Applications for conscientious objector status in Germany have risen sharply in the first half of 2026, reaching 5,862 filings with the Federal Office for Family and Civil Society Affairs by the end of June — already surpassing the 3,867 recorded across all of 2025 and the 2,998 filed in 2024.
The spike follows the entry into force of a new military service law on 1 January 2026, under which all 18-year-old men will be subject to compulsory medical examinations from July 2027. The Bundeswehr is planning a major expansion, aiming to grow from 186,000 to 260,000 active-duty soldiers by 2035.
Some applicants are reversing their stance: 233 conscientious objection claims were withdrawn in the first quarter of 2026, compared with 781 throughout 2025. Current filings remain well above the 4,348 registered in 2011, the year compulsory military service was suspended.