Bundeswehr reaches its highest personnel level in 13 years, says Defense Ministry

At the close of July, the Bundeswehr counted roughly 186,700 active personnel, marking the largest headcount in about 13 years, according to the Defense Ministry. This increase of around 3,700 soldiers, or about 2%, follows a 26% jump in applications and a 12% rise in hires to 15,400. The composition now features roughly 61,500 career soldiers on permanent contracts, about 113,000 on long-term temporary contracts, and a 6% growth in short-term and volunteer ranks to roughly 12,100.

The ministry said the numbers sit comfortably within the 2026 target window of 186,000-190,000 and support a longer-term goal of 260,000 full-time troops plus 200,000 reservists by the mid-2030s. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned that achieving that ambition may require re-introducing some form of conscription. The ministry also released data on a new service-availability questionnaire, showing high response rates from men and low voluntary participation from women and other genders.