Collection

Civil Service statistics

Statistics on the composition of the Civil Service workforce, including regional, diversity and earnings data.

Responsibility for the collection and publication of Civil Service Statistics transferred to Cabinet Office from the Office for National Statistics on 1 October 2018.

The outputs have kept their National Statistics designation on transfer to Cabinet Office.

The Office for Statistics Regulation undertook a compliance check to review the product following transfer to Cabinet Office. Read the compliance check letter.

If you have any feedback on these changes, please contact civilservicestatistics@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Details

Civil Service Statistics present detailed information on the Civil Service workforce. Data are sourced from all Civil Service organisations via the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (ACSES).

These statistics count all home Civil Service employees. They exclude the Northern Ireland Civil Service, other Crown servants and employees of the wider public sector (for example, employees of non-departmental public bodies and the National Health Service). However, there are home Civil Service employees based in Northern Ireland and overseas.

Official statistics are produced impartially and free from political influence

Statistics standards and policies

Civil Service statistics are designated ‘National Statistics’ in accordance with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007. A National Statistics status means the statistics meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and public value.

National Statistics should comply with all aspects of the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. They are awarded National Statistics status following an assessment by the UK Statistics Authority’s regulatory arm. This authority considers whether the statistics meet the highest standards of code compliance, including the value they add to public decisions and debate.

All Cabinet Office official statistics are governed by the standards set out by the UK Statistics Authority in their code of practice. These standards can be found on our Cabinet Office statistics: standards and policies page.

Annual statistics

All Civil Service Statistics publications and tables prior to 2006 can be found on the national archives. Please note the links on the national archives webpage for 2006 to 2010 do not work and the links provided below for these publications should be used. The links below provide access to all Civil Service Statistics publications since 2006 (2006 to 2018 Office for National Statistics, and 2019 onwards Cabinet Office).

Civil Service statistics data browser

Ad-hoc statistical requests

Published 6 September 2018
Last updated 6 February 2024 + show all updates
  1. Link to Ad-hoc statistical requests for 2024 added.

  2. Link to Ad-hoc statistical requests for 2023 added.

  3. Civil Service statistics 2023 added

  4. Added 2022 statistics

  5. Added Proportions of minority civil servants; 2021

  6. Added Summary of civil servants in the policy profession: 2019 and Summary of civil servants in the policy profession: 2020

  7. Added Summary of civil servants in the policy profession: 2021

  8. Added Number of civil servants by department in Mid Wales on a headcount basis; 2021

  9. Added Number of civil servants by postcode, department, responsibility level and leaving cause, 2021

  10. Added Number of civil servants working at Senior Civil Service (SCS) level by profession of post, function and department: 2021

  11. Added Civil Service Responsibility Level in West Midlands (England) by department: 2021 and Number of civil servants by profession of post and ethnicity: 2021

  12. Added the number of dismissals of civil servants by government department at Grades 7 and above between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2021.

  13. Added Civil Service mean salary by region and government department: 2021

  14. Added Permanent and temporary civil servants in Scotland by department, 2021 and Civil Service entrants and leavers by department and profession pages

  15. Added Civil Service diversity in North West (England) by department: 2021 and Summary of civil servants in the Policy Profession: 2019 to 2021

  16. Added Civil Service diversity in West Midlands (England) by department: 2021

  17. Updated Annual Statistics section text and links to a number of historical bulletins and tables amended.

  18. Added Civil Service diversity in South West (England) by department: 2021 and Civil Service by department and responsibility level in London and outside of London: 2021

  19. Added Summary of civil servants in the Operational Delivery Profession: 2021

  20. Added Civil Service median salary by region and responsibility level: 2021

  21. Added Civil Service diversity in Wales by department: 2021

  22. Added 2021 statistics

  23. Added Civil Service headcount by region and selected age bands: 2020 to Ad-hoc statistical requests

  24. Added Civil Service diversity by organisation and grade: 2020 to Ad-hoc requests

  25. Updated to include 'Summary of civil servants in the Operational Delivery Profession: 2020'

  26. Ad-hoc statistical requests section updated with 2020 data.

  27. 2020 statistics added.

  28. We have added data on civil servants by median time in department, 2015 to 2019.

  29. Added in links to latest ad hoc publications.

  30. Added Civil Service disabled and ethnic minority proportions link.

  31. Added Civil Service by organisation, postcode, grade and leaving cause statistics

  32. Added in 2019 stats.

  33. Added ad-hoc statistics: Civil servants by grade, age, employment length and paid exit type: 2017 to 2018

  34. New 'Ad hoc statistical requests' group and new page.

  35. Added text under 'Annual statistics' heading. Linked 2013 and 2012 stats.

  36. Added note about the transfer from ONS to CO.

  37. First published.