🌅 Today’s stat: 77%

Sunrise Stat
February 12, 2025

More than three-quarters of Americans ages 17 to 24 are ineligible to serve in any branch of the U.S. military because they are overweight, unable to pass the aptitude test, have physical- or mental-health issues that prevent them from serving, or are disqualified by other factors, like having a criminal record. Young adults were most frequently ineligible for multiple reasons (44%), though being overweight (11%) was the most common disqualifier.

The U.S. military is currently experiencing one of its greatest recruiting shortfalls since the draft was abolished more than 50 years ago. Even potential recruits that are eligible for service aren’t always available, as more than half of eligible recruits are also enrolled in college, suggesting the number of young adults who are eligible and available for military service is as low as about 1 in 10.

Last year, the U.S. military recruited 12.5% more members than it did in 2023, however, today’s enlistment is still a fraction of what it’s been in the past (the military has 1.3 million active-duty members today, down from 12 million after World War II). While it’s true the nature of war has changed and service leadership has consistently taken the view that maintaining or improving the quality of soldiers is more important than sustaining numbers of personnel, some experts say it still might be time to update enlistment standards to allow more people to serve, particularly as conflicts with China and Russia could lie ahead.