More and more soldiers are turning to a second job due to low pay

The Observatory of Military Life, a body attached to the Cortes Generales, points out in its latest report that there are "increasingly" members of the Armed Forces with a second job due to the "very low" salaries, in a situation that "can condition their availability" for service.

Despite the increases recorded in 2025, "insufficient" salaries continue to be one of the main concerns expressed by the military, who also complain about per diems, the amount of which has not changed in decades, which, according to the report, causes problems in service commissions by not covering the prices of accommodation and food.

In addition, geographical mobility and the difficulty for the spouse to maintain their job aggravate the family economic situation of members of the Armed Forces, according to the latest report, corresponding to 2025.

The Observatory warns that salaries are "unbalanced" and "out of date", leading to an "unsustainable" situation that generates, as a consequence, a great loss of purchasing power throughout one's professional life.

'Geographic' Singles

The lack of military housing and limited aid from the Defense Housing, Infrastructure and Equipment Institute (INVIED) force many soldiers to assume high rent or mortgage expenses, especially after changes of destination. Precisely the housing problem is one of the main reasons that "seriously" affects the mobility of military personnel and that in many cases leads them to decide to move without their family and become 'geographically single'.

Housing insecurity, precariousness and the stress associated with searching for accommodation affect personal and professional well-being, according to the Observatory, which highlights that "many soldiers" are forced to share a flat, sometimes with strangers, an a priori temporary situation that ends up prolonging over time "and becomes a precarious way of life."

Regarding conciliation, a total of 28,828 have taken advantage of some measure of this type, a figure "slightly" lower than that of previous years. The data show a drop to almost half of the leaves granted for personal reasons and for studies and confirm that, like last year, leave for the death or serious illness of a family member continues to be the conciliation measure with the highest number of concessions.

The granting of conciliation measures related to gender violence remains stable, with a slight decrease. In this section, the Observatory points out the problems generated by the conciliation in the operation of the units.

"Little interest" in accessing the Armed Forces

As of January 1, 2026, a total of 116,852 military personnel are on active duty, which represents a "very slight" increase of 113 troops compared to the previous year. The Observatory proposes increasing the workforce to 140,000 personnel to guarantee the operation of the units and compensate for the impact of the conciliation measures, as well as to bring Spain closer to the European Union average.

Of the total personnel, 40,816 (34.93%) are command staff (officers and non-commissioned officers), which is 160 more than in 2024, while 76,036 are troops and sailors (47 less than the previous year), which represents 65.07% of the total.

The report highlights that access to the ranks of officers "continues to decline", which is "a cause for concern" and considers it "urgent" to analyze the causes of the "increasingly scarce interest". Thus, applications for direct access to these scales have decreased by 4.3% compared to 2024. The ratio has gone from 3.55 applicants per place to 3 and four years before it was 6.25.