DW: A significant increase in the number of conscientious objectors in Germany

Since the new military service law came into effect in January of this year, Germany has seen a significant increase in the number of people exercising their right to refuse military service, with expectations that the numbers will reach record levels if this trend continues.

Recent data shows that the number of those refusing military service tripled during the first three months of this year, compared to the same period last year, reaching 3,493 people.

The German Peace Association – Conscientious Defectors Association (DFG-VK) explained on Saturday that this figure is close to the total number of applications registered for the whole of 2025, which amounted to 3,867 applications.

This data is taken from a response by the German Armed Forces to an inquiry from the Peace Association.

In this context, the association’s spokesperson, Cornelia Manfitz, warned that if this trend continues, more than 15,000 applications to refuse military service will be submitted this year, an unprecedented number.

The data indicates the diversity of the groups that submitted requests to refuse military service: 64 applications from active-duty soldiers – 236 applications from reserve soldiers – 3193 applications from people who have never served.

April alone saw a large turnout, with more than 1,000 people going to the union’s counseling centers for support and information on using the right to refuse.

This trend isn’t limited to a specific age group, including those born in 2008 who are now subject to the new military service law.

The German Peace Society sees this phenomenon as a clear political rejection of the combat readiness goal announced by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, and of the federal government’s efforts to develop the German armed forces into the strongest conventional army in Europe.

The new military service law, which came into effect in January 2026, stipulates that questionnaires be sent to all young people when they reach the age of 18 to assess their eligibility for service.

Completing the questionnaire is mandatory for men and optional for women, although military service itself is still generally not mandatory.

This trend presents a sharp increase in requests to refuse military service, posing a challenge to the government’s plans to strengthen the army’s capabilities in the coming period.