The typical Icelandic gun owner is a male in his 50s who lives in the countryside and votes for the Progressives, according a survey conducted by Fréttablaðið.
The survey, conducted by Fréttablaðið shows that the vast majority of gun owners have about two guns, almost exclusively either hunting rifles or shotguns. Handgun ownership is very rare. According to Gun Policy, 30.3 Icelanders in 100 are gun owners.
Gun ownership is more prevalent amongst men than women. Only 7.3% of Icelandic women said they owned a gun, as opposed to 25.3% of men.
It is also more likely for someone living in the countryside to own a gun than someone living in the capital area, albeit not by much. 17.8% of those living in the countryside and 15.5% of those from the Reykjavík area are gun owners.
The likelihood that an Icelander owns a gun also increases with age. 18,5% of those over the age of 50 own a gun, compared to 14.3% of those aged 18 to 49.
The survey also divided respondents by party affiliation. Supporters of the Progressive Party were the most likely to own a gun, at 31%, while supporters of Björt Framtíð were the least likely, at 14.9%.
“I think [the results] are very close to the case,” Elvar Árni Lund, Director of the Gun Hunting Society of Iceland, told reporters, adding that a rising number of gun owners but a decreasing percentage of hunters shows “that there are simply more types of recreation available than before.”
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