Chapter 2 - Personnel
                             
Table 2.8 Strength of UK Regular Forces by Service, ethnic origin and rank1 at 1 April 2009
      Number     Percentage2
All
Personnel		   White  
Ethnic
minorities
  
Unknown3
    
White
  
Ethnic
minorities
  
           
                         
All Services 188 365 p 164 615 p 11 380 p 12 370 p   93.5 p 6.5 p
                             
    Officers 31 690 p 28 265 p 740 p 2 685 p   97.5 p 2.5 p
        Lieutenant Colonel and above 5 785 p 5 365 p 105 p 310 p   98.0 p 2.0 p
        Major and below 25 905 p 22 900 p 630 p 2 370 p   97.3 p 2.7 p
                             
    Other Ranks 156 680 p 136 350 p 10 640 p 9 690 p   92.8 p 7.2 p
        Sergeant and above 43 415 p 39 450 p 900 p 3 065 p   97.8 p 2.2 p
        Corporal and below 113 265 p 96 900 p 9 740 p 6 625 p   90.9 p 9.1 p
                             
Naval Service 38 340 p 35 280 p 1 200 p 1 865 p   96.7 p 3.3 p
                             
    Officers 7 410 p 6 975 p 115 p 320 p   98.4 p 1.6 p
        Lieutenant Colonel and above 1 515 p 1 455 p 20 p 40 p   98.5 p 1.5 p
        Major and below 5 895 p 5 520 p 95 p 280 p   98.3 p 1.7 p
                             
    Other Ranks 30 930 p 28 305 p 1 080 p 1 545 p   96.3 p 3.7 p
        Sergeant and above 10 215 p 9 780 p 145 p 290 p   98.5 p 1.5 p
        Corporal and below 20 715 p 18 525 p 935 p 1 255 p   95.2 p 4.8 p
                             
Army 106 460 p 89 845 p 9 315 p 7 300 p   90.6 p 9.4 p
                             
    Officers 14 505 p 12 825 p 395 p 1 285 p   97.0 p 3.0 p
        Lieutenant Colonel and above 2 615 p 2 410 p 45 p 155 p   98.1 p 1.9 p
        Major and below 11 890 p 10 415 p 350 p 1 130 p   96.7 p 3.3 p
                             
    Other Ranks 91 955 p 77 020 p 8 920 p 6 015 p   89.6 p 10.4 p
        Sergeant and above 22 550 p 19 995 p 565 p 1 990 p   97.3 p 2.7 p
        Corporal and below 69 405 p 57 025 p 8 355 p 4 025 p   87.2 p 12.8 p
                             
Royal Air Force 43 565 p 39 490 p 870 p 3 210 p   97.8 p 2.2 p
                             
    Officers 9 770 p 8 465 p 225 p 1 080 p   97.4 p 2.6 p
        Lieutenant Colonel and above 1 655 p 1 500 p 40 p 115 p   97.5 p 2.5 p
        Major and below 8 115 p 6 965 p 185 p 965 p   97.4 p 2.6 p
                             
    Other Ranks 33 795 p 31 025 p 645 p 2 130 p   98.0 p 2.0 p
        Sergeant and above 10 650 p 9 675 p 190 p 785 p   98.1 p 1.9 p
        Corporal and below 23 145 p 21 350 p 450 p 1 345 p   97.9 p 2.1 p
Source: DASA (Quad-Service)
The structure of this table has been changed slightly from UKDS 2008, to only show percentages from those with known ethnic origin.
UK Regular Forces comprises all trained and untrained personnel. It excludes Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve personnel, and mobilised reservists.
 
1. Figures are for paid rank. All Services totals include equivalent ranks in the Naval Service and RAF. See Table 2.25.
2. Percentages are calculated from unrounded data and only include personnel with known ethnic origin.
3. Includes those with an unrecorded ethnic origin and those who chose not to declare.
 
Ethnicity figures are rounded to 5 and may not sum to the totals shown.
Due to ongoing validation of data from the Joint Personnel Administration System, Service strength statistics for 1 April 2009 are provisional and subject to review.