The Spanish government has announced plans to increase the size of its armed forces for the first time in more than a decade, El País reports.
According to a royal decree and ministerial order, the number of military personnel will grow by 7,500 between 2025 and 2029. In the long term, authorities aim to expand the total size of the armed forces to 140,000 within the next decade — the maximum limit set by the 2007 Military Career Law.
The decision to boost army numbers comes in response to the need to expand the military’s capacity to address a growing range of tasks: participation in international missions, cyber operations, space asset protection and support during natural disasters. In recent years, the size of the Spanish armed forces has declined from 130,000 in 2010 to 116,961 in 2023.
The shortage of personnel is particularly acute in the army and navy, while the number of Spanish troops deployed abroad has reached record levels. On November 1 alone, 3,830 soldiers were stationed overseas, with the total number of participants in international operations exceeding 15,000 for the year.
Spain has also committed to increasing defense spending to 2% of GDP by 2029 in line with NATO requirements. However, meeting this target will pose a significant challenge for the country’s budget amid current economic priorities.
