German conscientious objection applications reach 16,869 in ten months under new service law

Application figures

Germany's federal office for family and civil society affairs (BAFzA) counted 16,869 applications for conscientious objection between 1 January and 31 October 2026, according to data seen by Rheinische Post and a spokeswoman's confirmation. Nearly 1,900 of them came in October alone, a figure AFP put at 1,892. The office had recorded 5,862 applications by the end of June and 14,977 by 30 September, so the total has almost tripled since summer. The 2026 count is more than four times the 3,879 applications logged for all of 2025, and well above the 2,249 recorded in 2024.

Conflicting official counts

The federal government gives lower numbers in its answer to a parliamentary question from Die Linke, listing 12,984 applications for the first nine months of 2026, 7,691 for 2025 and 2,998 for 2024. The Bundeswehr personnel office, by contrast, reported 14,551 applications up to the end of September, of which 13,132 came from people who never served, 1,282 from reservists and 137 from active soldiers. Part of the gap reflects different recording stages used by the Bundeswehr and the BAFzA. The war resisters' group DFG-VK said applicants sometimes wait between five weeks and six months for a decision.

20231,079

20242,249

20253,879

2026 (to 31 Oct)16,869

2023

1079 applications

2024

2249 applications

2025

3879 applications

2026 (to 31 Oct)

16869 applications

Data from the article text

Causes and the new service law

Experts cited in the reports link the increase to the tense security situation and threats from Russia, while observers also point to reports of sexual misconduct in the Bundeswehr. The new Wehrdienst law took effect in January, although conscription has been suspended since 2011 and service remains voluntary. Men turning 18 must undergo screening and fill in a questionnaire about their interest in service, while women may do so voluntarily. The law also lets the Bundestag reintroduce compulsory service in part, with candidates selected by lottery, should volunteers fall short. The government says the reform became necessary because of the changed security situation in Europe.

Harassment survey and the defence minister's response

On Wednesday a study by the Bundeswehr's Centre for Military History and Social Sciences (ZMSBw) was presented in Berlin, based on 8,100 completed questionnaires and interviews. Verbal harassment was the most common problem, with 72 percent of female soldiers and 31 percent of male soldiers saying they had experienced it at least once during their service. Physical harassment in the twelve months before the survey affected 9 percent of women and 3 percent of men, while sexualised violence affected 2 percent of each. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) told Funke Mediengruppe in an interview published on 7 November that the law relies on voluntary service and that the measures are working.

“We currently have around 190,000 soldiers, the highest level in 13 years.”

He added that if the current course continues, there will be no recruitment problems and no debate about conscription in whatever form would be needed. Pistorius also said he understood young people's fears after recent protests against a return to compulsory service.