Germany sees record rise in conscientious objection applications

In the first half of 2026, 5,862 people filed applications to be exempted from military service in Germany, a figure that already exceeds the total number of requests recorded in the whole of 2025 (3,867) and 2024 (2,998). The surge is higher than the 4,348 applications filed in 2011, the year the compulsory draft was suspended. Officials link the increase to heightened security concerns after Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and to a new military service law that came into force on 1 January 2026, which introduced mandatory medical examinations for men born in 2008 or later and aims to expand the Bundeswehr to 460,000 personnel by 2035. If recruitment targets are not met, the Bundestag could reactivate a compulsory service, although the draft remains suspended in the constitution. The same period saw 781 people withdraw earlier objections in 2025 and another 233 do so in the first quarter of 2026. The trend has sparked public debate, with commentary from politicians, analysts and former soldiers on the balance between voluntary service, civil alternatives and national defence needs.