A recent internal statistic from the Ministry of Defence indicates that nearly one in three volunteers signing up for the new conscription service in the Bundeswehr is not physically fit enough for military service. According to reports from Spiegel, which based its findings on an inquiry made by the Left Parliamentary Group to the Defence Ministry, approximately 31 percent of interested candidates were disqualified during medical examinations in the second quarter of this year.
Specifically, data from the second quarter of 2026 showed that out of 1,490 applicants, 1,131 were deemed suitable for the Bundeswehr, while 359 were disqualified. The number of applicants classified as medically unfit was slightly lower in the first quarter. Overall, the Bundeswehr reached out to 169,141 young people between April and the end of June, prompting them to complete an online questionnaire regarding their interest in joining the military. While all 86,962 men were required to complete the questionnaire, the responses from the 82,179 women were voluntary.
The figures also suggest that interest in military service appears to be relatively low. In the second quarter, 83,483 men and slightly more than 3,000 women completed the online questionnaire. However, when looking at the detailed responses marked on the 1-to-10 scale, only about 30,600 answers were recorded. This leads to only one conclusion: more than 55,000 men and women-the decisive majority-indicated that they had no interest in joining the Bundeswehr.
