Belgian army recruitment hits record high with nearly 3,000 new soldiers

Belgium’s armed forces recruited nearly 3,000 new professional soldiers in 2025, alongside 800 reservists and more than 700 civilian employees, marking a record year for military recruitment, according to figures released Wednesday.

Data requested by Belgian lawmaker Axel Weydts showed that the military hired 509 new officers and 1,181 non-commissioned officers, both higher than previous years, daily De Morgen reported.

The number of recruits joining as regular soldiers remained stable at 1,303.

Men continued to make up the majority of recruits, totaling 2,561, while the number of women entering military service rose steadily to 432.

Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken has set a target of expanding the armed forces to nearly 35,000 personnel by 2029, including professional soldiers, reservists, and civilian staff.

The military is also seeking technicians and information technology specialists as it faces growing personnel shortages due to a wave of retirements.

Last year, the army recruited 800 reservists and 713 civilian employees.

The Walloon region supplied the highest proportion of recruits. In Flanders, Limburg performed above the national average.

By contrast, Brussels recorded only 24 recruitments per 100,000 working-age residents despite high youth unemployment levels in the capital.