• Historic Milestone Reached: Poland has officially exceeded one million registered civilian firearms, with over 50,000 new permits issued in the last year alone.
• Regional and Security Drivers: Increased interest in firearm ownership is linked to both geopolitical concerns in Eastern Europe and domestic anxieties regarding crime and property safety.
• Low Comparative Density: Despite the recent surge, Poland still has the lowest number of firearms per capita in the European Union at 2.5 per 100 people.
• Legislative and Vetting Proposals: New laws enacted in 2026 have digitalized records, while pending proposals seek to introduce regular mandatory psychological testing for all permit holders.

The number of legally registered civilian firearms in Poland has surpassed one million for the first time. Official police statistics indicate that 1,037,778 weapons were in civilian hands by the end of 2025, representing a significant increase of over 100,000 from the previous year. This growth is mirrored in the volume of new gun permits, which reached a record 50,709 in 2025 alone. The total number of active permits now stands at 411,769, more than double the figures recorded a decade ago. While collector and sporting permits remain the most common, there has been a notable rise in applications for personal protection.

The upward trend in ownership gained momentum following regional security concerns in 2022, leading to increased traffic at shooting ranges and a surge in permit applications. Despite this rapid growth, Poland maintains approximately 2.5 firearms per 100 inhabitants, which remains the lowest rate in the European Union. In comparison, countries such as Finland and Austria report significantly higher per capita ownership. While some analysts attribute the rise to geopolitical tensions, local experts suggest that a broader fear of crime and a desire for personal property protection are primary drivers for new applicants.

Legislation regarding firearm possession is currently undergoing scrutiny. A new Firearms Act entered into force on January 1, 2026, which modernized terminology, digitalized the Central Firearms Register, and reclassified weapons into new categories based on registration and notification requirements. Simultaneously, the Poland 2050 party has proposed stricter oversight, including mandatory psychological and medical evaluations every few years to ensure public safety. Critics of the current system, including former police officials, have also called for transferring permit authority from the police to civil administration to ensure a clearer separation of powers and more rigorous vetting processes.