|
Conscription currently imposed? |
Yes |
|
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Conscientious objection first recognised |
1955 |
National Service Act 1955 (unarmed military service) |
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|
Current provisions |
|
Zivildienstgesetz 1974, last amended as Act 106/2005 |
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|
Duration |
Military service |
Civilian service (% of military) |
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|
6 months |
9 months (150%) |
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|
CO release of professional soldiers |
– |
No specific provisions |
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Minimum recruitment age |
|
|
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Population |
Total |
% males 15-19 |
Thus approx. annual cohort reaching 18 |
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|
8,941,000 |
2.4 |
42,917 |
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|
Armed forces |
Total strength |
Of which conscripts |
Compared to annual cohort above |
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|
22,200 |
15,544 (70.0%) |
Total strength is 51.7% of cohort |
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|
Military expenditure |
$ (% change from 2022) |
Per capita |
% of GDP |
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|
$4,410m (22.1%) |
$492.2 |
0.8% |
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Current situation
Feedback from organisations
As reported by the organisation Internationaler Versöhnungsbund[1]:
Beginning on January of 2021, a “partially fit” (Teiltauglichkeit) for service category has been introduced to increase the number of men deemed as fit for service, and reduce the numbers deemed fully unfit. Although the official government website does not provide a precise explanation of what encompasses partial fitness, it refers to performing service through simpler tasks such as “in offices, in army kitchens or in IT departments if the appropriate knowledge is available”.
Since the introduction of this service category in 2021 until the end of 2023, around 900 of those deemed partially fit have decided for alternative civilian service (Bundeskanzleramt).
The basic compulsory military service for all men 18-35 remains 6 months long.
2023 statistics show:
- 31516 deemed eligible
- 639 deemed partially fit
- 9989 deemed unfit for service (i.e. neither military nor civil service requirement)
- 15544 started their compulsory basic military service in 2023.
On 27th April 2023, a voluntary basic military service for women, with 212 voluntary registrations in 2023.
The current legislation for alternative civilian service (Zivildienst) has been active since 1975 and states a 9 month duration. 2023 statistics report 16871 civil service declarations (ca. 53% of those eligible for military service).
Recent developments
On 27th April 2023, a voluntary basic military service for women, with 212 voluntary registrations in 2023, has been introduced.