Swedish Armed Forces far from gender target for conscripts

The Swedish Armed Forces are falling short of their goal to have 30% of conscripts be women, with the share dropping to 16% in 2025 and 2026, according to figures from the Swedish Defence Recruitment Agency (Pliktverket) reported by SVT.

In 2022, women made up 24% of those enrolled after conscription assessments, but the proportion has since declined. This year’s assessments show the same 16% figure.

Jesper Höjeberg, chief medical officer at the agency, said many women fail to meet the muscle strength requirements for combat roles and instead compete for support positions with lower physical demands, such as logistics or staff roles. This creates high competition among women for a limited number of eligible spots.

While the total number of women in conscription has risen, the increase in male conscripts has been faster, keeping the overall female share well below the target. In 2025, 32% of assessed men were enrolled, compared to 15% of women.

The government has tasked the Armed Forces and Pliktverket with mapping out ways to increase female participation. Jonas Hård af Segerstad, acting head of the implementation unit at the Armed Forces, ruled out lowering physical standards but noted that expanding the number of roles open to both genders could help raise the female share.

Plans are also under way to offer targeted training programs for those between assessment and enlistment. The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences is preparing a study on how to train recruits to meet conscription demands.