In the German Armed Forces, the number of soldiers who were minors at the time of enlistment reached a record high last year. A total of 3,131 recruits were 17 years old – an increase of more than 1,000 minors compared with the previous year. These figures come from the federal government’s response to a written question from the Left party, reported by “Spiegel”. According to the reply, 12.5 % of all newly recruited soldiers in 2025 were minors.
Since the data were first recorded in 2011, this level has never been reached before. New record highs were already set in 2023 and 2024 for the enlistment of minor recruits.
At the same time, 638 minors left the Bundeswehr early in 2025, including 100 women. In one case, a female recruit at the Fallschirmjäger‑Kaserne in Zweibrücken was involved. That base had been in the headlines last year due to incidents of sexual violence, drug abuse, and right‑wing extremism.
Left party floor leader Heidi Reichinnek said: “This clearly shows that the Bundeswehr is not a suitable employer for young people”. She added, “The Bundeswehr does not have a problem with youth recruitment; rather, it has a problem protecting young soldiers within its ranks” referring specifically to the Fallschirmjäger‑Kaserne in Zweibrücken. Reichinnek warned that the continuing trend toward ever higher recruit numbers is fatal.