Notes on the data: March 2021 to December 2025
Updated 26 January 2026
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workforce-diversity-and-attendance-management-information/notes-on-the-data-march-2021-to-december-2025
Sex
March 2024 onwards
The proportion (%) of current (as of snapshot date), paid civil servants who are female.
March 2021 to December 2023
The proportion (%) of current (as of snapshot date), payroll eligible, paid civil servants (permanent, FTA or loan), who are female.
Disability
March 2024 onwards
The proportion (%) of current (as of snapshot date), paid civil servants, who self-declared as disabled, compared to civil servants where information has been declared and is known.
March 2021 to December 2023
The proportion (%) of current (as of snapshot date), payroll eligible, paid civil servants (permanent, FTA or loan), who self-declared as disabled, compared to civil servants where information has been declared and is known.
Ethnicity
March 2024 onwards
The proportion (%) of current (as of snapshot date), paid civil servants, who self-declared as from an ethnic minority background, compared to civil servants where information has been declared and is known.
March 2021 to December 2023
The proportion (%) of current (as of snapshot date), payroll eligible, paid civil servants (permanent, FTA or loan), who self-declared as from an ethnic minority background, compared to civil servants where information has been declared and is known.
Sexual orientation
March 2024 onwards
The proportion (%) of current (as of snapshot date), paid civil servants, who self-declared as being lesbian, gay, bisexual or declare their sexual orientation as other (LGBO), compared to civil servants where information has been declared and is known.
March 2021 to December 2023
The proportion (%) of current (as of snapshot date), payroll eligible, paid civil servants (permanent, FTA or loan), who self-declared as being lesbian, gay, bisexual or recorded their sexual orientation as other (LGBO), compared to civil servants where information has been declared and is known.
Attendance management
Sick absence information is calculated using Rolling Year Average Working Days Lost (per staff year) – this includes 12 months of sickness absences up to and including the end of each quarter for all paid civil servants (current and leavers within the 12 month period).
General note
Information on Disability, Ethnicity and Sexual Orientation excludes those employees who (a) have not been surveyed or (b) have declared Prefer not to say. Coverage changed in March 2021 and March 2024 due to updated definitions.
Not applicable
The Rolling Year Average Working Days Lost to Sick Absence figure for December 2025 will be released in the next quarterly publication.