German Military Sees Modest Rise in Recruitment Across Regions

The Bundeswehr reports an 8% national increase in new recruits for 2024, with regional variations and a focus on voluntary service.

The Bundeswehr recruited approximately 20,300 new soldiers in 2024, an 8% increase from the previous year, with regional recruitment trends varying significantly.
Saxony saw the largest regional increase, with nearly 24% more recruits compared to 2023, while Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein also recorded above-average growth at 12% and 14.6%, respectively.
Recruitment of 17-year-olds remains a notable trend, with minors requiring parental consent and passing physical and psychological tests to enlist; they are restricted from combat and deployment roles initially.
Interest in the Heimatschutz (homeland defense) program, which focuses on domestic disaster response, remains limited, with only small numbers opting for this path in most regions.
Despite recruitment growth, the Bundeswehr's overall personnel numbers slightly declined, ending 2024 with 181,167 soldiers compared to 181,512 in 2023.