Belgium’s armed forces have recruited nearly 3,000 new professional soldiers in 2025, along with 800 reservists and more than 700 civilian employees, marking a record year for military recruitment, reports Anadolu.

According to the De Morgen newspaper report, data requested by Belgian lawmaker Axel Weydts showed that the army has hired 509 new officers and 1,181 non-commissioned officers, both figures higher than previous years.

The number of recruits joining 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 rose steadily to 432.

Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken has decided the target of expanding the armed forces to around 35,000 people by 2029, including professional soldiers, reservists and civilian personnel.

The Belgian army is also looking for technicians and information technology specialists, due to a shortage of personnel from retirements.

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

The Wallonia region gave the highest percentage of recruits. In Flanders, Limburg performed above the national average.

In comparison, Brussels recorded just 24 recruitments per 100,000 working-age residents, despite high youth unemployment in the capital.

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Source: prizrenpost