Chapter 2 - Personnel
                         
Table 2.11 Strength of UK Regular Forces by ethnic origin and rank1 at 1 April each year
  2003   2004   2005   2006   2007   2008  
                         
White 181 655   182 060   177 665   173 710   167 315 p 164 250 p
                         
Full coverage estimates2 198 010   196 965   190 520   185 035   179 380 p 175 720 p
                         
   Officers 29 725   29 890   29 720   29 615   28 700 p 28 610 p
      Lieutenant Colonel and above 5 370   5 455   5 460   5 400   5 395 p 5 405 p
      Major and below 24 355   24 435   24 260   24 215   23 305 p 23 205 p
                         
   Other Ranks 151 930   152 170   147 945   144 095   138 610 p 135 640 p
      Sergeant and above 43 260   43 435   43 035   42 310   41 055 r,p 40 235 p
      Corporal and below 108 670   108 740   104 915   101 785   97 555 r,p 95 410 p
                         
Ethnic minorities 8 175   9 320   9 885   10 180   10 360 p 10 600 p
                         
Full coverage estimates2 8 905   10 055   10 580   10 815   11 015 p 11 335 p
                         
   Officers 750   745   740   735   730 p 730 p
      Lieutenant Colonel and above 120   120   120   110   115 p 100 p
      Major and below 630   625   620   620   615 p 625 p
                         
   Other Ranks 7 425   8 575   9 145   9 450   9 630 p 9 870 p
      Sergeant and above 1 095   1 080   1 070   1 005   955 r,p 895 p
      Corporal and below 6 330   7 495   8 075   8 445   8 675 p 8 975 p
                         
Unknown3 17 085   15 640   13 545   11 955   12 725 p 12 210 p
                         
   Officers 2 680   2 810   2 545   2 350   2 670 p 2 380 p
      Lieutenant Colonel and above 255   255   265   235   240 p 245 p
      Major and below 2 425   2 555   2 280   2 115   2 430 p 2 135 p
                         
   Other Ranks 14 405   12 830   11 000   9 605   10 055 p 9 830 p
      Sergeant and above 2 770   2 900   2 825   2 795   2 905 r,p 2 830 p
      Corporal and below 11 635   9 930   8 175   6 810   7 150 r,p 7 000 p
Ethnic minorities as a percentage of total (excluding unknowns)4
All 4.3   4.9   5.3   5.5   5.8 p 6.1 p
                         
   Officers 2.5   2.4   2.4   2.4   2.5 p 2.5 p
      Lieutenant Colonel and above 2.2   2.2   2.2   2.0   2.1 p 1.8 p
      Major and below 2.5   2.5   2.5   2.5   2.6 p 2.6 p
                         
   Other Ranks 4.7   5.3   5.8   6.2   6.5 p 6.8 p
      Sergeant and above 2.5   2.4   2.4   2.3   2.3 p 2.2 p
      Corporal and below 5.5   6.4   7.1   7.7   8.2 p 8.6 p
Source: DASA (Quad-Service)
UK Regular Forces includes all trained and untrained personnel. Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve personnel, and mobilised reservists are excluded.
1.  Figures are for paid rank and include equivalent ranks in the Naval Service and RAF. See Table 2.28.
2.  Full coverage estimates show the expected number of personnel in each ethnicity category if ethnicity were known for all personnel.
3.  Includes those with an unrecorded ethnic origin and those who chose not to declare.
4.  Percentages are calculated from unrounded data.
Due to ongoing validation of data from the Joint Personnel Administration System, Service strength statistics for 1 April 2007 and 1 April 2008 are provisional and subject to review.