydney Medical School, at the University of Sydney in Australia. GunPolicy.org consolidates this data from various sources. To avoid problems with vetting the data for hundreds of countries from hundreds of sources, the table below only uses data compiled by GunPolicy.org.