After a two-year decline, the number of registered firearms in Hawaii in 2016 jumped to the second-highest level ever, up more than 14 percent from 2015.

The Department of the Attorney General said conservative estimates by it and the Honolulu Police Department placed the number of privately owned firearms in Hawaii at least at 1 million.

A total of 53,400 firearms were registered in the state in 2016 compared with 46,813 in 2015. Owners of firearms, once they’ve registered in Hawaii, are not required to renew their registration.

Gun shop owners’ opinions varied as to what drove the increase.

Martin Lau, a partner in KMConcepts in Honolulu, said he’s noticed more people involved in shooting competitions and in gun clubs.

“I think it’s appealing to a wider crowd. There are more activities now,” Lau said.

Lau said more people are getting involved in trap shooting and more families seem involved in firearm activities.

Ambo Baba, owner of WGS Windward Gun Shop on Sand Island, said he thinks more people are looking for personal protection because they don’t feel safe.

Dwayne Lim, owner of Danger Close Tactical in Pahoa, said he feels it’s a combination of factors, including people interested in firearm training.

He said more women are buying firearms because they feel insecure.

“A lot of people are asking for pepper spray,” he said.

The highest number of registered firearms in Hawaii was 60,757 in 2013 and the numbers declined to 48,324 in 2014 and 46,813 in 2015, the state said.

On average, a new permit in 2016 registered more than two firearms.

The state said slightly under half, or 26,616 firearms, were from out of state.

The remainder were from transfers of firearms within Hawaii.

Rifles and shotguns comprised 47.7 percent of the firearms in 2016, and the remainder were handguns, the Attorney General said.

In 2016 statewide, police denied 328 permit applications, a little more than 79 percent of them for long guns.

The most denials for firearm permits — about 147 — were based on an applicant’s mental incompetence or impairment, followed by 124 for criminal offense; 44 for domestic violence; 16 for drug offense; 11 for restraining or protective orders against them; 11 for other reasons, including a person receiving a dishonorable military discharge and a non-U.S. citizen; and three for a disqualifying juvenile offense.

The compilation of statistics came from reports from police departments in the four counties in the state.

From 2000 through 2016, the number of firearms annually registered statewide rose by 392.2 percent and firearms imported by 368.2 percent.

In 2016, the City and County of Honolulu led in firearms registered with 31,613, followed by 11,585 in Hawaii County, 5,660 in Maui County and 4,542 in Kauai County.

The number of firearms imported in 2016 totaled 16,856 in Honolulu, followed by Hawaii County with 5,545, Maui County with 2,403 and Kauai County with 1,812.

Hawaii County, representing 14 percent of the state population, had the highest proportion of people registering firearms in 2016, representing 21 percent of the total firearms.

Honolulu, with 70 percent of the population, had 57 percent of the registered firearms. Maui County, with 11 percent of the population, had 13 percent of the registered firearms; and Kauai County, with 6 percent of the population, had 9 percent of the registered firearms in 2016.

Proportionately, Hawaii County led in the number of registration denials, representing 46 percent of the rejections, followed by Honolulu with 32 percent, Maui County with 18 percent, and Kauai County with 7 percent.