Bundeswehr draws first balance of new military service: 298,200 letters sent, 530 volunteers

By mid-June, a total of around 298,200 questionnaires had been sent to young men and women, according to the statement. Just over half of the letters were addressed to men coming of age. For the approximately 153,000 men contacted, answering the questionnaire was mandatory.

According to the ministry, around 96 percent of the men contacted returned the questionnaire on time. Only after a reminder did the response rate reach the 96 percent figure according to earlier information; without a reminder, it initially stood at around 90 percent. From this group, around 25 percent expressed an initial interest in serving in the Bundeswehr.

High response rate among men

Based on the responses, "rund 1500 Musterungen bzw." were carried out, according to the ministry. Of those examined, around 80 percent were classified as fit for military service. In the end, around 530 young men received a firm enlistment commitment for military service in the current year.

At the same time, the Ministry of Defence emphasised that many of the 18-year-olds contacted were still in school or training and therefore not currently available for service. Telephone contact with interested parties had also shown that only 12.5 percent continued to express interest afterwards.

Applications rise by a quarter

Independently of the questionnaires, around 38,500 applications for the new military service were received during the current year. This corresponds to an increase of around 24 percent compared to the same period last year. The number of new enlistments rose by 13 percent to around 11,000, according to the ministry.

For 2026, the ministry plans around 10,000 interested persons for the new military service independently of the questionnaires – around eight percent more than the previous year. From this pool, around 10,000 interested persons from other age groups had registered for voluntary military service in the first half of the year.

Ministry speaks of a record year

With regard to the current year, a ministry statement says that Bundeswehr personnel recruitment is overall ten percent above the previous year's average, and that it expects another "Rekordjahr". At "Tag der Bundeswehr" it is to be shown what the service entails – and new interested parties are to be won over.

Personnel target: 255,000 to 270,000 soldiers

The legal basis is the Act on Voluntary Military Service, which provides a target corridor for personnel figures for each year up to 2035. By the mid-2030s, the number of active soldiers is to rise from currently just over 184,000 to between 255,000 and 270,000. Among other things, the background is NATO's requirements for the armed forces.

From this year onwards, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius must present figures on Bundeswehr personnel recruitment to the Bundestag every six months. The balance now presented is the first major interim assessment of the process that has been running since the beginning of the year.

Mandatory examination from 2027

In parallel with military registration, the countdown is running for the mandatory examination of all 18-year-old men: according to the new Military Service Act, it is to take effect across the board from July 2027. Until then, primarily volunteers will continue to be recruited for service in the Bundeswehr.

In the political debate, however, the ministry's evaluation is not undisputed. While supporters see the 24 percent increase in applications as a positive signal, critics point out that the personnel growth so far is significantly below the annual requirement needed to achieve the NATO target by 2035.

The ministry also pointed out that the interim balance so far only reflects a partial picture. Only with the nationwide examination from 2027 will it become clear how many young men are actually available for military service.

Overall, the Ministry of Defence's first interim balance shows: military registration reaches the target group, response rates are high, and application numbers are rising. Whether this momentum will be sufficient to achieve the ambitious personnel targets by 2035, however, remains open.