Upper Austria records more than 10,000 additional weapons in a year
Tuesday 29th September 2026 on 21:00 in
Austria
More than 278,000 weapons were registered in Upper Austria in the latest figures, an increase of over 10,000 in a year, ORF reported, citing Interior Ministry data published by Der Standard.
A previous count showed 268,182 registered weapons in June 2025. At the time, 65,911 people in the state were registered as weapon owners. Across Austria, almost 1.6 million pistols, revolvers and rifles were registered in the latest figures. Upper Austria had the second-highest total among the country’s states.
Police have issued 446 weapons bans across Austria so far this year, compared with 573 in 2025, 526 in 2024, 608 in 2023 and 418 in 2022. The bans prohibit the possession and use of weapons and can be imposed for reasons including risks within families and psychological crises.
A school shooting in Graz reignited debate over tougher gun laws. Some people reportedly used the previous rules to acquire weapons, but the available figures do not show how much this contributed to the increase.