More than 420,000 firearms declared in Belgium

According to a census launched in 2006, there are currently 426,939 declared firearms for 108,579 firearms’ holders in Belgium. The census was started following the entry into force of the Onkelinx law, which stipulates that a person in possession of a firearm must declare it.

The provinces with the highest number of firearms are Hainaut (53,782), Liège (53,624) and Antwerp (50,862). In terms of firearms’ holders, Liège leads the way with 15,431 holders, followed by East Flanders (14,326) and Hainaut (13,976).

Each year the authorities grant 27,500 firearm permits, mostly for hunting (149,291, 35% of the total), recreational shooting (116,969) and shooting for sport (61,023).