Belgium Sees Record Year for Military Recruitment in 2025

(MENAFN) Belgium’s military recorded its strongest recruitment year in 2025, bringing in close to 3,000 professional soldiers along with hundreds of reservists and civilian personnel, according to figures published Wednesday.

According to reports, statistics requested by Belgian lawmaker Axel Weydts showed significant increases in several recruitment categories compared with previous years.

The armed forces recruited 509 officers and 1,181 non-commissioned officers, both marking higher totals than in earlier recruitment cycles. Meanwhile, the number of regular soldiers entering service remained largely unchanged at 1,303.

Male recruits continued to account for the majority of new personnel, with 2,561 men joining the military. At the same time, female participation continued to rise steadily, reaching 432 recruits.

Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken aims to expand the country’s armed forces to nearly 35,000 members by 2029, including active-duty soldiers, reservists and civilian employees.

The military is also intensifying efforts to attract technicians and information technology experts as it confronts staffing shortages linked to a growing wave of retirements.

According to reports, the army also added 800 reservists and 713 civilian staff members last year.

The Walloon region contributed the largest share of recruits, while Limburg outperformed the national average among areas in Flanders.

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