UK defence personnel statistics

On 1 April 2024 the total size of the full-time UK armed forces (trained and untrained) was around 148,230 personnel. Over half of personnel were within the Army (56%), with the remainder being equally split between the Royal Navy/Royal Marines (RN/RM) and the Royal Air Force (RAF).

Trained strength

Personnel targets are based on the full-time trained strength of the RN/RM and the RAF, and the full-time trade-trained strength of the Army. The most recent targets were set in the 2021 Defence Command Paper.

In April 2024, the Army fell below its target size for the first time since it was set, meaning all three service branches are currently below target: the Army by 1%, the RN/RM by 5% and the RAF by 10%. Overall, the UK armed forces were 5,440 personnel (1%) below target.

Joiners and leavers

Between financial years 1999/00 and 2023/24, there have only been six years when the number of personnel joining the UK Regular Forces was higher than the number leaving.

In 2023/24 there was a fall in the overall number of personnel, with 4,430 more personnel leaving the force than joining it. This compares with a net decrease of 5,420 personnel the previous year.

The rate of personnel voluntarily leaving the armed forces before the end of their agreed engagement or commission period is currently at levels last seen in the 1990s.

Diversity

On 1 April 2024 there were 16,220 women in the UK Regular Forces, accounting for 11.7% of the total trained and untrained strength. The proportion of women in the Reserve Forces was higher at 15.9%.

Around 11.2% of personnel (15,310) self-identified as belonging to a minority ethnic group (compared to an estimated 17.1% of the UK working-age population). The Army had the highest proportion of minority ethnic personnel (16.3%), followed by the RN/RM (5.6%) and the RAF (4.1%).  

In December 2021, the Government announced a new target for women to account for 30% of intake by 2030. In the year to 31 March 2024, women made up 10.9% of total intake to the UK Regular Forces.

There is currently no specific armed forces recruitment target for ethnic minorities. In the same period, 17.9% of total intake to the UK Regular Forces were from minority ethnic groups. This is almost double the proportion recruited the previous year (9.7%).

Reserves

The Future Reserves 2020 programme started under the Coalition Government (2010–2015) set out plans to expand the size of the trained element of the armed forces reserves, increase the circumstances in which they might be deployed, and better integrate the Reserve Forces with the Regular Forces.

Between October 2013 and April 2024, the trained strength of the armed forces reserve increased by 29% (from 22,880 to 29,570). However, only the RAF Reserve has achieved its target size. The total number of trained reserve personnel has declined in recent years, from a peak of 33,010 in July 2020.

Location of personnel

On 1 April 2024, most personnel in the UK Regular Forces were stationed in the United Kingdom (around 96%).

Of the 5,700 personnel stationed overseas, around two thirds were in Europe (66%), while 14% were stationed in North America, 6% in North Africa and the Middle East, 6% in Asia and 5% in Sub-Saharan Africa.