In Denmark, women who turn 18 are required to perform military service on an equal basis with men from July 1.
Women in Denmark to be conscripted into military service
As noted by the Danish Armed Forces, from July 1, both men and women who have turned 18 must register for an assessment regarding potential military service.
According to the BBC, the army will initially recruit volunteers, and other participants will be added through a lottery.
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Previously, women in Denmark were allowed to perform military service upon reaching the age of 18, but on a voluntary basis.
The changes were adopted against the backdrop of increased defense spending by NATO countries due to worsening security problems in Europe.
With the achievement of gender equality, a gradual reform of the military service itself will begin, the Danish Armed Forces announced.
From 2026, they plan to introduce a new and longer military service, the initial duration of which will be 11 months.
Around 4,700 Danish men and women completed short-term military service in 2024. Around 24% of them were female volunteers.
According to the plan, new conscription rules in Denmark will result in the total number of soldiers serving in the military each year increasing to 6,500 by 2033.
There are currently about 9,000 professional military personnel serving in the Danish army.
The head of the Danish army's conscription program, Colonel Kenneth Strom, says the changes are based on a political decision and agreement, as well as the current security situation.
This would give Denmark more combat power and troops with the skills needed by the army, navy, air force or even special operations forces, he said.
The official statistics agency Danmarks Statistik has confirmed that Denmark's population has reached 6 million as of May 2025, The Copenhagen Post reports.
According to DataReportal, among them: about 49.7% are men, and approximately 50.3% are women.
Denmark will be the third NATO country to conscript women into service. Norway, which is located next to Denmark, was the first to do so in 2015. Meanwhile, Sweden reintroduced female conscription in 2017.
