Austria's colorful gun world: 1.5 million firearms registered!

Austria's colorful gun world: 1.5 million firearms registered!

Österreich, Land - In Austria, more than 1.5 million firearms are now registered in households. The current number, which was recorded on June 1, 2025, is 1,518,873 firearms, which are in the legal possession of 374,141 people. In comparison, the number in May 2023 was 1,514,789 firearms and 373,264 owners. This increase shows a continuous trend that illustrates the growing spread of firearms in the country. Despite these figures, Austria is considered to be comparable and peaceful country, as krone.at reports.

In the central arms register (ZWR), firearms of all categories are registered. These categories include:

• Category A: Forbidden firearms (e.g. pump guns) and war material.
• Category B: Fistfeuer weapons (such as revolvers and pistols), semi -automatic firearms and repetitive shotguns.
• Category C: Bushes and shotguns that are reloaded by hand.

For the purchase or passing on of a firearm of category C, registration with an arms dealer is required. The deadline for this registration is six weeks, and an arms register certificate can be requested online, as is explained on [oesterreich.gv.at] (https://www.oesterreich.gv.at/themen/gesetze_recht/waffenrecht/ page 2450100.html).

distribution and meaning of the gun ownership

A study by the "Small Arms Survey" has shown that Austria has one of the most armed populations in Europe. According to this study, there are 30 firearms per 100 people in Austria. Only Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have higher numbers. This data comes from 2018, but the official figures are noted from these values, such as the press.

On June 1, 2025, the following numbers were recorded in the central arms register:

The continuously increasing numbers reflect a trend that may be caused by crises and uncertainties in the social environment. Experts suspect that many new registrations affect old weapons or heirlooms, since shotguns have only to be registered for a few years. Gun ownership in Austria is allowed from the age of 18, while leading weapons is subject to strict regulations.

owner of category C weapons, such as hunting weapons, can generally have freely, as long as there is no weapon ban. For category B weapons, on the other hand, a gun ownership card is required, which includes strict requirements such as a psychological report and proof of the proper handling of weapons. Possession of category A weapons is only possible with a special exemption.

With these developments, the topic of gun ownership in Austria remains a multi -layered and complex matter that continues to need discussion and regular legal adjustments.