According to the research organisation Gun Policy, the estimated total of civilian-owned guns in Iceland is about 90,000.
That’s 90,000 guns for 330,000 people. Roughly a third, so chances are if you are in a room with ten Icelanders, about two or three of them are gun owners. In the United States, by contrast, there are far more guns per household but the rate of gun ownership is just a little above one third, so similar to Iceland.
In spite of this high rate of civilian gun ownership, Iceland still has one of the lowest crime rates in the world.
The UN’s Global Study on Homicide from 2013 cites that between 2005 and 2012, zero percent of violent deaths in Iceland were caused by a firearm. In the United States in the same time period, the rate of violent deaths caused by firearms was between 58-61%.
But why? How is it possible for the gun ownership in Iceland to be on par with countries plagued by gun violence, without any actual gun crime?
It’s a real schlep to get a gun
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We do not know exactly why gun crime is so low,” said Jónas Hafsteinsson, who works in the Icelandic Police’s gun licensing department. “Maybe because it is hard to get a licence?”