Chapter 2 - Personnel
                           
Table 2.9 Strength of UK Regular Forces by ethnic origin and rank1 at 1 April each year
    2004   2005   2006   2007   2008   2009  
White 182 060   177 665   173 710   167 315 p 164 250 p 164 615 p
                           
Full coverage estimates2 196 965   190 520   185 035   179 380 p 175 720 p 176 190 p
                           
    Officers 29 890   29 720   29 615   28 700 p 28 610 p 28 265 p
        Lieutenant Colonel and above 5 455   5 460   5 400   5 395 p 5 405 p 5 365 p
        Major and below 24 435   24 260   24 215   23 305 p 23 205 p 22 900 p
                           
    Other Ranks 152 170   147 945   144 095   138 610 p 135 640 p 136 350 p
        Sergeant and above 43 435   43 035   42 310   41 055 p 40 235 p 39 450 p
        Corporal and below 108 740   104 915   101 785   97 555 p 95 410 p 96 900 p
                           
Ethnic Minorities 9 320   9 885   10 180   10 360 p 10 600 p 11 380 p
                           
Full coverage estimates2 10 055   10 580   10 815   11 015 p 11 335 p 12 175 p
                           
    Officers 745   740   735   730 p 730 p 740 p
        Lieutenant Colonel and above 120   120   110   115 p 100 p 105 p
        Major and below 625   620   620   615 p 625 p 630 p
                           
    Other Ranks 8 575   9 145   9 450   9 630 p 9 870 p 10 640 p
        Sergeant and above 1 080   1 070   1 005   955 p 895 p 900 p
        Corporal and below 7 495   8 075   8 445   8 675 p 8 975 p 9 740 p
                           
Unknown3 15 640   13 545   11 955   12 725 p 12 210 p 12 370 p
                           
    Officers 2 810   2 545   2 350   2 670 p 2 380 p 2 685 p
        Lieutenant Colonel and above 255   265   235   240 p 245 p 310 p
        Major and below 2 555   2 280   2 115   2 430 p 2 135 p 2 370 p
                           
    Other Ranks 12 830   11 000   9 605   10 055 p 9 830 p 9 690 p
        Sergeant and above 2 900   2 825   2 795   2 905 p 2 830 p 3 065 p
        Corporal and below 9 930   8 175   6 810   7 150 p 7 000 p 6 625 p
Ethnic minorities as a percentage of total (excluding unknowns)4
All   4.9   5.3   5.5   5.8 p 6.1 p 6.5 p
                           
    Officers 2.4   2.4   2.4   2.5 p 2.5 p 2.5 p
        Lieutenant Colonel and above 2.2   2.2   2.0   2.1 p 1.8 p 2.0 p
        Major and below 2.5   2.5   2.5   2.6 p 2.6 p 2.7 p
                           
    Other Ranks 5.3   5.8   6.2   6.5 p 6.8 p 7.2 p
        Sergeant and above 2.4   2.4   2.3   2.3 p 2.2 p 2.2 p
        Corporal and below 6.4   7.1   7.7   8.2 p 8.6 p 9.1 p
Source: DASA (Quad-Service)
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 and include equivalent ranks in the Naval Service and RAF. See Table 2.25.
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 and only include personnel with known ethnic origin.
 
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 from 1 April 2007 onwards are provisional and subject to review.