Chapter 2 - Personnel
                               
Table 2.15 Strength of UK Regular Forces by Service and religion at 1 April each year
  2007 2008  
Number   Percent1
of total
(exc. unknown)		   Number   Percent1
of total
(exc. unknown)		  
All Services 190 400 p     187 060 p    
  Buddhist 320 p 0.2 p 350 p 0.2 p
  Christian 168 930 p 89.7 p 161 070 p 88.5 p
  Christian Tradition2 190 p 0.1 p 210 p 0.1 p
  Hindu 300 p 0.2 p 350 p 0.2 p
  Jewish 70 p - p 70 p - p
  Muslim 360 p 0.2 p 390 p 0.2 p
  Sikh 90 p - p 90 p 0.1 p
  Other Religions3 190 p 0.1 p 460 p 0.3 p
  No Religion 17 980 p 9.5 p 19 110 p 10.5 p
                   
  Unknown4 1 970 p *   4 960 p *  
                   
Naval Service 38 860       38 570 p    
  Buddhist 30   0.1   40 p 0.1 p
  Christian 33 120   86.4   32 430 p 85.1 p
  Christian Tradition2 40   0.1   40 p 0.1 p
  Hindu 20   -   20 p 0.1 p
  Jewish 10   -   10 p - p
  Muslim 30   0.1   40 p 0.1 p
  Sikh 10   -   10 p - p
  Other Religions3 70   0.2   90 p 0.2 p
  No Religion 5 010   13.1   5 420 p 14.2 p
                   
  Unknown4 510   *   470 p *  
                   
Army 106 170 p     105 090 p    
  Buddhist 260 p 0.2 p 280 p 0.3 p
  Christian 96 410 p 91.3 p 92 040 p 90.1 p
  Christian Tradition2 100 p 0.1 p 120 p 0.1 p
  Hindu 250 p 0.2 p 300 p 0.3 p
  Jewish 40 p - p 40 p - p
  Muslim 270 p 0.3 p 300 p 0.3 p
  Sikh 50 p - p 60 p 0.1 p
  Other Religions3 40 p - p 270 p 0.3 p
  No Religion 8 160 p 7.7 p 8 690 p 8.5 p
                   
  Unknown4 580 p *   2 990 p *  
                   
Royal Air Force 45 370       43 390 p    
  Buddhist 30   0.1   30 p 0.1 p
  Christian 39 390   88.5   36 600 p 87.4 p
  Christian Tradition2 50   0.1   50 p 0.1 p
  Hindu 40   0.1   30 p 0.1 p
  Jewish 20   -   20 p - p
  Muslim 50   0.1   50 p 0.1 p
  Sikh 20   0.1   20 p 0.1 p
  Other Religions3 80   0.2   100 p 0.2 p
  No Religion 4 810   10.8   4 990 p 11.9 p
                   
  Unknown4 880   *   1 490 p *  
Source: DASA (Quad-Service)
Religion data for all three Services are only avaliable since April 2007 following the introduction of the Joint Personnel Administration System.
UK Regular Forces includes all trained and untrained personnel. Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve personnel, and mobilised reservists are excluded.
1.  Percentages are calculated from unrounded data.
2.  Christian Tradition includes Christian Scientist, Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon) , Jehovah's Witness and Unitarian religions amongst      others.
3.  Other Religions includes Druid, Pagan, Rastafarian, Spiritualist, Zoroastrian (Parsee), Wicca and Baha'I amongst others.
4.  Includes those with an unrecorded religion and those who chose not to declare.
Due to ongoing validation of data from the Joint Personnel Administration System, Army strength statistics for 1 April 2007 and 1 April 2008 and Naval Service and RAF strength statistics for 1 April 2008 are provisional and subject to review.