Other nations in the top ten include Serbia and Montenegro (each at 39.1), Canada (34.7), Uruguay (34.7), Cyprus (34.0), Finland (32.4), and Lebanon (31.9), according to the chart.

These numbers draw on estimates from the Small Arms Survey , which combines official registries, national surveys, expert estimates, and comparable-country analogies to calculate civilian firearm holdings.

As of the last comprehensive estimate, the Small Arms Survey places the global total of civilian-held firearms at 857 million out of over one billion firearms in circulation (including military and law enforcement).

The U.S. is estimated to account for nearly half of civilian firearms globally, with around 393 million held by private individuals.

These figures show vast variation in gun ownership across countries, shaped by legal regimes, cultural attitudes, historical factors, and governance systems.

The high concentration of guns in civilian hands, in particular in the U.S., has been central to recent debates around gun violence, mass shootings, and firearm regulation. Policies around background checks, safe storage, and limits on certain weapon types remain fiercely contested in American politics.

Internationally, parts of the Middle East and conflict zones are also under scrutiny. Yemen’s ranking reflects a society long affected by conflict, weak state structures, and permissive weapons access. In Yemen, for example, firearm carrying in rural areas is largely unrestricted, and licensing in urban areas is loosely enforced.

Meanwhile, as global security tensions intensify, from the war in Ukraine to tensions in East Asia , concerns about arms proliferation, illicit firearms trade, and civilian access to weapons are growing.