In 1967, for example, the first batch of National Service conscripts totalled 55,000, but the current annual average is 27,000, only half that number.
So as the population grew from three million in 1990 to 5.4 million in 2012, the number of annual 18-year-old NS men has continued to decline, a source of concern for state military strategists.
Year after year, lower birth rates have reduced the number of 18-year-old men on call up for the two-year military service and, subsequently, 10 years of reservist duty.
The population has grown significantly, but nearly 40 % are foreigners, most of whom are not required to serve. Full story
