Poland saw a massive shift in the number of carry permits issued last year, aligning with more security concerns amid the war in Ukraine and pivoting cultural views on firearm ownership.
There were nearly 46,000 carry permits approved last year in Poland, marking an increase from less than 38,000 three years ago. That marks the highest rate of concealed carry permits approved since the year 1989, when the Polish government ended their communist system.
Polish citizens now own roughly 930,000 firearms, nearly twice the number owned eight years ago, with criminologist Brunon Holista citing the Ukraine conflict and crime levels as factors. "The Polish society today feels insecure, so people want to arm themselves,” the researcher said. “The reason for this is the war in Ukraine, as well as concerns about our own safety.”
Andrzej Turczyn, an attorney, said he does not expect crime rates to rise amid the higher levels of firearm ownership since “Poles remain one of the least armed European nations.” He added that crimes with legally held weapons have “not increased due to the sharp rise in gun licenses.”
Poland allows residents to own firearms but has more restrictive laws than the United States and many other countries in Europe. Those who want to possess a firearm must have a clean criminal record, pass a psychological evaluation, demonstrate a valid reason for ownership to the state, and pass a firearms exam that includes both theory and practical shooting modules.
The news of increased carry permits in Poland comes after authorities mandated that all students take firearms training courses amid the Russian invasion of nearby Ukraine.
Officials at the Polish Ministry of Education and Science said two years ago that the “current challenges and threats require supplementing the goals of education and teaching content” on matters such as “state defense, acquiring shooting skills, and preparing students to cope with threats caused by hostilities,” meaning that children of various ages now learn firearms skills.
The students reportedly train with air guns or even guns with laser systems and targets, for which a green light on the target notes a successful hit, rather than live ammunition.
