Overview

• Bundeswehr has around 182,000 soldiers, missing its 203,000 target and falling 60,000 short of NATO’s new capability goals.
• Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is endorsing a voluntary service scheme set to start January 2026 rather than immediate conscription.
• Generalinspekteur Carsten Breuer warns that over 100,000 additional recruits will be needed by 2030 to maintain readiness against growing threats.
• Approximately 20% of officer and NCO positions and 28% of enlisted posts remain vacant, highlighting persistent staffing gaps.
• Recruitment incentives such as financial benefits, career opportunities and free train tickets have helped reverse a years-long decline, with voluntary enlistments slowly increasing.