Canadian Military Faces Recruitment Crisis with Attrition Rate Rising to 19%

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is experiencing a near 20 percent decline in its ranks due to attrition, with recent data indicating a loss of thousands of volunteers.

According to information presented in an Inquiry of Ministry in the House of Commons, the attrition rate over the past three years reached 19 percent, with 15,176 members leaving compared to 12,793 new recruits joining the force, as first covered by Blacklock’s Reporter.

This data, covering the decade from 2014 to 2024, revealed that while 47,728 members joined the regular force, 51,667 were released. Defence Minister Bill Blair has recently called for a close examination of the recruitment process and the lengthy timeframes involved.

The enlistment process is notably time-consuming, with the average recruit taking more than six months to be processed. This timespan, quantified as 196 days on average, begins with the completion of the Canadian Forces aptitude test and ends with the enrollment of the applicant. This information was revealed as part of an effort initiated in 2018 by the Canadian Armed Forces recruiting group to better understand and manage processing times through an analytics system.

The issue was brought to light following a query by Conservative MP Pat Kelly, who inquired about the number of personnel recruited and released from the CAF. In response to the level of attrition, Mr. Blair has publicly acknowledged the difficulty in balancing the exit and entry of personnel in the military, identifying it as one of his greatest challenges as defence minister.

“Supporting the Armed Forces in their recruitment and retention efforts, and ensuring we keep the outstanding individuals we already possess, might be my most significant challenge as the newly appointed defence minister,” Mr. Blair expressed during the Senate Question Period on Nov. 1.

Related Stories

Mr. Blair highlighted the difficulties faced by the military, stating: “The Canadian Armed Forces are confronting a genuine problem. In the past three years, attrition has outpaced recruitment, with more individuals departing the Forces than we have been able to bring in.”

In a briefing note, the Canadian Armed Forces recognized that a novel program aimed at recruiting new immigrants with the incentive of accelerated citizenship yielded limited success. According to a note dated Dec. 11, titled “Recruitment of Permanent Residents,” only 77 individuals from abroad were successfully enrolled.

“Between November 1, 2022, and November 24, 2023, the Canadian Armed Forces received 21,472 applications from permanent residents,” the note detailed. “Seventy-seven permanent residents have been enrolled.”