Number of shotgun licence holders is now in decline
Shooting Times & Country|July 26, 2023
New Home Office figures show that shotgun licence holders are down 4% year on year, while there are some worrying age and gender trends
Number of shotgun licence holders is now in decline

The latest Home Office statistics on gun licensing have now become available. Running until 31 March 2023, the annual statistics offer an intriguing insight into the health of gun ownership in the UK.

The latest figures show a 4% decrease year on year in the number of shotgun certificate holders, which continues a disturbing trend. Since 2014, we have lost the best part of 100,000 shotgun licence holders, down from a high point of 583,000 to just 501,00 today.

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