Conscription is often viewed as a tool for achieving broad public support and participation in the national defence. At the same time, very little is known about the social composition of the young people who serve in Sweden's conscription system. This report contributes new knowledge by examining how socio-economic background relates to military service. The analysis is based on register data covering approximately 500,000 Swedish individuals subject to total defence duty, born between 2000 and 2004. The results show a clear link between conscription service and socio-economic status: the higher the parents' level of education, the more likely the individual is to be enrolled for military service. Young people from socio-economically advantaged backgrounds are therefore clearly overrepresented among those who serve. This social gradient in recruitment is largely explained by the fact that young people with highly educated parents meet the military's requirements to a much greater extent than those with less educated parents. This creates tension between two competing goals: on the one hand, selecting those who are best suited for service; and on the other, achieving social representation within Sweden's military defence through conscription.