The number of applications for conscientious objector status in the military is increasing significantly again in the first half of 2026, now exceeding the level recorded during the year the conscription was suspended in 2011. This figure was reported to the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” by a spokeswoman for the Federal Office for Family and Civil Society.
As of June 30, 5,862 applications had been submitted to the BAFzA. This figure is notably higher than the 3,867 applications received throughout the entirety of 2025, and more than double the 2,656 applications received by the end of the first quarter. For comparison, 4,348 applications were received in 2011.
The backdrop to this increase includes the tense security situation and the new military service law, which came into effect on January 1. Since then, all young men aged 18 have been mandatorily summoned for registration. This requirement is designed to recruit volunteers to expand the armed forces, which is planned to grow from 186,000 active soldiers to 260,000 by 2035. If this expansion cannot be achieved solely through volunteers, the Union party has reserved the right to introduce a “needs-based mandatory service.”
Although conscription was suspended in 2011, it remains enshrined in the Basic Law. Irrespective of that suspension, the federal office confirms that the right to refuse military service on grounds of conscience, as defined by Article 4, Section 3 of the Basic Law, remains in effect. According to the BAFzA, the decision regarding these applications can be made upon receipt of specific documents: a brief signed letter, a complete tabulated CV, and a detailed, personal justification.
