German army sets 13-year record
The number of military personnel in the German Armed Forces - Bundeswehr - reached 186.7 thousand at the end of July 2026. This is the highest figure in the last 13 years. The German government plans to increase the number of active military personnel to 255-270 thousand and reservists to 200 thousand by 2035.
The German Armed Forces have recorded their highest number of military personnel in 13 years. According to the German Ministry of Defense, 186,700 soldiers served in the Bundeswehr at the end of July 2026.
This figure is 3,700 more than in July 2025, or more than 2 percent. The ministry said that the number of soldiers is within the target indicators set for 2026.
According to Reuters, July is traditionally one of the main months for the Bundeswehr to recruit new officers. However, this year's increase was also significantly affected by the entry into force of a new law on military service in Germany.
From the beginning of 2026, a special letter and questionnaire will be sent to citizens who have reached the age of 18 in Germany asking whether they are willing to perform six months of voluntary military service. Young men are required to fill out and return this questionnaire, while for girls, answering the questionnaire is voluntary.
According to the German Ministry of Defense, such letters have been sent to about 378,000 young people so far. In July alone, about 2,630 of them passed the military service assessment process. This is 35 percent more than in June.
Currently, about 12,100 volunteers and short-term contract servicemen are serving in the Bundeswehr under the new system. This is about 6 percent more than a year ago.
The German Ministry of Defense has also noted a significant increase in the number of those who have expressed a desire to perform military service on a contract basis. In particular, in July 2026, 47,300 people submitted relevant applications. This is 26 percent more than in the same period in 2025.
As of the end of July, the number of new military personnel recruited into the Bundeswehr was 15,400. This is an increase of 12 percent compared to the previous year.
The new law currently gives priority to the voluntary form of military service. However, the German government and the Bundeswehr have set a much higher goal. According to AFP, by 2035, it is planned to increase the number of active military personnel in Germany to 255-270 thousand. In addition, the country aims to train about 200 thousand reservists. Thus, at the upper limit, the total number of active military personnel and reservists of the Bundeswehr could reach 470 thousand.
If Germany cannot provide the army with the necessary number of soldiers on a volunteer basis, the government may also consider the possibility of introducing compulsory military service.