The number of soldiers in the German Armed Forces has continued to decline despite increased recruitment initiatives.
According to the German Ministry of Defense, the Bundeswehr had approximately 181,150 soldiers at the end of last year, a slight decrease from the 181,500 recorded the previous year. While the number of professional soldiers and recruits saw a modest rise, the overall count of regular soldiers declined.
In comparison, the Bundeswehr had 183,050 personnel at the end of 2022, still falling short of the long-term target of 203,000 service members.
The Ministry of Defense remains optimistic about recruitment efforts, stating that it has managed to “reverse the trend.” Last year, around 20,300 new recruits joined the armed forces, marking an 8% increase compared to 2023.
“2024 was the strongest recruitment year in the past five years,” the German defense ministry stated.
