Firearm homicide rates in Greece are through the roof, survey shows
Greece has one of the highest firearm homicide rates in Europe, according to a survey by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).
Greece ranks sixth in the world, along with France, and second in Europe in firearm homicides among high-income countries with a population of more than 10 million inhabitants. Moreover, the most recent UNODC data published by the Guardian shows that Greece was ranked fifth for the most gun homicides in Europe in 2021. Albania was ranked first, Sweden second, followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina and Moldova.
Also of concern is the increased number of legal weapons circulating in Greece, with Minister of Citizen Protection Giannis Oikonomou recently stating that almost 1 million shotguns and about 4,500 rifles and firearms have been registered in the country.
The vast quantity of guns, along with a rise in shotgun murders, has prompted the relevant ministry to set up a new committee to look into the issuance of gun permits and propose modifications to the law and their granting.
For Elena Syrmali, criminologist and president of the Center for Security Studies (KEMEA) at the Ministry of Citizen Protection, the increase in armed violence in Greece confirms that we are now moving beyond what we used to call the “underworld.”
