Brazil's illegal firearms market shifts as annual seizures top 100,000

An analysis by the Instituto Sou da Paz, using Ministry of Justice and Public Security data, found that 107,746 firearms were seized in Brazil in 2025, the second‑largest total in the 2021‑2025 series. The volume places Brazil second worldwide in illegal‑firearms confiscations, behind only the United States.

The study notes a change in the profile of seized weapons: revolvers fell from 38.6% to 33.5% of seizures, pistols rose from 20.7% to 27.8%, and rifles (fuzis) more than doubled their share, climbing from 0.7% to 2%. Regionally, the Southeast’s share of national seizures dropped from 41% to about 36%, while the Northeast’s share grew from 25% to 33%, a shift linked to the expansion of criminal factions and new territorial disputes.

Researchers senior consultant Bruno Langeani and executive director Carolina Ricardo warn that the illegal‑arms market fuels roughly 40,000 deaths each year, with firearms responsible for 72.4% of homicides. They estimate the social cost of gun violence at 5.9% of Brazil’s GDP, overburdening health and social‑assistance services. About 98% of confiscated weapons are recovered by state police forces, with the federal police accounting for the remaining 2%.