Armed Forces: Recruitment
(asked on 11th January 2024) - View Source
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many men and women were recruited into (1) the Army, (2) the Navy, and (3) the Air Force, in each of the past five years; and how many vacancies there are currently in each service.
Data on recruitment into the three Services is presented in the tables below.
The Integrated Review and Spending Review (IR/SR) introduced greater flexibility in how Defence could employ its workforce types (Armed Forces Regular, Reserve, Defence Civilian and Contractors). This has made the continued use of a fixed workforce requirement for individual components of the Whole Force less appropriate. We are in the process of agreeing a new Indicative Planned Strength (IPS) which reflects both the Whole Force Strategic Workforce plans that are being finalised and changes in organisational structure introduced following the IR/SR. Comparison of the IPS and published statistics on Armed Forces strength will make any shortfalls evident.
Table 1: UK Regular1 Personnel Intake2 by Gender4 in the past five years5 in each Service |
|
| |||
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1 Oct 2018 to 30 Sep 2019 | 1 Oct 2019 to 30 Sep 2020 | 1 Oct 2020 to 30 Sep 2021 | 1 Oct 2021 to 30 Sep 2022 | 1 Oct 2022 to 30 Sep 2023 |
Total | 14,880 | 14,590 | 17,070 | 11,980 | 10,470 |
Female | 1,600 | 1,630 | 1,940 | 1,420 | 1,220 |
Male | 13,280 | 12,960 | 15,130 | 10,570 | 9,250 |
RN/RM | 3,290 | 3,780 | 3,950 | 3,160 | 2,400 |
Female | 350 | 390 | 420 | 310 | 280 |
Male | 2,940 | 3,400 | 3,520 | 2,850 | 2,120 |
Army | 9,080 | 8,470 | 10,600 | 6,760 | 6,310 |
Female | 820 | 880 | 1,030 | 730 | 660 |
Male | 8,260 | 7,590 | 9,570 | 6,030 | 5,650 |
RAF | 2,510 | 2,330 | 2,520 | 2,060 | 1,760 |
Female | 440 | 360 | 490 | 380 | 280 |
Male | 2,080 | 1,970 | 2,040 | 1,680 | 1,480 |
|
|
|
|
| Source: Analysis (Tri-Service) |
Table 2: FR203 Personnel Intake by Gender4 in the Past five Financial Years5 in each Service |
|
| |||
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1 Oct 2018 to 30 Sep 2019 | 1 Oct 2019 to 30 Sep 2020 | 1 Oct 2020 to 30 Sep 2021 | 1 Oct 2021 to 30 Sep 2022 | 1 Oct 2022 to 30 Sep 2023 |
Total | 5,710 | 5,020 | 5,700 | 3,720 | 3,780 |
Female | 900 | 760 | 950 | 600 | 540 |
Male | 4,820 | 4,270 | 4,750 | 3,120 | 3,240 |
RM/RN | 970 | 800 | 770 | 350 | 470 |
Female | 150 | 150 | 150 | 70 | 50 |
Male | 820 | 640 | 610 | 280 | 420 |
Army | 4,080 | 3,680 | 4,440 | 2,890 | 2,880 |
Female | 540 | 470 | 690 | 400 | 390 |
Male | 3,540 | 3,210 | 3,750 | 2,490 | 2,490 |
RAF | 660 | 550 | 500 | 480 | 430 |
Female | 200 | 130 | 110 | 130 | 100 |
Male | 460 | 420 | 390 | 350 | 330 |
|
|
|
|
| Source: Analysis (Tri-Service) |
Notes/Caveats:
1. UK Regulars comprise Full time Service personnel, including Nursing Services, but excluding Full Time Reserve Service personnel, Gurkhas, mobilised Reservists, Military Provost Guard Service, Locally Engaged Personnel, Non Regular Permanent Staff, High Readiness Reserve and Expeditionary Forces Institute personnel. Unless otherwise stated, includes Trained and Untrained personnel.
2. Intake comprises all personnel joining the Armed Forces either as new entrants or re-entrants.
3. Future Reserves 2020 (FR20) includes Volunteer Reserves who are mobilised, High Readiness Reserve (HRR) and Volunteer Reserve personnel serving on Additional Duties Commitment or Full Time Reserve Service contracts. Sponsored Reserves who provide a more cost effective solution than volunteer reserve are also included in the Army Reserve FR20. Non Regular Permanent Staff, Expeditionary Forces Institute, University Officer Cadets and Regular Reservists are excluded.
4. Gender is a self-reported field on the Joint Personnel Administration System.
5. The yearly Intake-Periods are defined as the 12 months ending 30 September for each respective year.
6. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 in line with disclosure control policy. Figures ending in 5 are rounded to the nearest 20 to avoid systematic bias. Please note that due to rounding, the total figures in the above tables may not equal the corresponding sum of figures for each Service.
7. These figures can be found in Tables 7 and 23 in the last five October Editions of the "UK Armed Forces Biannual Diversity Statistics" published on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-armed-forces-biannual-diversity-statistics-index