Belgian army hits record recruitment level with nearly 3,000 new soldiers, report says

The Belgian armed forces have recruited nearly 3,000 professional soldiers in 2025, as well as 800 reservists and more than 700 civilian employees, which constitutes a record year for military recruitment, according to figures published on Wednesday.

Data requested by Belgian MP Axel Weydts shows that the army recruited 509 new officers and 1,181 non-commissioned officers, higher figures than in previous years, reports the newspaper De Morgen.

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

Men continue to make up the majority of recruits, with a total of 2,561, while the number of women entering military service has gradually increased to 432.

The Belgian Minister of Defense, Theo Francken, has set the objective of increasing the number of armed forces to nearly 35,000 people by 2029, including professional soldiers, reservists and civilian personnel.

The army is also looking for technicians and information technology specialists, as it faces personnel shortages linked to a wave of retirements.

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

The Walloon region provided the largest proportion of recruits. In Flanders, Limburg exceeded the national average.

On the other hand, Brussels recorded only 24 recruitments per 100,000 inhabitants of working age, despite a high unemployment rate among young people in the capital.

*Translated from English by Wafae El Baghouani