By Rob Shaul
The US Air Force had the highest re-enlistment rates in 2021, and the US Army, the lowest.
NATO-wide however, only Hungary has worse overall military retention than the United States according to the Defense Military Manpower Data Center and other sources compiled by ChatGPT.
US Military Branches
According to data from the Defense Manpower Data Center, the reenlistment rates for the four US military branches in Fiscal Year 2021 were as follows:
- United States Air Force: 66.8%
- United States Navy: 59.6%
- United States Coast Guard: 59.1%
- United States Marine Corps: 56.2%
- United States Army: 48.3%
NATO Countries
The reenlistment rates of NATO countries vary widely – from a high of 95% for Turkey to a low of 48% for Hungary. The overall military retention rate for the US is 55% (2021) – second worse next to Hungary. See below.
- Belgium: 90% (2019)
- Bulgaria: 70% (2021)
- Canada: 78.9% (2020)
- Croatia: 71.7% (2021)
- Czech Republic: 64.8% (2021)
- Denmark: 75% (2019)
- Estonia: 63.6% (2021)
- France: 80% (2019)
- Germany: 70% (2021)
- Greece: 70% (2019)
- Hungary: 48% (2021)
- Italy: 85% (2019)
- Latvia: 60.6% (2021)
- Lithuania: 57.7% (2021)
- Montenegro: no data available
- Netherlands: : no data available
- North Macedonia: no data available
- Norway: 77% (2020)
- Poland: no data available
- Portugal: 91.8% (2020)
- Romania: 68% (2020)
- Slovakia: no data available
- Slovenia: 65% (2021)
- Spain: no data available
- Turkey: 95.6% (2020)
- United Kingdom: 88% (2020)
- United States: 55.1% (2021)
Sources:
- Defense Manpower Data Center: https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/appj/dwp/reports.do?category=reports&subCat=personnel&report=fy21_reenlistment
- NATO report “Defence Expenditure of NATO Countries (2015-2022)”: https://www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/pdf/2022/1/pdf/220118-Defence-Expenditure-of-NATO-Countries-2022.pdf
- Canadian Department of National Defence: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/reports-publications/departmental-results-report-2020-21/supporting-information/section-3.html
- Portuguese Ministry of National Defense
- Romanian Ministry of Defense
- Slovenian Ministry of Defense
- Turkish Ministry of National Defense
- UK Ministry of Defence