High Proliferation of Firearms in Uruguay

March 5, 2024 Hour: 5:59 pm

On Tuesday, official sources informed that Uruguay is among the countries with the highest number of registered arms despite a population of less than 3.5 million inhabitants.

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The issue becomes relevant on the day of the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness.

Up to 2022, more than one million firearms were registered and illegal, according to statistics released by Grupo R Multimedio.

Of the total number of recognized firearms in Uruguay up to that year, 2.5% (15,066) were in the hands of companies.

5.5 percent (33,335 units) belonged to the Ministry of the Interior, while 0.85 percent (5,519) belonged to public companies and other government agencies.

�� Uruguay was a pioneer in passing laws that permitted the legal ownership of firearms in 1944.

How has this shaped the country’s culture today?

�� a thread↓ pic.twitter.com/WwBRoqa7mv

— Latinometrics �� (@LatamData)
January 30, 2024

According to the Small Arms Survey organization, at the end of 2017 there were 34.7 weapons per 100 inhabitants in Uruguay, which by then ranked fifth in the world with the most weapons per capita in the hands of civilians.

The source adds that since 2020, 1,412 homicides committed mostly with firearms have been recorded.

As of September 2022, almost 17,000 individuals had more than three registered firearms.

In turn, there are 2,477 Uruguayans who, individually, have more than eight firearms registered.