Asger Risom
Germany plans to bolster its armed forces by hiring an additional 11,000 personnel—10,000 soldiers and 1,000 civilians—by the end of 2025, as part of efforts to meet NATO manpower targets amid growing security concerns.
The German government has announced plans to allocate funds for hiring 11,000 new personnel across the Bundeswehr by December 2025, marking an estimated 4% increase in military staffing.
This includes 10,000 soldiers and 1,000 civilian roles spanning the army, air force, navy, and cyber units.
The expansion is embedded in the draft 2025 defence budget due for cabinet approval next week.
Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius recently emphasized that, under updated NATO guidelines to counter the heightened threat from Russia, Germany may need up to 60,000 additional soldiers beyond this year’s recruitment push.
At present, the Bundeswehr has approximately 180,000 active-duty personnel and over 80,000 civilian staff, with ambitions to grow to around 203,000 active troops by 2031.
NATO Goals and Military Staffing
Under NATO’s new defence planning, Germany is expected to provide seven more brigades—roughly 40,000 troops—and boost its active force to between 250,000 and 260,000 soldiers.
Filling the gap may require reintroducing conscription or expanding voluntary service, although Pistorius has stressed that the country’s current infrastructure cannot support a full return to drafts immediately.
He has not ruled out mandatory service from 2026 if voluntary recruitment proves insufficient, as reported by Reuters earlier this year.
Budget and Capacity Constraints
Germany’s defence budget currently stands at just over €52 billion for 2024, topped with a €20 billion special fund.
The total defence spend reached €90.6 billion in 2024, hitting NATO’s 2% of GDP target.
However, the special fund is due to be fully disbursed by 2027, raising concerns about sustaining such levels of investment.
Moreover, recent estimates indicate that the Bundeswehr is still short by about 20,000 troops to meet even earlier targets set before the NATO expansion.
As Berlin prepares for cabinet approval, this recruitment drive represents a significant step in reshaping Germany’s military posture.
Yet, analysts warn that more extensive measures—such as ramped-up defence spending and workforce expansion—will be essential to fully align with NATO’s renewed expectations.