MOD biannual civilian personnel report - April 2024
Published 16 May 2024
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-biannual-civilian-personnel-report-april-2024/mod-biannual-civilian-personnel-report-april-2024
This statistical release presents figures on the strengths, inflow and outflow of all civilian personnel employed by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). Definitions of terms used in this publication are present throughout the publication.
For further information on the MOD Biannual Civilian Personnel Report please visit:
- MOD Biannual Civilian Personnel Report statistics
- MOD Biannual Civilian Personnel Background Quality Report
- MOD Biannual Civilian Personnel Excel ODS table
Accredited Official Statistics publication
Accredited Official Statistics are called National Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007.
The Biannual Civilian Personnel Report (BCPR) was introduced as a publication in April 2018 replacing the previously published Quarterly Civilian Personnel Report (QCPR). They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics and should be labelled ‘Accredited Official Statistics’.
Accreditation can be broadly interpreted to mean that the statistics:
- meet the needs of the identified users
- are well explained and readily accessible
- are produced according to sound methods
- are managed impartially and objectively in the public interest
Further information on the accreditation process can be found here: Accreditation explanation web page
Once statistics have been designated as Accredited Official Statistics it is a statutory requirement that the Code of Practice shall continue to be observed. Further details about how this report has been developed since its confirmation as an Accredited Official Statistic can be found in the Background Quality Report.
Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.
You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website
Updates to the publication
From 1 April 2024 onwards, Defence Electronics and Components Agency (DECA) has been incorporated into the workforce figures for Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) and the definition of Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) workforce has been adjusted.
Further information on these changes can be found within the notes tab of the accompanying Excel ODS tables and the Background Quality Report.
Main Points
MOD civilian personnel strength: Full Time Equivalent (FTE) and Headcount
At 1 April 2024, MOD civilian personnel strength (FTE) was 61,616. This is an increase of 972 (1.6%) compared with 1 April 2023.
At 1 April 2024, MOD civilian personnel strength (Headcount) was 63,702. This is an increase of 1,050 (1.7%) compared with 1 April 2023.
MOD civilian personnel inflow
For the 12 months from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, MOD civilian personnel inflow was 7,109. This is an increase of 285 (4.2%) compared with the previous 12 months.
MOD civilian personnel outflow
For the 12 months from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, MOD civilian personnel outflow was 5,966. This is a reduction of 57 (0.9%) compared with the previous 12 months.
Civilian Personnel
The MOD civilian personnel strength (FTE) at 1 April 2024 was 61,616, an increase of 972 FTE (1.6%) compared with 1 April 2023 (60,645).
The MOD civilian personnel strength (Headcount) at 1 April 2024 was 63,702, an increase of 1,050 personnel (1.7%) compared with 1 April 2023 (62,652).
Strength Total number of personnel employed by the Department at a specific time period.
Headcount A measure of the size of the workforce based on the number of personnel employed rather than by their FTE proportion.
Full Time Equivalence (FTE) A figure that allows part-time workers’ hours to be put into the same units as full-time workers.
Figure 1 shows that MOD Main Top Level Budgetary areas (TLB) have the largest FTE share of 59.7%. MOD Trading Fund & Executive Agencies account for 31.6%, Locally Engaged Civilians 6.1% and Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s share is the smallest at 2.7%.
Figure 1: Breakdown of MOD Civilian Personnel by Main Groups (FTE), 1 April 2024
Table 1 shows the FTE net change in civilian personnel between 1 April 2023 and 1 April 2024. MOD Trading Fund & Executive Agencies showed the highest percentage change at an increase of 3.7 per cent, with Royal Fleet Auxiliary showing a reduction of 3.2 per cent.
Table 1: MOD Civilian Personnel by Main Groups (FTE)
| 1 April 2023 | 1 April 2024 | Difference | % Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOD Main Top Level Budgetary areas | 36,393 | 36,775 | 382 | 1.0% |
| MOD Trading Fund & Executive Agencies | 18,746 | 19,444 | 698 | 3.7% |
| Locally engaged civilians | 3,795 | 3,742 | -54 | -1.4 % |
| Royal Fleet Auxiliary | 1,710 | 1,656 | -54 | -3.2 % |
| MOD Total | 60,645 | 61,616 | 972 | 1.6% |
MOD Main Top Level Budgetary areas (TLB) The major organisational groupings of the MOD directly responsible for the planning, management and delivery of departmental capability. These are Navy Command, Army TLB, HQ Air Command, Head Office, UK Strategic Command, Defence Infrastructure Organisation and Defence Nuclear Organisation. Please see glossary for further information.
MOD Trading Fund and Executive Agencies Self accounting units that have greater freedom than other government departments in managing their own financial and management activities. From 1 July 2017 this total includes ‘Executive Agency’ data. These are UK Hydrographic Office, Defence Science & Technology Laboratory, Submarine Delivery Agency, Defence Equipment & Support. Please see glossary for further information.
Locally Engaged Civilians LEC employees are recruited overseas exclusively for employment in support of the UK Armed Forces. LECs are also employed on terms and conditions analogous with local employment law and market forces, and not those of the UK.
Royal Fleet Auxiliary A civilian-manned fleet, owned by the MOD, which supports Royal Navy ships around the world, supplying warships with fuel, ammunition and supplies.
Figure 2 demonstrates an overall trend of increasing civilian FTE across the reporting period, from 1 April 2019 to 1 April 2024. There have been drops in strength during this time, first at 1 April 2020, secondly at 1 July 2022 and then a small drop at 1 July 2023. From 1 July 2023, civilian FTE has been increasing to 1 January 2024, with a reduction in FTE strength in the most recent quarter to 1 April 2024.
On 2 October 2023, the Chancellor announced an immediate cap on civil servant headcount across Whitehall to stop any further expansion, increase efficiencies and boost productivity. The reduction in MOD Civil Service strength since January 2024 is a reflection of the Department’s ongoing contribution to this cap.
Figure 2: MOD Civilian Personnel Strength (FTE), 1 April 2019 to 1 April 2024
Civilian Personnel by Grade
Figure 3 shows the breakdown of grades of civilian personnel in MOD Main Top Level Budgetary area (TLB) FTE. At 1 April 2024, Senior and Higher Executive Officers accounted for the highest proportion of civilian personnel with 34.5%, followed closely by Administrative Officers and Assistants at 29.8%. The remaining proportions were between Grade 6 & 7 personnel (9.3%), Executive Officers (17.7%) and Industrial personnel (7.8%). SCS showed the smallest proportion at 1.0%.
The proportion of civilian personnel in a MOD Main TLB who were classed as non-industrial has slowly increased since 1 April 2016. The proportion has ranged from 84.9% at 1 April 2016 to 92.2% as at 1 April 2024.
Non-industrial personnel Civilian personnel who undertake work such as administration, analysis, policy, procurement, finance, medical, dental, teaching, policing, science and engineering. Non-industrial grades are shown in terms of Civil Service grade structure and based on substantive grade.
Industrial personnel Civilian personnel employed primarily in a trade, craft or other manual labour occupation. This covers a wide range of work done by industrial technicians, air freight handlers, storekeepers, vergers and drivers etc.
Figure 3: Proportion of MOD Main TLB Civilian Personnel by Grade*, 1 April 2024
* Excludes unknown grades.
Inflow and Outflow
Inflow The number of personnel joining the Department within a monthly, quarterly or financial year period.
Outflow The number of personnel leaving the Department within a monthly, quarterly or financial year period.
Inflow and Outflow excludes any movement of personnel within the Department.
The annual inflow of civilian personnel in the 12 months from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 was 7,109, an 4.2% increase (285) compared with the previous 12 months (Table 2).
MOD Main Top level Budgetary areas (TLB) showed the highest percentage change for inflow at 10.0% increase, with Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) showing an increase of 4.1% (Table 2).
Table 2: Inflow of MOD Civilian Personnel (Headcount)
| 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 | 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 | Difference (number) | Difference (% change) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOD Main Top Level Budgetary areas | 4,098 | 4,506 | 408 | 10.0% |
| MOD Trading Fund & Executive Agencies (excluding DE&S) | 1,424 | 1,248 | -176 | -12.4% |
| Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) | 1,302 | 1,355 | 53 | 4.1% |
| MOD Total | 6,824 | 7,109 | 285 | 4.2% |
The annual outflow of civilian personnel in the 12 months from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 was 5,966, an 0.9% decrease (57) compared with the previous 12 months (Table 3).
Table 3: Outflow of MOD Civilian Personnel (Headcount)
| 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 | 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 | Difference (number) | Difference (% change) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOD Main Top Level Budgetary areas | 4,178 | 4,238 | 60 | 1.4% |
| MOD Trading Fund & Executive Agencies (excluding DE&S) | 836 | 897 | 61 | 7.3% |
| Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) | 1,009 | 831 | -178 | -17.6% |
| Total | 6,023 | 5,966 | -57 | -0.9% |
The two most common reasons for leaving of civilian personnel in a MOD Main Top Level Budgetary area (TLB) between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 were resignation and retirement accounting for 37.0% and 23.7% respectively (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Outflow by Reason of MOD Main TLB Personnel, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
Figure 5 shows the overall trends of the net flow of civilian personnel in a MOD Main Top Level Budgetary area (TLB) per 12 months. For the 12 months from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 the net flow was positive by 268 personnel; the outflow was 4,238 and the intake was 4,506. Following a negative trend in net flows from 1 July 2021, the net flow has been positive since 1 June 2022.
Figure 5: Inflow and Outflow of MOD Main TLB Personnel (Headcount), 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2024
Glossary
Navy Command: A MOD Main Top Level Budgetary Area (TLB) for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. (Previously listed as Fleet TLB). Formed on 1 April 2006 by the merger of the Commander-in-Chief Fleet and the Chief of Naval Personnel/ Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command.
Army TLB: A MOD Main Top Level Budgetary Area (TLB) for the Army. (Previously reported as Land Forces) Performs a similar role to Navy Command within the context of trained Army formations and equipment.
HQ Air Command: A MOD Main Top Level Budgetary Area (TLB) for the Royal Air Force (RAF). Incorporates the RAF’s Personnel and Training Command and Strike Command with a single fully integrated Headquarters, which equips the RAF to provide a coherent and coordinated single Air focus to the other Services, MOD Head Office, the Permanent Joint Headquarters and the rest of MOD.
Head Office: A MOD Main Top Level Budgetary Area (TLB). (Previously listed as Head Office & Corporate Services) Established as at 1 April 2012. Lead areas of activity include acting as Head of Establishment for London HO Buildings and associated support requirements, the production of the Department’s Resource Accounts, Governance support for MOD Trading Funds and Senior Finance Office (SFO). SFO is responsible for ensuring that decisions are taken with due regard to affordability and value for money. For the purposes of this reporting, Head Office also includes Defence Business Services (DBS) and Ministry of Defence Police (MDP).
UK Strategic Command: A MOD Main Top Level Budgetary Area (TLB). Established at 1 April 2012 to ensure that a range of military support functions covering medical services, training and education, intelligence and cyber are organised in an efficient and effective manner to support success on operations, support investment in joint capabilities, strengthen the links between operational theatres and assist top level decision making. As of October 2019 JFC changed their official title to UKStratcom.
Defence Infrastructure Organisation: A MOD Main Top Level Budgetary Area (TLB). Established as at 1 April 2011, DIO manages the military estate, including accommodation for Service personnel and their families, on behalf of the MOD. It replaced Defence Estates and includes TLB property and facilities management functions previously situated within other TLBs.
Defence Nuclear Organisation (DNO): A MOD Main Top Level Budgetary Area (TLB). Established as at 1 April 2016. The MOD organisation that oversees all defence nuclear headquarters business, including investment in future nuclear submarines and retired nuclear equipment dismantling and disposal.
UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO): An Executive Agency which provides navigation charts and other hydrographic information and services to Defence, primarily the Royal Navy and commercial shipping.
Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL): An Executive Agency established in July 2001. It carries out impartial scientific and technical research and supplies advice to the MOD and other government departments.
Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA): An Executive Agency established in April 2018, SDA manages the procurement, in-service support and disposal of UK nuclear submarines, which are some of the most complex equipment in the world. They deliver to the Royal Navy the capabilities essential to the Continuous at Sea Deterrent (CASD) - the cornerstone of national security.
Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S): A bespoke trading entity responsible for equipping and supporting the UK’s Armed Forces. They manage a vast range of complex projects to buy and support all the equipment and services that the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force need to operate effectively. They work closely with industry, including through partnering agreements and private finance initiatives, as at 1 April 2024 DECA formally transferred within DE&S.
Defence Electronics Components Agency (DECA): An Executive Agency established in April 2015. DECA is a trusted MOD and industry partner with a highly professional team aiming to provide benchmark supporting services as the principal in-house government organisation dedicated to maintenance, repair, overhaul, upgrade, procurement and managed service provision in the defence avionics, electronics and components field. As at 1 April 2024 DECA formally transferred within DE&S.
Further Information
Rounding
Tables and Charts within this document
Percentages and related change in percentage points across time periods are calculated from unrounded data and rounded to one decimal place. Totals and sub-totals are rounded separately and so may not equal the sums of their rounded parts. This also applies to civilian personnel data expressed in terms of Full-Time Equivalents (FTE).
Excel tables accompanying this publication
An updated MOD Disclosure Control and Rounding policy has been published on GOV.UK and we have applied this policy to the statistics on Civilian personnel in the accompanying Excel tables. The policy is available here.
Disclosure control will still be applied to statistical or numeric information to safeguard the confidentiality of individuals. ‘Disclosure control’ refers to the efforts made to reduce the risk of disclosure, such as applying statistical methods to protect ‘personally identifiable information’ (PII) in aggregated data tables. These safeguards can take many forms (e.g. data suppression, rounding, recoding etc.).
Revisions
Occasionally errors can occur in statistical processes; procedures are constantly reviewed to minimise this risk. Should a significant error be found the publication on the website will be updated and an errata slip published documenting the revision.
Background Quality Report
The background quality report provides more detailed information about the quality of data used to produce this publication and any statistics derived from that data. MOD civilian personnel statistics: background quality reports
Contact US:
Responsible statistician: Analysis Civilian Head of Branch
Further information/mailing list: Analysis-Civilian-Enquiries@mod.gov.uk
Background quality report: Background quality report
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