Berlin (dpa) – More soldiers than at any other point in the past 13 years were part of the Federal Armed Forces this July. This means that the German army continues to be on track for reaching the politically defined targets. The forces consisted of around 186,700 men and women as of 31 July, the Defence Ministry reported in Berlin.
This number determined mid-year is within the target range defined for 2026. In the context of the discussions concerning a new military service model, the goal was set to ensure that there were between 186,000 and 190,000 soldiers in the Federal Armed Forces in 2026. The minimum number had already been met for the first two months of the year.
Applications went up by 26 percent compared to the same month last year, with around 47,300 people being interested in a position. Around 15,400 new people were hired in July, twelve percent more than July 2025 and 4,500 more people than in May 2026.
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