Reserve Forces: Women
(asked on 9th October 2026) - View Source
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what was the net increase in the number of women joining the Reserves in each year since 2015.
Answered by
Calvin Bailey
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
This question was answered on 15th October 2026
The table below shows the net change in intake numbers of women for each of the single Services and the Reserves, when compared to the previous Financial Year.
Financial Year | Royal Navy | Royal Marines | Army | Royal Air Force | Reserves |
15/16 | -33 | -4 | -75 | 56 | 850 |
16/17 | -2 | 4 | -62 | -27 | -598 |
17/18 | -1 | -6 | 70 | 4 | -159 |
18/19 | 13 | -2 | -100 | 70 | -42 |
19/20 | 100 | 6 | 437 | 52 | 120 |
20/21 | 58 | 9 | -198 | -35 | -175 |
21/22 | -85 | -6 | -37 | 17 | 46 |
22/23 | -49 | -11 | -170 | -98 | -253 |
23/24 | -29 | 6 | 31 | -72 | -23 |
24/25 | 142 | -1 | 3 | 42 | 4 |
25/26 | -22 | 4 | 29 | 160 | 23 |
Notes:
- Financial Year is the period from the 1st April up to the 31st March of the following year.
- Figures include both trained and untrained intake.
- Figures include both officers and other ranks.