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Brazil's gun sales fall 90% under Lula after soaring under Bolsonaro
Gun sales in Brazil have plummeted by 91% since President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva imposed new restrictions on firearms, reversing the looser regulations introduced during the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro.
According to Brazilian daily newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, citing official data, only 39,914 firearms were purchased in 2024, compared to 448,319 in 2022, Bolsonaro's final year in office.
The figures, obtained by the news outlet through a Freedom of Information Act request and analysed in partnership with the Sou da Paz Institute, reflect one of the most dramatic shifts in Brazil's gun policy in recent years.
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The decline in gun purchases began in 2023, Lula's first year back in office, when his government started rolling back Bolsonaro-era measures that had made it easier for hunters, sport shooters, and collectors (CACs) to acquire weapons.
That year saw 176,870 firearms sold — a 60% drop from 2022, and a further 77% decline followed in 2024, reported Folha de S.Paulo.
Despite the broader downward trend, one category bucked it: rifle sales. In just the first four months of 2025, Brazilians bought 1,248 rifles, surpassing the total of 1,063 rifles sold in all of 2024 — a 17.4% increase.
Bruno Langeani, senior consultant at Sou da Paz, attributed the overall plunge to stricter regulations introduced since 2023.
These include more rigorous background checks, tighter control over CAC registrations, and a rollback of policies that had allowed the expansion of personal arsenals.
The figures come as Lula's administration seeks to reduce the proliferation of firearms across Brazil, arguing that Bolsonaro's permissive approach fueled illegal gun trafficking and violence.
The Brazilian Army, which oversees the registration and control of civilian weapons for CACs, supplied the data.
While gun rights advocates argue the changes undermine personal freedoms, public safety groups have welcomed the shift as a necessary step to curb violence.
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With inputs from agencies
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