Looking for the most gun friendly countries? Then check out our list of 16 best countries for gun owners in the world in 2018.
Because gun owners certainly aren’t welcomed everywhere, unfortunately, and it’s important for them to find the countries they will be welcomed in. Some of the countries where guns are illegal are relatively well known, but no one says much about the gun friendly countries. Maybe you just want to know what countries allow guns for citizens, as opposed to the countries that don’t allow guns. Those countries are out there, and we set out to help you find them.
Some of these countries even allow semiautomatic weapons, with a permit, that is. Others use guns on a daily basis for the purpose of hunting and other sports that require the use of a firearm. They could never imagine their gun rights being taken away. And though their firearm laws from country to country are different, they can all be classified as gun friendly.
To find them, we researched the topic on reputable sites like Guns and Ammo‘s Best Countries for Gun Owners, Sovereign Man‘s 4 Countries that Gun Owners Need to Know About, Telegraph‘s Countries With the Most Guns, Deseret News‘s 15 Nations With The Highest Gun Ownership, Live and Invest Overseas‘ 10 Countries with the Easiest Gun Laws in the World, Insider Monkey’s 11 Countries with the Best Gun Laws in the World Insider Monkey’s 12 Countries With No Gun Laws and Low Crime Rates in the World, and Gun Facts‘ Gun Control Myths.
The countries that were mentioned in the lists above received one point each time they were mentioned. We also used a site called Gun Policy to find out the specific gun laws of the countries that were mentioned in the lists above. Gun Policy has each specific precedent clearly spelled out if you’d like to know more about the laws in a particular country.
The two numbers we looked at? A number of civilian guns per 100 people, and concealed and open carry laws. A country that had 30 or more guns per 100 people received 3 points, 2 points if it had anywhere between 20 and 29 guns per 100, 1 point if it had anywhere between 10 and 19 per 100 and no points if it had below 10 per 100. Also, countries, where open carry was permitted, received 3 points. Countries where only concealed carry was permitted received 2 points. Countries, where both of these were regulated, received 1 point, and countries, where both of these were prohibited, received no points. That’s how we formed our points system, ensuring that the most gun friendly countries truly received the most amount of points.
But gun laws can be tricky. They’re always changing, and while we did our best to cite only the most recent sources, don’t blame us if we missed a few things. After all, new laws are constantly being enacted and enforced. So before you go moving to a country on this list just because we say it’s gun friendly, make sure you adequately research each individual country’s current laws.
Also, if you’re considering moving, you might want to avoid these 15 countries with the strictest gun laws in the world.
Here are the 16 best countries for gun owners in the world in 2018, or 16 countries with basically no gun control. We are starting off with the last three countries on the list which share the 14th place. Enjoy!
14. Iceland
6 points
This wild wonderland has been known as a country that’s friendly to gun owners for years.
14. Germany
6 points
Germany citizens hold 32 guns per 100 people, including both illicit and licit.
14. Panama
6 points
This central American country is a great place for gun owners because it’s not only very gun friendly but very warm.
12. Saudi Arabia
7 points
It’s a good thing this middle eastern country is gun friendly- they need to protect themselves against attacks by Islamic militants.
12. Montenegro
7 points
Montenegro neighbors Serbia, if you didn’t know. These countries must influence each other when it comes to gun laws because Serbia appears later on.
6. The Czech Republic
8 points
After the Soviet fall, Czech made gun rights one of their priorities, and those rights remain some of Europe’s best.
6. Yemen
8 points
Read more about this country’s gun laws in this article entitled Gun Control, Yemen-Style.
6. Canada
8 points
Does Canada allow semiautomatic rifles? Technically yes, however, the right is severely restricted.
6. Austria
8 points
Are you noticing a trend? Once Nazi or Soviet-occupied countries are now big on gun ownership. Wonder why.
6. Norway
8 points
You can get a permit to own almost any type of firearm here, including a semiautomatic. Unlike number 9 on our list of 16 best countries for gun owners in the world in 2018.
6. Cyprus
8 points
Licensing can be very strict in this country, though a large percentage of citizens own guns.
5. Finland
9 points
Just like its Scandinavian neighbors, Finland is very gun friendly, mostly due to the high rate of hunting in the area.
3. Sweden
10 points
Competitive shooting and hunting are popular in this country, so it’s no wonder there are so many firearms.
3. The United States
10 points
Are you surprised? Yup, and do you know how many guns Americans have per 100 citizens? 101. Apparently, it’s possible.
And now, let’s see the top two best countries for gun owners in the world in 2018.
2. Serbia
11 points
You can obtain a license to buy almost any class of firearm here, where they have a long history of gun ownership.
1. Switzerland
13 points
The Swiss have so many guns and so little crime. Sounds like the place to be. That’s all for our list of 16 best countries for gun owners in the world in 2018. Thanks for reading!