Bundeswehr records highest number of soldiers in 13 years

Berlin. The Bundeswehr counted more soldiers in July than in 13 years. This means that it remains on track to achieve the politically set goals. As of July 31, there were around 186,700 men and women in the force, the Defense Ministry in Berlin said. Compared to July 2025, there are two percent more soldiers, in absolute numbers around 3,700 more men and women.

As of the middle of the year, the strength of military personnel is in the target corridor for 2026. In the struggle for the new military service for 2026, this was set at 186,000 to 190,000 soldiers. However, the minimum number had already been met for two months at the beginning of the year.

There is an increase of 26 percent in applications compared to the same month last year; there are now around 47,300 people who want a job. With around 15,400 new hires, the ministry recorded an increase of 12 percent compared to the same month last year and an increase of 4,500 compared to the previous month.

According to this information, around 12,100 voluntary military service members and short-term temporary soldiers are currently serving in the Bundeswehr as part of the new military service. That is around 6 percent more compared to the previous year.

As of July 31, 2026, a total of around 378,000 cover letters had been sent for the military registration questionnaire. So far, around 96 percent of men and around 4 percent of women and people of other genders have responded within the deadline - including the grace period.