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The State Of Military Conscription Around The World (infographic)

Greece has always had compulsory military conscription

Newsroom December 4 10:07

Britain ended conscription back in 1957 and many European countries have since followed suit.

Yet, many countries across the world, including Greece still enforce compulsory military service. The practice is controversial for many reasons including opposition on religious grounds or conscientious objection to military engagements.

Many democracies still have some form of mandatory military service, but a good number are not enforcing the rules to their full extent anymore, resulting in a practice of limited conscription where only a minority of those subject to the law are actually drafted. In these cases, exceptions are generously granted, and/or a large number of military-aged men and women are rejected as unfit on broad grounds. In many countries, draft-dodging through bribes and favors is also a possibility that lowers actual enrollment.

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Fewer than 30 countries still actually require whole age cohorts to complete military service. Among them are Cuba and Colombia in Latin America; Angola, Eritrea, and South Sudan in Africa as well as Finland, Austria, and Switzerland in Europe (where substitute community service programs exist). Military service for all is more common in the Middle East. Israel, where both men and women join the military without many exceptions for two to three years, is a well-known example of this practice.

In Asia, Vietnam, Laos, North Korea, and South Korea still require universal military service. The latter country recently exempted another group from mandatory conscription. K-Pop stars are now able to postpone or forego the draft similar to athletes and classical artists.

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source statista

Infographic: The State Of Military Conscription Around The World | Statista

You will find more infographics at Statista

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