Polish army. How many “soldiers under arms”, how many we recruit every year. Latest data

In the case of armed conflict, Poland is able to mobilize up to 550 thousand. soldiers, including reservists – this information on March 6, 2025 said “Rzeczpospolita”, citing the statement of the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Army General Wiesław Kukuła, who fell in interview with Jarosław Wolski, a military analyst. The Ministry of National Defense explained “RZ” in addition: “The information presented by the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Army includes all soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces and reservists who may be called to service in the event of a crisis.” The daily noticed that giving this number is new, because so far the Ministry of National Defense operated on the formulation of “soldiers under arms”, informing that there are about 200,000. This number consists of approx. 144 thousand. professional soldiers, 40,000 soldiers of the Territorial Defense Forces, and the rest are cadets and volunteers of the preparatory service, i.e. voluntary basic military service (DZSW).

Let us remind you that such a counting system “soldiers under arms” was introduced by the defense minister in the United Right government, Mariusz Błaszczak, who, among others On the basis of the provisions of the Act on the defense of his homeland in professional soldiers, he began to include military university students after graduating from the first year. His successor Władysław Kosiniak -Kamysz, however, continues communication with a “two -thousand army” – although he often explains that it is a combination of professional soldiers, WOT, cadets and volunteers from DZSW.

Since, according to General Kukuła, the number of army after mobilization would amount to 550,000, then subtracting about 200,000. “soldiers under arms” (let's stick to this term), it means that there are about 350 thousand. reservists possible to call. It is not known, however, how the WP General Staff determines such a number of reserve.

And the issue of the size of the Polish army has recently been particularly discussed, including Due to the change in the US attitude to help Ukraine. The candidate of Law and Justice for President Karol Nawrocki often at meetings with voters speaks of the need for Poland to have a strong army by Poland – criticizing the current government that he does not care. He means the number of recruited to the army. He is not quite right.

Depending on the meeting, Karol Nawrocki claims that the number of recruits or the dynamics of recruitment admission to the Polish army fell three times after the government was taken by the government of Donald Tusk. For example, at a program conference on March 2, Nawrocki said: “Three times, Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, the dynamics of admission to the Polish Army and the Polish Army, and to the Territorial Defense Forces, fell“.

Earlier, however, he talked about the number of recruits. For example, on February 12 at a meeting with the inhabitants of Żnin he stated: “Over the past two years, the number of recruits in the Polish army and territorial defense forces have fallen three times“. Three days later in Piła:”Three times, Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, the parties to the Polish Army have fallen, and we must build at least the Polish Army at least“And on February 18 he told the residents of Maków Mazowiecki:” Caring for the security of the Polish state is not a trial that we are all today, dear lord, witnesses, i.e. three times a decrease in admission to the Polish Army and to the Territorial Defense Forces“.

And on March 6 in Żyrardów Karol Nawrocki said: “Last year, parties to the Polish Army and the Territorial Defense army fell three times. Do you know why? Because there is such a deputy minister at the Ministry of National Defense, who deals with everything, but not the Polish army. “

To check if the PiS candidate is well presenting the issue of recruitment for the army, the conclusion has asked the Ministry of National Defense for data on both the number of the Polish army and recruits in recent years.

Statistics received on March 5 from the Ministry of Defense show that The number of the Polish Army has been growing in recent years. This applies to both professional soldiers themselves, as well as the more broadly understood group of “soldiers under arms” – i.e. covering soldiers of the Territorial Defense Forces (WOT), voluntary basic military service (DZSW), candidates for professional soldiers and professional soldiers during education.

In 2022 – when she came into force act 118,000 served on the defense of the homeland changing the army size counting system – in the Polish army. professional soldiers. In 2023 there were already 134,000, in 2024 – 144 thousand.

Considering all “soldiers under arms”, in 2022 there were a total of 163,000; in 2023 – already 192 thousand; In 2024 – 205,000

And how is recruitment? Karol Nawrocki is still – talking about weakening the Polish army – he mentions the admission to the army. According to information from the Ministry of National Defense, the professional military service appointed:

Therefore, one cannot talk about “a three -time decrease in the number of recruits” or “three times a decrease in parties”. What is smaller is the dynamics of admissions in the last year, when the army vocations were less 23 percent. towards 2023. So Karol Nawrocki misleads public opinion.

However, it should be remembered that every year soldiers not only join the army, but also leave it. Therefore, the final number of the army is influenced not only by the number of recruitment vocations, but also the number of leaving the army. This is noted by the Ministry of Defense, writing in a commentary to the data sent to the Specific24: “At the phenomenon of increasing numbers, one should look from a broader perspective than only through the prism of vocations to professional military service.” Referring to the record -breaking in terms of 2023 admission, the ministry adds:

In recent years, the media They regularly informed About a disturbing trend to leave the Polish Army – usually in January of a given year. Although the then defense minister Mariusz Błaszczak denied such reports, the increase in the number of departures was visible in the MON data.

Read in Zasta24: The head of the Ministry of National Defense: There is no exodus from the army. And how many professional soldiers have gone?

The new management of the ministry claims that he managed to stop this negative trend. To confirm the Ministry of National Defense, he sent us data showing that in January 2023 4.3 thousand left the professional service. soldiers, in 2024 – 4.5 thousand soldiers (although the notice was to be submitted in October 2023), while in January 2025 only 2.7 thousand ended the service. soldiers.

Soldiers can leave the army of their own free will, but in special cases they can also be released from it. The ordinance in this case as a reason for exemption lists, among others insufficient general assessment in the official opinion issued by the supervisor. This is important because the Civic Coalition accused the previous management of the Ministry of National Defense of “wrongly releasing” professional soldiers in 2015-2023 and “100 specifics for 100 days of the government” promised enabling them to return to service.

According to the Ministry of National Defense data, from December 12, 2023 to February 16, 2025, 1720 soldiers were appointed to service – including 320 officers – who were released during the rule of the United Right.

Since the outbreak of a full -glass war in Ukraine, the topic of recruitment to the army has evoked great emotions and interest in Poland, often becoming the basis for spreading disinformation. Because General Kukuła stated that the number of the army as a result of mobilization could be 550,000, and in that it would be about 350,000. reservists possible to establish in the event of a crisis, it is worth recalling employee mobilization allocations.

In April 2024, a false message was distributed in the network that the Polish army would already send men working to the army. How We explained in Zasta24it was about routine broadcasting of employee mobilization assignments, which during peace do not mean participation in military exercises, incarnations to the army or sending some conflict to the area. The allocations only specify for what employee position and in which military unit was provided for a given civil employee during the war.

Thus, the list now sent from the Military Recruitment Center with a call to personal appearance in order to give employee mobilization allocation have nothing to do with “calling to the army”, and even more so with the preparation of Poland for any military operations.