Canada Sees Highest Military Recruitment in 30 Years

The Canadian Armed Forces enrolled more than 7,000 new members in the last fiscal year, its highest number of recruits in 30 years. Confirmed applications nearly doubled year-over-year, rising from 21,700 to 40,116 as of February, according to figures shared with BBC News by Canada's Department of National Defence.

The total number of applications reached nearly 100,000 over the past year, up from around 36,000 in 2019-20. The surge marks a turnaround after years of personnel shortages. " The rate of attrition has since declined slightly. The increase coincides with higher defence spending after Canada met the Nato target of 2% of GDP on defence for the first time since the late 1980s.

That amounted to over C$63bn in a single year. The government also joined a Nato pledge to reach up to 5% of GDP on defence by 2035.

the Rise A fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute who researches Canada's military culture said applications had already begun spiking in 2022 around the time of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "When people see that the world is not as safe, that their country might be at risk… we tend to see people join the military," she said.

Canada's youth unemployment rate, which stood at nearly 14% in March, has also contributed along with a pay increase for military personnel described as the largest in a generation. Foreign nationals made up around 20% of last year's new recruits after the military opened applications to permanent residents in 2022.

A lieutenant colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces told BBC News the boost is tied in large part to reduced bureaucratic hurdles. The military has digitised parts of the application process, including electronic document submission. "There was always interest," he said.

By comparison the UK military can deploy 10,000 troops if necessary. "The state of the Canadian Armed Forces is currently at a very low point, and it will take five or 10 years before you start to see a real upswing," the senior fellow said. Canada is now planning for a total of 85,500 regular service members and a mobilisation force of up to 300,000 reservists.

Active service members interviewed by BBC News during an Arctic operation in Nunavut said the new funding is welcome. One first officer with the Royal Canadian Air Force stated the recent pay changes have boosted morale and that upgraded equipment is overdue.

A defence minister said the country could reach its recruitment goals earlier than projected. The military has not pursued a mobilisation plan on this scale since 2004.