Australian Defence Force Recruitment up in 15-Year High

Application rates are rising and attrition has fallen, with new recruits up by 7,000 in the past year.

Graduation ceremony of General Entry 438 Shipp Division held at the Royal Australian Navy Recruit School, HMAS Cerberus, Victoria. Sittichai Sakonpoonpol/Australian Defence Force

Enlisted personnel numbers in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) have grown for the first time in years, with the number of applications rising and retention rates improving.

Defence recruited 7,059 full-time personnel in 2024/25—the highest annual intake in more than 15 years, and a 17 percent increase on the result for 2023.