IBOV 171,031.73 ▲ 1.85% IPSA 11,338.38 ▲ 0.89% IPC MEX 65,729.18 ▲ 2.14% MERVAL 2,913,184 ▲ 1.30% COLCAP 2,459.23 ▲ 0.61% BVL PERÚ 58,698.13 ▲ 2.60% USD/BRL5.14▼ 0.14% USD/MXN16.90▼ 0.36% USD/CLP914.28— 0.00% USD/COP3,038▼ 1.18% USD/PEN3.35▼ 0.06% USD/ARS1,499▲ 0.12% USD/UYU40.20▲ 1.58% USD/PYG5,996▲ 1.55% USD/BOB11.43▲ 0.41% USD/DOP58.82▲ 0.20% USD/CRC450.05▲ 3.34% USD/GTQ7.62▲ 2.21% USD/HNL26.81▲ 0.31% USD/NIO36.62▲ 0.61% USD/VES778.00▼ 0.13% USD/PAB1.00— 0.00% USD/BZD2.00— 0.00% USD/JMD 157.28 — 0.00% USD/TTD6.71▲ 0.79% EUR/BRL6.00▼ 0.64% BRENT 88.88 ▼ 0.03% WTI 83.11 ▼ 0.11% IRON ORE 161.91 — — COPPER 6.61 ▲ 0.03% GOLD 4,461 ▲ 1.78% SILVER 65.59 ▲ 1.26% SOY 1,184 ▲ 3.20% CORN 480.50 ▲ 10.02% WHEAT 655.00 ▲ 3.93% COFFEE 317.25 ▼ 5.51% SUGAR 16.43 ▼ 1.79% ORANGE JUICE 138.55 ▼ 0.47% COTTON 85.03 ▲ 2.33% COCOA 5,719 ▲ 3.18% BEEF 223.60 ▼ 3.93% CATTLE 339.10 ▼ 3.16% LITHIUM 75.20 ▲ 1.47% PETR4 41.64 ▼ 0.05% VALE3 72.97 ▲ 0.83% ITUB4 38.60 ▼ 1.03% BBDC4 16.85 ▲ 0.36% ABEV3 14.89 ▼ 0.80% BBAS3 19.37 ▲ 0.47% B3SA3 14.26 ▼ 0.21% WEGE3 47.59 ▲ 0.49% PRIO3 59.14 ▼ 0.19% SUZB3 41.33 ▲ 2.35% RENT3 34.68 ▼ 0.09% AZZA3 15.89 ▼ 2.63% CSAN3 3.22 ▼ 1.83% RAIZ4 0.25 — 0.00% PCAR3 2.75 ▼ 0.36% GMAT3 3.65 ▼ 1.08% PSSA3 48.13 ▼ 0.54% CVCB3 1.33 ▼ 2.92% POSI3 3.36 ▲ 2.44% SLCE3 13.34 ▲ 0.30% NATU3 8.14 ▼ 0.73% IBOV 171,031.73 ▲ 1.85% IPSA 11,338.38 ▲ 0.89% IPC MEX 65,729.18 ▲ 2.14% MERVAL 2,913,184 ▲ 1.30% COLCAP 2,459.23 ▲ 0.61% BVL PERÚ 58,698.13 ▲ 2.60% USD/BRL 5.16 ▲ 0.01% USD/MXN 17.06 ▼ 0.24% USD/CLP 913.98 ▲ 0.04% USD/COP 3,140 ▲ 0.03% USD/PEN 3.36 ▼ 0.66% USD/ARS 1,493 ▲ 0.10% USD/UYU 40.27 ▲ 1.24% USD/PYG 5,939 ▲ 1.68% USD/BOB 11.64 ▼ 0.76% USD/DOP 58.34 ▲ 1.25% USD/CRC 445.92 ▲ 0.89% USD/GTQ 7.62 ▲ 2.21% USD/HNL 26.79 ▲ 1.57% USD/NIO 36.62 ▲ 0.69% USD/VES 762.44 ▼ 0.13% USD/PAB 1.00 — 0.00% USD/BZD 2.00 — 0.00% USD/JMD 157.28 — 0.00% USD/TTD 6.70 ▲ 0.61% EUR/BRL 5.95 ▲ 1.01% BRENT 88.88 ▼ 0.03% WTI 83.11 ▼ 0.11% IRON ORE 161.91 — — COPPER 6.61 ▲ 0.03% GOLD 4,461 ▲ 1.78% SILVER 65.59 ▲ 1.26% SOY 1,184 ▲ 3.20% CORN 480.50 ▲ 10.02% WHEAT 655.00 ▲ 3.93% COFFEE 317.25 ▼ 5.51% SUGAR 16.43 ▼ 1.79% ORANGE JUICE 138.55 ▼ 0.47% COTTON 85.03 ▲ 2.33% COCOA 5,719 ▲ 3.18% BEEF 223.60 ▼ 3.93% CATTLE 339.10 ▼ 3.16% LITHIUM 75.20 ▲ 1.47% PETR4 41.64 ▼ 0.05% VALE3 72.97 ▲ 0.83% ITUB4 38.60 ▼ 1.03% BBDC4 16.85 ▲ 0.36% ABEV3 14.89 ▼ 0.80% BBAS3 19.37 ▲ 0.47% B3SA3 14.26 ▼ 0.21% WEGE3 47.59 ▲ 0.49% PRIO3 59.14 ▼ 0.19% SUZB3 41.33 ▲ 2.35% RENT3 34.68 ▼ 0.09% AZZA3 15.89 ▼ 2.63% CSAN3 3.22 ▼ 1.83% RAIZ4 0.25 — 0.00% PCAR3 2.75 ▼ 0.36% GMAT3 3.65 ▼ 1.08% PSSA3 48.13 ▼ 0.54% CVCB3 1.33 ▼ 2.92% POSI3 3.36 ▲ 2.44% SLCE3 13.34 ▲ 0.30% NATU3 8.14 ▼ 0.73%
since 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2026

Brazil Life & Society

Brazil triples new gun registrations during Bolsonaro administration

By · January 3, 2022 · 3 min read

Daily Brief

The morning intel from across Latin America. Free.

By subscribing you agree to our privacy policy. We never share your email.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In the first three years of the Bolsonaro government (2019 to 2021), the registration of firearms by the Federal Police more than tripled compared to the previous three years (2016 to 2018).

Since the beginning of the former captain’s term, an annual average of 153,000 new guns have been registered, increasing 225% compared to the previous three-year term when the yearly average was 47,141.

Thanks to the influence of the conservative president, Brazilians have become more defensible again, abandoning the mentality propagated by the left of the people as defenseless sheep to be done with as they please.

Self-defense will soon be as important as it once was. (Photo internet reproduction)
Self-defense will soon be as important as it once was. (Photo internet reproduction)
One-stop reference
Company Intelligence
Every listed company in Latin America — financials, ownership and structure for 1,450+ companies across 26 exchanges, in one place.
Browse the directory →
RT
Ask Rio Times
This story and the bigger picture.
Open the full Ask Rio Times →

This year alone, there were 188,000 new gun registrations between January and November, of which 143,000 – or 76% of the total – were held by ordinary citizens. The numbers for December have not yet been closed, which could increase the growth percentage even more. The country should close 2021 with a stock of more than 2.2 million weapons in private arsenals.

The registration of firearms by the Federal Police also grew by 50%, comparing the three years of Bolsonaro’s administration with the previous three years. An average of 10,627 gun permits were issued between 2019 and 2021, compared to 7,043 between 2016 and 2018.

The difference may be more significant since the available data considers portals issued until October 8 of this year. Again, the expansion of registrations by ordinary citizens, who claim they need for “self-defense,” stands out.

President Jair Bolsonaro, who openly militates for arming the population, celebrates the results. He commented on his social networks a news story about the increase in the number of weapons in civilian possession in Brazil. He made a parallel with a supposed reduction in crime.

“Since we took over, all the indices of homicides, rapes, robberies, vehicle and cargo theft, farm invasions, among others, fell.”

Leftist ‘experts’ consider Bolsonaro’s gun policy a “brutal mistake”. Given the increasing abuse of power by governments and exploding authoritarian rule around the world, however, the development in Brazil is probably more like a blessing.

An armed people are proud people. And that’s a good thing.

In addition to relaxing the legislation for the use of weapons in the country, President Bolsonaro has repeatedly encouraged the use of armaments by the civilian population. In August, during a conversation with supporters in front of the Alvorada Palace, the president again advocated access to heavy weapons.

“Everyone has to buy a rifle. Armed people will never be enslaved,” he said.

While the number of guns in the hands of the population is growing steeply, the seizure of weapons is falling every day. In 2018, the last year of the Michel Temer administration, 8,216 weapons were seized in the country.

In the first year of the Bolsonaro administration, in 2019, there were 6,051. In 2020, 4,084. The numbers for this year have not yet been closed, but the latest PF balance sheet records 2,714 weapons seized.

EVOLUTION OF THE REGISTRATION OF NEW WEAPONS:

YEAR NEW WEAPONS
2021 – 188.805
2020 – 177.782
2019 – 94.064
2018 – 51.027
2017 – 45.485
2016 – 44.912

BRAZIL HAS MUCH TO CATCH UP ON

With just 8.2 civilian guns owned per 100 people, the Brazilian population remains severely under-armed.

Neighboring Uruguay comes in at 34.7, and even European countries from where the hitherto prevailing ‘sheep mentality’ originated place themselves ahead of Brazil in terms of civilian gun ownership.

Socialist stronghold France and notoriously authority-obeying Germany both have 19.6 civilian guns owned per 100 people.

The Scandinavian countries, famous worldwide as “peaceful”, are even better equipped with weapons. Finland comes in with 32.4, Norway 28.8 and Sweden 23.10.

Top 10 Countries with Highest Gun Ownership (Civilian guns owned per 100 people):

United States – 120.5
Falkland Islands – 62.1
Yemen – 52.8
New Caledonia – 42.5
Serbia – 39.1 (tie)
Montenegro – 39.1 (tie)
Uruguay – 34.7 (tie)
Canada – 34.7 (tie)
Cyprus – 34
Finland – 32.4

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error

Read More from The Rio Times

The Rio Times · Power Map
See who really holds power in Latin America
Click to open the Power Map

Rotate for Best Experience

This report is optimized for landscape viewing. Rotate your phone for the full experience.