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Greece's armed forces left approximately 500 officer and non-commissioned officer positions unfilled this year as military academies struggle with plummeting enrollment, the Defense Ministry reported Monday, according to Greek daily Kathimerini.
The Greek Army Academy experienced the sharpest decline, with more than 53% of positions remaining vacant and only 114 cadets enrolled.
The Naval Academy's engineering program fared worse, with 62% of posts unfilled and just 14 new students.
Interest in military careers has collapsed in recent years, with Army Academy applicants falling from 263 in 2019 to just 86 in 2025, the report stated.
The recruitment crisis extends across all service branches, creating what defense sources described to Kathimerini as an "existential threat" whose consequences will become visible in the coming years.
"Graduates with 10,000 or 11,000 entrance exam points will be called upon in a few years to operate weapon systems costing tens or hundreds of millions of euros," Greek Defense Ministry sources told Kathimerini.
While low salaries compared to those in the private sector remain a primary deterrent, ministry officials acknowledge that the problem extends beyond economics. Competition from the private sector, lack of incentives, demanding military career conditions and professional uncertainty all contribute to declining interest.
The Greek government increased stipends for military academy students from €150 ($176,75) to €600 last year, matching those of security forces academies. Corresponding salary increases and bonuses for combat units were also announced but failed to produce expected results.
Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias recently outlined a package of measures aimed at "restoring the attractiveness of the military profession," including:
The School of Non-Commissioned Officers (Army) recorded the worst performance with only 19% of positions filled.
The Naval Non-Commissioned Officers School set its minimum entry requirement at just 8,940 points out of a possible 20,000.
The Greek Air Force's Icarus School showed more minor losses, benefiting from training in sought-after technical fields. However, the Greek Air Force continues to suffer from experienced personnel resignations as officers seek better salaries and working conditions in the private sector.
Nearly one-quarter of enrolled students abandoned their studies before completing their first year during the last academic term, despite financial penalties for early withdrawal, according to sources cited by the Greek media outlet.
The Greek Naval Academy filled only 49.4% of combat officer positions with 38 new students, while the historic Evelpidon Military Academy saw its entrance requirements drop by 1,035 points this year to 10,865 points, losing approximately 5,000 points since 2020.
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