Canadian Armed Forces reach highest recruitment in 30 years

The Canadian Armed Forces has recorded its highest level of recruitment in more than 30 years, surpassing its annual target for a second consecutive year.

The Department of National Defence says 7,310 new members were enrolled in the Regular Force during the 2025–26 fiscal year, exceeding the target of 6,957.

Defence Minister David McGuinty said the increase builds on recent efforts to strengthen recruitment, including changes to military pay and compensation announced last year.

The federal government said those changes provided long-awaited salary increases for service members and helped improve interest in joining the forces.

Looking ahead, the Armed Forces has set a higher recruitment goal of 8,200 new members for the 2026–27 fiscal year as it works to expand training capacity and meet growing operational demands at home and abroad.

Officials also announced plans to introduce a new Digital Onboarding System in the coming year. The system is expected to streamline early stages of recruitment and better prepare candidates for basic training by supporting administrative readiness and early physical and mental preparation.

The Department of National Defence said recruitment trends continue to show steady improvement, as the military adapts its processes to respond to evolving needs and conditions.