Bolsonaro signed the decree in a televised ceremony in the capital of Brasilia, arguing that the changes expected to be pushed in Congress would help people defend themselves.

The former army captain and far-right leader, who won last year's election on promises to crack down on crime, said citizens in Latin America's biggest country have long made clear that they wanted to arm themselves.

"The people decided in favour of buying guns and ammunition and we can't deny what the people wanted at that moment," Bolsonaro said, referring to a 2005 referendum in which Brazilians voted against banning the manufacturing and selling of guns.

The decree established a wide range of categories for gun ownership qualification, and government officials said it was crafted to cover just about any citizen wanting a firearm.

Before the decree, the law stipulated that civilians who wanted to own a gun had to justify their interest. Bolsonaro and other proponents of relaxing legislation argued that such a requirement was arbitrary and meant that in practice many would-be owners were denied.

The decree also extended from five to 10 years the period to renew the registration of each firearm, and increased from two to four the number of guns each person can own.

While the decree allows more people to buy weapons, it remains illegal for most civilians to carry them in public. Bolsonaro and the so-called 'Bullet Caucus' in Congress plan a legislative push to overturn that.

Security experts have long argued that more guns will lead to increased violence.

For decades, Brazil has been the world leader in annual homicides. Last year, nearly 64,000 were killed, the majority by firearms.

Despite tight gun laws, arms are widely available. Drug traffickers in slums are commonly seen brandishing automatic weapons. Many guns possessed illegally begin as legal, and were then stolen from police or military personnel or sold by corrupt people in those institutions.

Australian Associated Press