Almost half of the respondents – 47.6%. – believes that the current regulations on access to firearms are sufficient. 26.8 percent respondents support looser regulations and greater availability of weapons, and 17.8 percent is in favor of tightening the regulations – according to the latest IBRiS study for PAP.
In the IBRiS survey commissioned by PAP, respondents were asked about their opinion on the regulations currently in force in Poland regarding access to firearms. According to the study, almost half – 47.6 percent. – respondents do not currently see the need to liberalize access to firearms.
26.8 percent believes that guns “should be more available than they are now,” according to 17.8 percent. access to it should be more restrictive. 7.7 percent there is no clear opinion on this matter.
Respondents were also asked how the possible widespread access to weapons would affect their safety. 16.1 percent believe that their feeling would “definitely decrease”, 23.8 percent – that they would “rather” feel less safe. 22.8 percent would not feel the impact of greater access to weapons on their safety; 20.5 percent would feel “rather” safer.
9.7 percent believe that greater access to weapons would “definitely” increase their sense of security, while 7.1 percent there is no clear opinion on this matter.
Majority – 71.1 percent. – respondents “strongly” support the introduction of periodic psychological tests – repeated e.g. every 5 years – for gun owners. Another 21.6% are “rather” in favor of such a solution, while a total of 6% are against it. subjects; 1.2 percent has no opinion on this matter.
As IBRiS notes, “Poles speak similarly about hunters – 76.3 percent believe that they should also undergo mandatory, systematic psychological examinations.”
There is also strong support for military training for civilians combined with learning how to use weapons (93.7%). Only 5.7% are against such initiatives. respondents, and 0.6 percent has no opinion on this matter.
Respondents were also asked how they believed greater access to guns would impact overall public safety. As IBRiS points out, “threats are perceived more often than benefits.”
“39.9% of respondents are afraid that it could reduce their sense of security. At the same time, every fifth respondent believes that it would not be of major importance, and every third believes that wider access to weapons would increase the safety of citizens. The results suggest that weapons are perceived not only as a defense tool in extremely dangerous situations, but also as a potential factor in the escalation of everyday disputes,” says the IBRiS studio.
46.6 percent respondents believe that popularizing access to weapons would have a positive impact on the country's defense in times of war, of which 26.1 percent “definitely” and 0.5 percent “rather”.
31 percent respondents believe that it would not have a significant impact on defense, while 15.5 percent believes that the dissemination of weapons would even have a “rather negative” impact on defense, as it would “increase the risk of using them against each other.” 2.6 percent believes that the widespread use of weapons would have a “very negative” impact on defense, and 3.9 percent has no opinion on this matter.
34.7 percent respondents said that if they had the opportunity, they would like to have a firearms permit; 54.2 percent there is no such need, 11.1 percent there is no clear position on this matter. 35.6 percent respondents said they would like their neighbors to have a gun permit; 54.4% are of the opposite opinion, and 9.9% has no opinion on this matter.
As IBRiS points out, the liberalization of access to weapons “is more often supported by young adults (18-29 years old: 55%), while among people over 70, supporters of more restrictive solutions predominate (33%). “Differences are also visible between genders and places of residence. 33% of men and 18% of women are in favor of wider access to weapons. In rural areas, support for changing regulations reaches 9%, in medium-sized cities it increases to 32%, and in large cities it remains at 21%.” – we read.
“The conclusions of the study are consistent. Poles do not want a revolution in access to firearms, but they expect high standards of responsibility – regular examinations and appropriate training for people with firearms permits,” summarizes the IBRiS study.
The study was conducted on September 19-20, 2025 using the CATI method (telephone interviews) on a representative group of 1,100 Poles. (PAP)
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