Poland issued a record 50,700 gun permits in 2025, bringing the total number of firearms registered to civilians 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 rose to 1,037,778, an increase of more than 107,000 from 2024, the Telegraph reports.
Collector permits accounted for the majority of applications in 2025, with 21,071 decisions. Sports permits came in second with 17,601, followed by 7,254 personal protection permits.
The increase in ownership began in 2022, when 37,402 new permits were issued compared to 19,939 the previous year.
Polish shooting ranges reported a significant increase in visitors in the weeks following Russia's full invasion of Ukraine in February of 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 guns per 100 people, followed by Austria with 30 and Cyprus with 29.1.
Dariusz Loranty, a former director of the Warsaw police who worked on criminal terrorism and murder 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 according to the current law."
He proposed transferring formal decision-making power from the police to the civil administration, with governors issuing permits through administrative procedures that include both police input and citizen participation. Administrative decisions can then be challenged in court.
Loranty said gun ownership fundamentally changes behavior, primarily through increased responsibility. Polish law strictly prohibits carrying or possessing weapons under the influence of alcohol.
"When someone is with a gun, they won't drink vodka. Of course there is a different sense of responsibility," he said.
Loranty also called for more rigorous psychiatric evaluations, saying anyone showing symptoms of depression should be banned from owning guns.
Examinations should not be superficial, requiring psychiatrists to evaluate candidates at least twice in different situations, he said.
The popular belief that Poles are arming themselves out of fear of conflict with Russia does not reflect reality, according to Loranty.
"This is such an illusion. A very small portion of people have this illusion. In fact, the reasoning is that people are afraid of an increase in crime in a broad sense," he said.
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, introduced the bill in October 2025 requiring mandatory regular medical and psychological examinations for all gun permit holders, including hunters.
Under the proposal, people up to the age of 70 would submit certificates every five years to maintain valid permits, while those over 70 would do so every two years.
Historical collectors and restorers whose weapons do not pose a 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 every citizen to submit opinions.
The US has approximately 120 firearms per 100 residents, making guns about seven to eight times more available than in the European Union.
The right to own guns is enshrined in the Second Amendment to the US Constitution, which has contributed to relatively liberal gun laws in many states.
EU regulations are generally more restrictive and vary significantly between member states.
Gun homicide rates in the US are significantly higher than EU averages, with some European countries recording rates dozens of times lower than US levels. /Telegraph/
