Mandatory conscription is currently in effect in eight European NATO member states: Norway, Estonia, Lithuania, Sweden, Greece, Finland, Latvia, and Denmark. In the Netherlands, men still receive call-up notices, but for now, enlistment remains voluntary.
Croatia suspended conscription in 2008 but reintroduced it in 2025. All men who have reached the age of eighteen are required to take part in a two-month basic training program.
In March 2022, Poland enacted a new defense law introducing “paid voluntary basic military service.” Those who enroll undergo one year of training, receive a monthly salary throughout, and may choose to pursue a professional military career upon completion. Each year, 35,000 volunteers participate in basic military training in Poland. By 2027, the number of recruits is expected to double, with plans to train 100,000 volunteers annually thereafter.
Some countries are now considering drafting women
Denmark is increasing its military spending and, from 1 July, will introduce mandatory military service for women. As of 1 July 2025, all Danish citizens who have reached the age of eighteen will be eligible for conscription. Previously, only men were subject to mandatory service, although women could enlist on a voluntary basis, according to Euractiv.
In 2025, Latvia launched a national debate on the possibility of drafting women. Conscription for men was reinstated in Latvia in 2023. All male Latvian citizens aged between 18 and 27 – including those living abroad – are now required to serve for one year.
In 2017 Sweden reinstated its previously suspended conscription and made the system gender-neutral, allowing women to be drafted alongside men.
Women were first allowed to join the Norwegian armed forces in 1976. Since then, the government has introduced more than 200 measures aimed at increasing female presence in the military. In 2015, Norway became the first NATO country to introduce mandatory military service for both men and women.
Statistics show that by 2020, women accounted for 33 percent of those completing compulsory military service in Norway.
However, most women left the military after their term ended, and only a few pursued long-term military careers. The Norwegian example also highlighted serious concerns: mandatory military service for women has not been without risk, with a significant number of cases of sexual harassment reported.
Women in armies across Europe
In Belgium, over ten percent of soldiers are women. Women were first allowed to serve in the army as reservists in 1987. In the United Kingdom, the first Women’s Royal Army Corps was established in 1949, after the conflicts of the 20th century. It was later disbanded, but in 2016, women were once again given the opportunity to serve in the military. In France, women first joined the military in 1914 as part of the medical corps. By 2018, they were permitted to serve on ballistic missile submarines. As of 2023, women made up 16.5 percent of the French armed forces. In the Netherlands, a 2018 amendment to the law made it possible for girls to receive call-up notices from the age of seventeen, in the event of war.