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Historical Values
Year Value
2005 18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)
2006 in May 2001, Yemen's National Defense Council abolished compulsory military service and authorized a voluntary program for military service (2004)
2007 voluntary military service program authorized in 2001; 2-year service obligation (2006)
2008 voluntary military service program authorized in 2001; 2-year service obligation (2006)
2009 voluntary military service program authorized in 2001; 2-year service obligation (2006)
2010 voluntary military service program authorized in 2001; 2-year service obligation (2006)
2011 voluntary military service program authorized in 2001; 2-year service obligation (2006)
2012 voluntary military service program authorized in 2001; 2-year service obligation (2006)
2013 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 2-year service obligation (2012)
2014 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 2-year service obligation (2012)
2015 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 2-year service obligation (2012)
2016 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 2-year service obligation (2012)
2017 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 2-year service obligation (2012)
2018 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 2-year service obligation (2018)
2019 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 2-year service obligation (2018)
2020 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 2-year service obligation (2018)
2021 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2001; 2-year service obligation (note - limited information since the start of the civil war) (2021)
2022 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2001; 2-year service obligation (note - limited information since the start of the civil war in 2014) (2021)
2023 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2001; 2-year service obligation (note - limited information since the start of the civil war in 2014) (2022) note: as late as 2022, all parties to the ongoing conflict were implicated in child soldier recruitment and use; during the beginning of the truce in April 2022, the Houthis signed a plan with the UN to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers; Houthi leaders previously pledged to end the use of chi
2024 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2001; 2-year service obligation (note - limited information since the start of the civil war in 2014) (2022) note: as late as 2022, all parties to the ongoing conflict were implicated in child soldier recruitment and use; during the beginning of the truce in April 2022, the Houthis signed a plan with the UN to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers; Houthi leaders previously pledged to end the use of chi
2025 limited available information; 18 is the legal minimum age for military service under the Yemeni Government (2025) note: there is widespread recruitment of fighters by numerous armed groups operating in Yemen; all parties to the civil war have been implicated in child soldier recruitment and use; in 2022, the Houthis signed a plan with the UN to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers; Houthi leaders previously pledged to end the use of child soldiers in 2012, as did the Government of Yeme