Germany’s armed forces have expanded to 186,700 personnel, marking their highest strength in roughly 13 years after adding 3,700 service members over the past year.
The figure already falls within the government’s 2026 target of 186,000 to 190,000 personnel, with the German defense ministry expecting further growth by the end of the year.
The Bundeswehr’s total includes several categories of military personnel. According to Deutsche Welle, the force consists of 61,500 career soldiers serving on permanent contracts and 113,000 personnel on longer-term fixed contracts. Another 12,100 personnel serve in voluntary or shorter-term roles, representing a 6 percent increase from the previous year.
Recruitment has also gained momentum. By the end of July, the Bundeswehr had received 47,300 applications for military careers, a 26 percent year-on-year increase. The number of recruits hired rose 12 percent to 15,400.
Germany plans to expand the Bundeswehr to around 260,000 active-duty personnel and 200,000 reservists by the mid-2030s. Achieving this goal would require approximately 70,000 additional active-service members, Deutsche Welle reported.
New Military Service and Initial Recruits
The defense ministry has also published initial results from a new questionnaire designed to identify young people interested in and eligible for military service.
Questionnaires were sent to 194,000 men and 184,000 people registered as women or another gender. While men are required to complete the form, participation is voluntary for the other recipients. About 96 percent of men responded, compared with 4 percent of the second group.
Submitting the questionnaire does not automatically create an obligation to join the military.
The responses resulted in 2,630 assessments, with 865 applicants selected to begin military service in 2026 or 2027.
The questionnaire is part of Germany’s new military service law, which came into effect in January. The legislation aims to strengthen the Bundeswehr through voluntary recruitment while establishing a registration framework that could support the return of conscription if required.
The legislation has generated political and public debate. In April, attention centered on a provision requiring men aged 17 to 45 to obtain Bundeswehr approval for stays abroad lasting more than three months. The defense ministry later clarified that the rule would not be enforced while military service remains voluntary.
Thousands of students protested across Germany last year as parliament approved the legislation. Meanwhile, a survey by the German Centre for Integration and Migration Research showed that only 30 percent of Germans aged 18 to 28 supported bringing back mandatory military service.
