The Forlorn Hope...
Armed Forces recruitment: More leaving than joining UK regulars in last year, data shows
More UK regulars left the Armed Forces than joined over a 12-month period, the latest Ministry of Defence data shows.
In the year leading up to 31 June 2025, 14,020 left the regular forces, exactly 500 more than those who joined in the same period.
The personnel statistics, released four times a year, show the British military has just over 136,000 regulars, bolstered by almost 45,000 volunteer reserves, Gurkhas and other personnel.
The MOD says there has been a rise in the number of Gurkhas, but the number of volunteer reserves has fallen, as well as regular personnel.
Looking at the outflow from the UK regulars, more than 61% left voluntarily, rather than due to time expiry or other reasons.
In the 12 months to 30 June 2025, 6,890 personnel left voluntarily. As a percentage of the average trained strength during the outflow period, the Royal Navy/Royal Marines saw a voluntary outflow rate of 5.4%, while the rate was 6.1% in the Army and 4.6% in the RAF.
The department said there is no single reason why personnel leave voluntarily, but added that the personnel who completed the Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey indicated the reasons included the impact of service life on family and personal life and opportunities outside the Armed Forces.
Ministry of Defence statistics show how the full-time force has dropped as 14,020 left the regular forces
www.forcesnews.com