Germany has seen a 28% surge in military enlistment this year, with over 13,700 new recruits, as the government prepares a new voluntary service law and weighs reintroducing national conscription by 2027.
A growing number of young people in Germany are joining the country's armed forces, according to a new report published by Der Spiegel on Tuesday.
Data released by the German Federal Ministry of Defence shows that 13,750 new recruits had joined the Bundeswehr — Germany’s federal armed forces — by 21 July, representing a 28% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
This uptick includes both fixed-term voluntary soldiers and young people entering the military through Germany’s voluntary military service programme. The latter allows a six-month probationary period before a long-term decision is made.
The total number of uniformed personnel in the Bundeswehr now stands at approximately 183,100 — about 2,000 more than a year ago. The number of participants in voluntary military service has also climbed by 15%, now reaching around 11,350.
Officials attribute the rise to focused media outreach and heightened awareness due to shifts in Europe’s security environment. “Germany’s changing security landscape and international responsibilities have made military preparedness a greater national priority,” the ministry said.
In response, the German cabinet is preparing to vote on a new defence law proposed by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. The law, expected to be decided at the end of August, would launch a revised military service model in 2026. It would remain voluntary but include improved pay and more appealing service conditions to draw in up to 15,000 new conscripts per year.
Under the planned system, a mandatory pre-service assessment is due to be introduced in 2027 — a step that could pave the way for a broader reactivation of national service, more than a decade after Germany suspended conscription in 2011.
A new poll by the Forsa Institute conducted on 28 to 29 July highlights changing attitudes toward defence. According to the survey, 61% of Germans support reinstating mandatory service if voluntary enlistment proves inadequate.
However, enthusiasm to serve remains low: just 16% of respondents said they would definitely be willing to take up arms in defence of Germany if attacked. Among younger Germans aged 18 to 29, 61% were opposed to the idea of conscription.
Germany suspended compulsory military service in 2011 amid broader NATO downsizing, but recent geopolitical developments — including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and rising global instability — have reignited debate over national defence capabilities.
The Defence Ministry's recruitment push comes amid broader efforts to revitalise the Bundeswehr, following longstanding criticism over equipment shortages and military readiness.
Rescue operations are underway on Mount Everest's eastern Tibetan slope after a powerful blizzard trapped nearly 1,000 trekkers in high-altitude camps...
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited the Choe Hyon naval destroyer during a military exhibition on Sunday, according to state media outlet KCNA....
U.S President Trump reports swift progress in Gaza peace talks, with the first phase expected to conclude this week. Trump announced on Sunday that ne...
A delegation of Hamas officials, led by Khalil al-Hayya, arrived in Egypt on Sunday to engage in indirect negotiations with Israeli representatives....
U.S. forces struck yet another vessel off Venezuela’s coast on Saturday evening, President Donald Trump said Sunday, alleging it was carrying illici...
The European Union faces a major security crisis unimaginable even a decade prior. With the war in Ukraine raging on, the risk of military spillover became almost unavoidable
The United States will provide Ukraine with intelligence on long-range energy infrastructure targets within Russia, two officials told Reuters on Wednesday (1 October), as it weighs whether to send Kyiv missiles that could be used in such strikes.
NATO navies are ramping up its defence in the Baltic and North Seas as Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of deceptive vessels grows rapidly, raising fears of espionage and sabotage against critical infrastructure.
Germany has outlined plans to ramp up its military strength, committing billions to modernize equipment and increase personnel to 260,000 over the next decade.
Video from the USGS (United States Geological Survey) showed on Friday (19 September) the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii erupting and spewing lava.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on 13 September with no tsunami threat, coming just weeks after the region endured a devastating 8.8-magnitude quake — the strongest since 1952.
Authorities in California have identified the dismembered body discovered in a Tesla registered to singer D4vd as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who had been missing from Lake Elsinore since April 2024.
Typhoon Matmo intensified as it approached southern China, prompting authorities to evacuate approximately 347,000 residents across Guangdong and Hainan provinces.
A devastating building collapse at the Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia, has resulted in at least 40 confirmed deaths, with 23 students still missing under the rubble.
A tragic hunting accident in Iowa resulted in the death of 17-year-old Carson Ryan, who was mistakenly identified as a squirrel by a member of his hunting party and fatally shot in the back of the head.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the death toll in Gaza has now reached 67,139 amid continuing Israeli airstrikes and military operations. In the past 24 hours alone, officials said 65 bodies were brought to hospitals and 153 people were wounded.
Rescue operations are underway on Mount Everest's eastern Tibetan slope after a powerful blizzard trapped nearly 1,000 trekkers in high-altitude camps.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment