Chapter 2 - Personnel
                     
Table 2.18 Intake to untrained strength of UK Regular Forces by Service and ethnic origin
  2004/05   2005/06   2006/07   2007/08   2008/09  
All Services 17 200   17 810   19 260 p 20 910 p 22 620 p
                     
    Officers 1 510   1 600   1 640 p 1 910 p 1 950 p
        White 1 375   1 490   ..   ..   ..  
        Ethnic minorities 35   35   ..   ..   ..  
        Unknown1 95   75   ..   ..   ..  
                     
    Other ranks 15 700   16 210   17 630 p 19 000 p 20 670 p
        White 13 940   14 650   ..   ..   17 360 p
        Ethnic minorities 1 290   1 015   ..   ..   1 700 p
            of which: Commonwealth 'Block recruits'2 225   110   ..   ..   ..  
        Unknown1 465   545   ..   ..   1 620 p
                     
Naval Service 3 660   3 870   3 780 p 4 000 p 4 210 p
                     
    Officers 470   440   400 p 420 p 380 p
        White 380   385   ..   330 p 315 p
        Ethnic minorities 5   10   ..   10 p 10 p
        Unknown1 80   50   ..   80 p 50 p
                     
    Other ranks 3 190   3 430   3 380 p 3 580 p 3 830 p
        White 2 670   2 810   ..   ..   2 920 p
        Ethnic minorities 100   115   ..   ..   180 p
            of which: Commonwealth 'Block recruits'2 -   -   ..   ..   ..  
        Unknown1 420   505   ..   ..   730 p
                     
Army 11 300   12 360   13 700 p 13 840 p 13 840 p
                     
    Officers 680   730   810 p 990 p 890 p
        White 650   710   770 p ..   ..  
        Ethnic minorities 20   20   30 p ..   ..  
        Unknown1 5   ~   10 p ..   ..  
                     
    Other ranks 10 620   11 620   12 890 p 12 840 p 12 950 p
        White 9 470   10 740   11 590 p 9 415 p 10 940 p
        Ethnic minorities 1 150   880   1 040 p 1 160 p 1 445 p
            of which: Commonwealth 'Block recruits'2 225   110   - p ..   ..  
        Unknown1 ~   10   260 p 2 265 p 565 p
                     
Royal Air Force 2 240   1 580   1 790   3 070 p 4 570 p
                     
    Officers 360   430   430   500 p 680 p
        White 345   395   ..   445 p 635 p
        Ethnic minorities 10   5   ..   5 p 25 p
        Unknown1 10   25   ..   40 p 15 p
                     
    Other ranks 1 880   1 150   1 360   2 580 p 3 890 p
        White 1 800   1 100   1 155   2 195 p 3 500 p
        Ethnic minorities 45   20   15 r 45 p 80 p
        Unknown1 40   30   185   340 p 315 p
                     
Ethnic minorities as a percentage3 of total (exc. unknown)
All personnel4 6.7   5.5   ..   ..   ..  
                     
    Officers 2.6   2.4   ..   ..   ..  
        Naval Service 1.6   2.0   ..   2.4 p 2.8 p
        Army 3.1   2.9   3.6 p ..   ..  
        Royal Air Force 2.8   1.7   ..   1.5 p 3.6 p
                     
    Other ranks4 7.1   5.8   ..   ..   8.9 p
        Naval Service 3.5   3.9   ..   ..   5.7 p
        Army4 8.9   6.7   8.2 p 11.0 p 11.7 p
        Royal Air Force 2.3   1.8   1.7 r 1.9 p 2.2 p
Source: DASA(Quad-Service)
UK Regular Forces comprises all trained and untrained personnel. It excludes Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve personnel, and mobilised reservists. Officer figures include intake from the ranks and re-entrants.
 
Ethnicity figures are based on those with a known ethnic origin. Where more than 40% of ethnicity data are unknown, figures are suppressed to reduce the possibility of presenting misleading information. All Service totals are also suppressed when single Service figures have varying degrees of coverage to prevent bias towards Services with higher coverage.
 
1. Includes those with an unrecorded ethnic origin and those who choose not to declare.
2. Ethnic minorities recruited 'en bloc' include Fijians for 2004//05 and 2005/06. From April 2006 there were no 'en bloc' recruits.
3. Percentages are calculated from unrounded data.
4. Excludes Fijians, Vincencians and St Lucians recruited 'en bloc'.From April 2006 there were no 'en bloc' recruits.
 
Due to ongoing validation of data from the Joint Personnel Administration System, all Naval Service and Army flow statistics for financial year 06/07 onwards and all RAF flow statistics for financial year 07/08 onwards are provisional and subject to review.