The Polish Army against the background of NATO. Surprising data about the officer corps

The number of personnel in the Polish Armed Forces at the beginning of this year was 217,000. 75 soldiers. Officers constitute 12.6 percent. and this is a lower level than in other NATO countries, where this indicator is approximately 20%. – the General Staff of the Polish Army announced on Friday.

“Strengthening the officer corps is one of the key directions for the further development of the Polish Armed Forces, which is of fundamental importance for the strength and quality of our leadership,” said Colonel Marek Pietrzak, spokesman for the Polish Armed Forces, in a statement.

According to data presented by the General Staff, the number of personnel in the Polish Armed Forces as of January 1, 2026 amounted to 217,000. 75 soldiers. 83 percent of them are men, and 17 percent women. The average age of a military man is 34.9 years – 35.2 years for men and 33 years for women.

Of the soldiers in service 74.7 percent constitutes professional military service, 17.3 percent. territorial military service, 7.7 percent voluntary compulsory military service, and 0.3 percent active reserve.

As he added, “the human resources structure is also an important area requiring further strengthening.”

“Currently, officers constitute only 12.6 percent of the Polish Armed Forces, which remains a noticeably lower level than in other NATO countries, where this indicator is approximately 20 percent.” – said Col. Pietrzak.

In turn, non-commissioned officers constitute 30.3 percent. personnel of the army, and the remaining 57.1 percent it's privates. More than half of the soldiers have secondary education and more than one third have higher education.

He emphasized that, therefore, “strengthening the officer corps is one of the key directions for the further development of the Polish Armed Forces, which is of fundamental importance for the strength and quality of our leadership.”

According to Col. Pietrzak issues related to the course of a military career also require special attention. “In 2025, 46 percent of soldiers leaving professional military service have not acquired pension rights, and a significant part of these decisions are made already in the first years of service, including the first five years,” he said.

“This challenge remains the subject of detailed analyzes and actions aimed at strengthening motivation for long-term service and fuller use of the potential of trained personnel,” said the spokesman for the Polish Border Guard. On the other hand, he added, “the retention level in professional military service, which in 2025 amounted to 94.53% and was the highest since 2000.”

Moreover – according to data presented by the General Staff – nearly half of soldiers (47%) are married, and 44%. has at least one child. “A total of 168,701 children are brought up in military families,” it was reported. In turn, 5.9% have three or more children. soldiers, including five or more children, 459 soldiers.

“Our duty as commanders is to listen carefully to those who resign from it, especially at the beginning of their journey. We are not a perfect organization, but our duty is to build the Armed Forces in which soldiers have a deep sense of the meaning of their service, a chance for professional development, but also the possibility of receiving support – not only for themselves, but also for their families,” said the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Army, Gen. Wiesław Kukuła, quoted in the release. (PAP)

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