Germany: 12,000 refusals of military service in 8 months of 2026

Record increase in refusals of military service

Germany is witnessing a sharp increase in the number of citizens officially refusing military service. In the first eight months of 2026, the number of such applications has already exceeded the annual figure for last year by more than threefold.

Deutsche Welle reports this, citing data from the Funke media group.

Statistics and processing issues

According to data from the Federal Office for Family and Civil Society, 12,102 applications for refusal of service were received by the agency from January to the end of August 2026. For comparison, only 3,879 such documents were registered throughout 2025.

Meanwhile, the agency acknowledged the existence of problems with processing the submitted papers. A representative of the agency stated that a significant portion of the applications were filed with violations, so they have to be returned to the applicants without review.

Causes of the surge in figures

Among the reasons for the increase in the number of applications are the tense security situation and the reform of the conscription system for the Bundeswehr, which came into force on 1 January 2026.

Under the new rules, 18-year-old men are required to fill out a questionnaire, which among other things asks about their willingness to serve in the German armed forces. At the same time, the legislation allows young people to record their refusal of military service in advance.

Context of reforms in the Bundeswehr

It is worth noting that mandatory military service in Germany was suspended back in 2011. However, the Bundestag retains the authority to decide on a partial return to conscription if necessary.

So-called "military service in times of need" is planned to be implemented if the number of volunteers proves insufficient to carry out tasks. By 2035, the number of active-duty Bundeswehr servicemen is expected to increase from 186,000 to 260,000 personnel.