The number of licensed firearms holders in Canada continues to grow.
There were 2.425 million, an increase of nearly 61,000 from 2023, according to the RCMP’s 2024 Commissioner of Firearms Report. It’s not as much of a jump from 2022 to 2023, yet the total exceeded the five-year average.
Of the 2025 total, 1.6 million were non-restricted licence holders, 775,266 had restricted licences, 38,739 held a prohibited licence, and 13,505 were minor’s licence holders. The federal government estimates also indicate that 26% of Canadian households own at least one firearm and 95% of firearm-owning households in Canada possess long guns while less than 12% own handguns.
Originally published in the Ontario Out of Doors 2025-2026 Hunting Annual
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