A UNIFORM FORCE?
Slow progress in attempts to increase diversity in our Army, Navy and Air Force
THE number of people in the armed forces has plummeted by almost 30,000 in the past five years - but white men still make up the vast majority of members.
Some 92.5% of people in the armed forces are white - accounting for 135,300 people out of 147,530.
Just 10,930 serving members are of black, Asian, or from another minority ethnicity (BAME) - a drop of nearly 1,400 from the 12,310 recorded as recently as 2012.
There are four sectors in the armed forces - the Army, the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, and the Royal Air Force.
There are 9,050 BAME members of the Army, 1,160 in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, and just 720 in the Royal Air Force.
Despite the decrease of BAME people, they make up a higher proportion of the armed services than in 2012 - but only by 0.5%.
That is because the total size of the armed forces has fallen as defence funding has been cut.
Data also reveals just 15,230 women are in the armed forces - 1,830 fewer than in 2012. They account for 10.3% of all members. This is compared to the 132,300 men that make up the remaining armed forces. Only 3,020 women are in the Navy or the Marines, while 4,650 are in the Royal Air Force. The highest number of women are in the Army, with 7,560. The government has set a target for the total intake of the armed forces population including reserves - to reach 10% BAME ethnicities and 15% women by 2020. The size of our armed forces has fallen by 28,410, or 16.1%, since 2012.
In 2012 there were 175,940 members. By this year there were just 147,540.
All parts of the armed forces have seen numbers dwindle, but the Army has taken the biggest hit.
In 2012 there were 102,760 people in the Army - a figure which has now fallen by 20% to just 82,210.
There are 32,890 members of the Royal AIr Force, down 6,000 from 2012 when there were 38,500.
The strength of the Royal Marines is down from 7,800 to 7,170 over the same period. And the Royal Navy has seen numbers drop from 1,620 to 25,260 this year. A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “The proportion of female and black, Asian and minority ethnic recruits joining the armed forces is steadily increasing. “A diverse force is a stronger force and we are working hard to ensure all our services better represent the society they serve.”