Finland plans to significantly expand its military reserve forces to around one million personnel by 2031 by extending the age limit for reservists. A government bill to implement this passed a key hurdle in the Finnish parliament, receiving support from the parliamentary Defense Committee.
Under current rules:
- Ordinary recruits remain in the reserve until age 50.
- Non-commissioned officers and commissioned officers remain until age 60.
The proposed law would standardize the age limit to 65 for all former conscripts, regardless of rank. If approved, the law would take effect at the beginning of next year and apply to all those born in 1966 or later. The first group affected will be those turning 60 in 2025.
Government estimates suggest that the expanded age limits would add approximately 125,000 new reservists over five years, bringing Finland’s total reserves to around 1 million by 2031.
The Defense Committee stated that this change would allow the Finnish Defense Forces to make better and more comprehensive use of reservists’ skills, particularly as Finland reforms its defense posture as a new NATO member. The extended service reflects the changed security landscape after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the growing need for specialized civil-military expertise in areas such as cyber defense, logistics, and infrastructure protection.
Since joining NATO in 2023, Finland has undertaken a series of reforms, including equipment modernization, extended training cycles, and strengthened cooperation with Nordic and Baltic partners. Finland shares a 1,343 km border with Russia, the longest border of any EU member state.
