Public Safety's April 1, 2026 release says 37,869 owners declared more than 67,000 firearms for compensation.
Public sourceERA IV - 2022 to 2025
Two decades of lawful Canadian firearms ownership
The handgun freeze, Bill C-21, and compensation program operate against a licensed population that RCMP reports at more than 2.4 million in 2024.
Licensed owners - 20242.43M
Since 2005+444k
Growth+22.4%
Per 1,00058.9
The ownership series is illustrative and modeled from the Ghost widget source and RCMP annual-report trendline. Current source checks were refreshed on May 21, 2026; the buyback panel now uses the Public Safety April 2026 declaration update instead of the old zero-collected claim.
PAL/RPAL modeled trend, 2005 to 2025
Owners by province
Buyback program scaled up
The compensation program moved through business and individual phases while the amnesty path kept extending into 2026.
Public Safety says more than 12,000 firearms were collected and destroyed in the initial business program.
Public sourceBusinesses and individual owners must dispose of or permanently deactivate affected firearms before the amnesty period ends.
Public sourceWhere the original widget says crime guns come from
73%Smuggled from the United StatesOriginal widget editorial matrix based on RCMP, CBSA, and Toronto Police Service public reporting. Keep the source trail open before reusing this figure.
14%Domestic theft / black marketIncludes gang-linked resale, unreported stolen firearms, illegal manufacture, and 3D-printed firearms.
8%Straw purchase / divertedA licensed intermediary buys and diverts to the illicit market; this is treated as a prosecutable offence.
5%Firearm owned by a PAL/RPAL holderOriginal widget's smallest category: incidents tied to the already-screened licensed population.
Updated frame, same policy mismatch
Confiscation from licensed owners
OIC 2020, handgun freeze, C-21, buyback
$756M+Low
The PWA now avoids the old zero-collected individual claim and shows the April 2026 declaration update.Border interdiction and gang enforcement
CBSA, RCMP task forces, local enforcement
Lower public allocationHigh source relevance
The comparison keeps the widget's editorial frame but labels the matrix as illustrative.Last reviewed May 21, 2026
Ported from Ghost Implementation/post-cfo-widget.html; compiled into the PWA with no React/Babel CDN and with the fa_year storage contract preserved.
RCMP 2024 Commissioner of Firearms ReportRCMP reports 2,425,627 individual firearms licence holders in 2024, including 2,412,122 PAL holders and 13,505 Minor's Licence holders.RCMP continuous screening contextThe same report says applicants are screened before issue and continuous eligibility screening runs during the licence term.Public Safety buyback program pagePublic Safety Canada says the individual declaration period has ended and collection, deactivation, and compensation are expected spring to early fall 2026.Public Safety April 1, 2026 declaration releasePublic Safety Canada says more than 67,000 firearms were declared by 37,869 firearm owners and the amnesty period ends October 30, 2026.PBO cost estimateThe Parliamentary Budget Officer's 2021 report remains the cited public cost-estimate source for compensation scenarios.