Cyber security skills in the UK labour market 2026
Research detailing skills needs and job vacancies across the UK cyber security sector.
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This research into the UK cyber security labour market explores the extent of cyber security skills gaps (people lacking appropriate skills) and examines the supply of and demand for cyber security skills.
This 2026 report, covering the 2025 calendar year, contains the following key findings:
Mapping the workforce
- Approximately 145,900 individuals work in the UK cyber security workforce, up 2% on the previous year
- 53% of cyber firms expect to grow their workforce in 2026
- Average core cyber job postings grew 7% compared with 2024
- Geographic distribution of cyber job postings shows Greater London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Bristol holding the top four positions in the UK, with Edinburgh replacing Leeds in fifth position
Supply of skills
- The number of cyber security graduates has increased to 7,950 - growth of 14% between the 2022/23 and 2023/24 academic years.
Demand for cyber security skills
- Demand is growing compared to 2024. There was a 7% increase in core cyber security job postings, and an increase of 10% for all cyber security job postings
Diversity
- Only 16% of the cyber security workforce was female compared to 48% of the UK workforce.
- Just under 1 in 10 (9%) were disabled compared to 18% of the UK workforce
- There has been an increase in the proportion of neurodivergent staff reported by employers, from 9% in 2020 to 22% in the 2026 report
Skills gaps
- Over half (57%) of businesses had a basic technical skills gap, an increase from last year (49%)
AI skills
- More cyber security businesses are using AI in cyber security: 70% report staff using AI in their day-to-day work, up from 53% last year
This is the eighth iteration of the research, which has been carried out on an approximately annual basis. You can see previous versions of this report in the Cyber security skills in the UK labour market collection.
This research is part of the government’s wider work to improve cyber security skills, develop the UK cyber ecosystem and increase cyber resilience across the UK economy.
This report was commissioned by the cyber security team in the former Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). In July 2026, the DSIT cyber security team was moved into the new Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) as part of a wider set of machinery of government changes.