Upgrading to GnuPG 2.2.17

[Roland]

Dear Developers,

My OS is Linux Mint 19.1 Cinnamon.
The automated software manager says that its GNUPG version is 
"2.2.4-1ubuntu1.2".

For a transfer to GnuPG 2.2.17, what do you recommend?:
- To wait for the Mint managers to update their repository
- To uninstall GNUPG 2.2.4-1ubuntu1.2, and install v. 2.2.17 (However: 
for v. 2.2.4, software manager says: "cannot remove" !!! How then?)
- Something else

Please advise.

Roland