Civilian personnel biannual diversity dashboard report October 2022
Published 8 December 2022
© Crown copyright 2022
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected].
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-diversity-dashboard-october-2022/civilian-personnel-biannual-diversity-dashboard-report-october-2022
1. Introduction
This bulletin examines data relating to MOD Diversity statistics. It is produced as part of the transparency and accountability of the Ministry of Defence to Parliament and the Public.
The Information in this Bulletin has a wide range of users including the media, politicians, academic researchers and the general public who use the information to:
• understand the size and distribution of core MOD organisations by individual diversity categories
• assist in understanding the effect of changes in Defence policy, for instance changes to diversity analysis within recruiting
In the report we will analyse the current diversity range within core MOD.
Core MOD – Entities within the MOD Departmental Boundary based on civilians with active personnel records on MOD Main TLB HR personnel systems.
As of February 2022, the Human Resources Management System (HRMS) personnel system has been replaced by the MYHR personnel system, this has led to some new data categories and resulted in changes to totals and percentages within this product. Within the related ODS data sheet this change is signified by a time series break indicator, and published values and percentages before and after this break may not be fully comparable.
This data excludes personnel in organisations with delegated personnel functions, UK Hydrographic, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Defence Electronic Components Agency and Defence and Equipment Trading Entity, and Defence Nuclear Organisation (including Submarine Delivery Agency), (See notes in Data quality & continuity)
2. Main Points and Trends
Female representation rate at 1 October 2022, 44.9%, this is a rise of 2.0 percentage points compared with 1 October 2018.
ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) representation rate at 1 October 2022, 6.1%, this is a rise of 1.3 percentage points compared with 1 October 2018.
Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual (LGB) representation rate at 1 October 2022, 2.4%, this is a rise of 0.5 percentage points compared with 1 October 2018.
Disability representation rate at 1 October 2022, 11.6 %, this is a fall of 0.8 percentage points compared with 1 October 2018.
Part-time personnel representation rate at 1 October 2022, 10.1%, this is a fall of 1.5 percentage points compared with 1 October 2018.
Religion or Belief representation rate at 1 October 2022, the proportion of MOD Main civilian personnel who self-declared as christian was 57.2%. This is a fall of 8.9 percentage points compared with 1 October 2018.
Average Age at 1 October 2022, 47.7 years, this is a reduction of 0.4 years compared with 1 October 2018.
Summary Within the reported age bands distribution there was a higher proportion of female, ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities), LGB, non-christian, no religion or belief and non-disabled personnel for age bands 16 to 29 up to 40 to 49 years of age with this trend reversing for age bands 50 years and over. Results are indicative and not confirmed by statistical testing.
3. Definitions
Declaration Rates: Ethnic background, disability, religion and sexual orientation are self-declared. Therefore, representation rates are calculated from known declarations and exclude ‘choose not declare/prefer not to say’ and ‘unknown’.
MOD Main Civilian Personnel: Includes staff in Top Level Budgetary Areas (TLBs). Excludes: Trading funds, DE&S Bespoke Trading Entity, Executive Agency, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Locally engaged civilians (LECs).
Figure 1 – Age Distribution of Civilian Personnel at 1 October 2022
Figure 1 age band distribution shows that over one third of MOD main personnel 36.5%, are between the ages of 50-59. Under one quarter 20.6 % of personnel are aged 40-49 leaving ages 16-29 with 10.0%, 30-39 with 17.0%, and ages 60 & over with 15.9%.
4. Gender Representation
Table 2 – Female Representation of MOD Main Civilian Personnel, as at 1 October 2018 to 1 October 2022
| October 18 | October 19 | October 20 | October 21 | October 22 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headcount | 15,290 | 15,760 | 16,130 | 16,730 | 16,520 |
| Proportion of total (%) | 42.9 | 43.0 | 43.8 | 44.3 | 44.9 |
Age Band Charts: Charts by age band for each diversity category have been compiled on the basis of within band analysis. For instance, the female group at each age band is split by all civilian MOD female staff and multiplied by 100 to get the percentage of the distribution. This means that the female proportions split by age will add up to 100%.
Figure 2a – Female Representation of MOD Main Civilian Personnel within Age Bands, as at 1 October 2022
Age Group Distribution
Within figure 2a the reported age band distribution there was a higher proportion of female personnel for age groups 16 to 29 up to 40 to 49 years of age at 53.6% compared to the equivalent male population at 42.7%, with this trend reversing for age groups 50 years and over. This indicates that overall female personnel are likely to be younger than their male counterparts.
Grade Band Charts: Charts by grade band for each diversity category have been compiled on the basis of across group analysis. For instance, the female group at each grade is split by all MOD female staff, and the result multiplied by 100 to get the percentage of the distribution. This means that female and male proportions split by grade will add to 100%.
Figure 2b – Female Representation of MOD Main Civilian Personnel by Grade, as at 1 October 2022
Grade Band Distribution
Figure 2b shows that for grade bands SCS to EO the proportion of female personnel at each grade band has increased, with the largest increase in SCS at 7.2 percentage points. Band AA and AO is the only population where the proportion of females has decreased.
Industrial Personnel: Civilian personnel employed primarily in a trade, craft or other manual labour occupation. This covers a wide range of work such as industrial technicians, air freight handlers, storekeepers, vergers and drivers.
5. Ethnicity Representation
Table 3 – ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) Representation of MOD Main Civilian Personnel, as at 1 October 2018 to 1 October 2022
| October 18 | October 19 | October 20 | October 21 | October 22 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headcount | 1,340 | 1,680 | 1,860 | 2,100 | 1,900 |
| Proportion of total (%) | 4.8 | 5.4 | 5.9 | 6.4 | 6.1 |
In the period October 2018 to October 2021 the proportion and headcount total of personnel with an active declaration of ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) increased peaking at 6.4%. In the period to October 2022 the proportion and headcount total of personnel with an active declaration of ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) has fallen to 6.1%, 0.3 percentage points.
** ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities): is the currently used terminology replacing the term BAME
** white (including white minorities): is the currently used terminology replacing the term White.
Ethnic Origin : The ethnic grouping to which a person has indicated that they belong. The classifications used were revised for the 2001 Census of Population when a classification of nationality was also collected.
Figure 3a – ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) and white (including white minorities) Personnel Distribution within Age Bands, as at 1 October 2022
Age Group Distribution
Within figure 3a the reported age band distribution there was a higher proportion of ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) for age bands 16 to 29 up to 40 to 49 years of age at 58.8% compared to the equivalent white (including white minorities) population at 44.3%, with this trend reversing for age bands 50 years and over.
Figure 3b – ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) and white (including white minorities) population Personnel Distributions by Grade, as at 1 October 2022
Grade Band Distribution
Within figure 3b, the distribution of ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) and white (including white minorities) personnel across grade was broadly similar for all Non-industrial grades, with a higher proportion of ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) personnel at Grade 6 and 7.
The proportion of white (including white minorities) personnel who were Industrial was 8.8% compared with 4.6% for ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) personnel.
6. Sexual Orientation Representation
Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual (LGB): The term referring to those who self-identify their sexual orientation as being other than Heterosexual, including, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and other orientations. Transgender people may or may not identify as one of these orientations.
Table 4 – LGB Representation of MOD Main Civilian Personnel, as at 1 October 2018 to 1 October 2022
| October 18 | October 19 | October 20 | October 21 | October 22 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headcount | 510 | 750 | 800 | 940 | 790 |
| Proportion of total (%) | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 2.4 |
In the period October 2018 to October 2021 the proportion and headcount total of personnel with an active declaration of an LGB grouping increased peaking at 2.8%. In the period to October 2022 the proportion and headcount total of personnel with an active declaration of an LGB grouping has fallen to 2.4%, 0.4 percentage points.
Figure 4a – Comparison of LGB and Heterosexual Personnel Distributions within Age Bands, as at 1 October 2022
Age Group Distribution
Within the reported age band distribution in figure 4a there was a higher proportion of LGB personnel for age bands 16 to 29 up to 30 to 39 years of age at 53.5% compared to the equivalent heterosexual population at 24.4%, with this trend reversing for age bands 30 to 39 years and over.
Figure 4b – Comparison of LGB and Heterosexual Personnel Distributions by Grade, as at 1 October 2022
Grade Band Distribution
As shown in figure 4b at 1 October 2022, the distribution of LGB and Heterosexual personnel across grade was broadly similar for all Non-industrial and Industrial grades.
7. Religion and Belief Representation
christian: Includes personnel who self-identify their religion as any Christian denomination or following a religion which follows a Christian tradition.
non-christian: Includes all personnel who self-identify their religion or belief as any which is not Christian. This includes those who have self-identified as Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh or any other religious belief which is not Christian.
no religion or belief: Includes personnel who have self-identified as having no religion or any other beliefs.
prefer to self-describe: Includes personnel who have self-identified as having religious beliefs not covered within standard belief groups.
Table 5 – Belief Representation of MOD Main Civilian Personnel, as at 1 October 2018 to 1 October 2022
| October 18 | October 19 | October 20 | October 21 | October 22 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headcount | 22,310 | 26,890 | 27,560 | 29,000 | 28,050 |
| christian (%) | 66.1 | 62.0 | 60.3 | 58.2 | 57.2 |
| non-christian (%) | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.7 | 5.9 | 3.6 |
| no religion or belief (%) | 28.5 | 32.5 | 34.0 | 36.0 | 37.0 |
| prefer to self-describe (%) | * | * | * | * | 2.2 |
In the period October 2018 to October 2021 the proportion and headcount total of personnel with an active declaration of religion or belief increased. In the period to October 2022 the proportion and headcount total of personnel with an active declaration of religion or belief has fallen.
For personnel actively declaring as christian the proportion has steadily fallen since October 2018 with corresponding increases within non-christian and no religion or belief.
Figure 5a – Comparison of Religion / Belief Group Distributions within Age Bands, as at 1 October 2022
Age Group Distribution
Within figure 5a the reported age band distribution there was a higher proportion of non-christian personnel for age bands 16 to 29 up to 40 to 49 years of age compared to the equivalent Christian population, with this trend reversing for age bands 50 years and over.
Figure 5b – Comparison of Religion or Belief Group Distributions by Grade, as at 1 October 2022
Grade Band Distribution
As shown in figure 5b at 1 October 2022, the distribution of Religion or Belief group distributions across grade was broadly similar for all Non-industrial and Industrial grades.
8. Disability Representation
Table 6 – Disability Representation of MOD Main Civilian Personnel, as at 1 October 2018 to 1 October 2022
| October 18 | October 19 | October 20 | October 21 | October 22 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headcount | 2,600 | 3,190 | 3,370 | 3,490 | 3,090 |
| Proportion of total (%) | * | 11.9 | 12.1 | 11.9 | 11.5 |
In the period October 2018 to October 2021 the proportion and headcount total of personnel with an active declaration of disabled increased peaking at 11.9%. In the period to October 2022 the proportion and headcount total of personnel with an active declaration disabled has fallen to 11.5%, 0.4 percentage points.
Figure 6a – Comparison of disabled and non-disabled Personnel Distributions within Age Bands, as at 1 October 2022
Age Group Distribution
Figure 6a shows that within the reported age band distribution there was a higher proportion of non-disabled personnel for age bands 16 to 29 up to 40 to 49 years of age at 45.2 compared to the equivalent population declared as disabled 40.6, with this trend reversing for age bands 50 years and over.
Figure 6b – Comparison of disabled and non-disabled Personnel Distributions by Grade, as at 1 October 2022
Grade Band Distribution
As shown in figure 6b at 1 October 2022, the distribution of Disabled and Non-disabled personnel across grade was broadly similar for all Non-industrial and Industrial grades.
9. Full Time and Part Time Representation
Full-time : Civil servants are those working 37 hours a week, excluding meal breaks.
Part-time: Civil servants are those working fewer than 37 hours a week, excluding meal breaks.
Table 7 – Part-Time Representation of MOD Main Civilian Personnel, as at 1 October 2018 to 1 October 2022
| October 18 | October 19 | October 20 | October 21 | October 22 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headcount | 4,140 | 4,210 | 4,130 | 4,100 | 3,710 |
| Proportion of total (%) | 11.6 | 11.5 | 11.2 | 10.8 | 10.1 |
In the period October 2018 to October 2022 the proportion and headcount total of part time personnel decreased from 11.6% to 10.1% falling 0.7 percentage points since October 2021.
Figure 7a – Comparison of Part-Time and Full-time Personnel Distributions within Age Bands, as at 1 October 2022
Age Group Distribution
Within the reported age band distribution there was a higher proportion of Part Time personnel for age bands 30 to 39, 40 to 49 and 60 and over years of age, with the largest comparable Full Time populations aged 16 to 29 or 50 to 59 years of age.
Figure 7b – Comparison of Part-Time and Full-time Personnel Distributions by Grade, as at 1 October 2022
Grade Band Distribution
As shown in figure 7b at 1 October 2022, the distribution of Part-time and Full-time personnel across grade was broadly similar for Non-Industrial grades. The proportion of Full-time personnel who were Industrial is 9.0% compared with 5.1% for Part-time personnel.
10. Age Distribution
Table 8 – Average Age of MOD Main Civilian Personnel, as at 1 October 2018 to 1 October 2022
| October 18 | October 19 | October 20 | October 21 | October 22 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headcount | 35,640 | 36,680 | 36,790 | 37,760 | 36,750 |
| Average Age (years) | 48.1 | 47.9 | 47.9 | 47.7 | 47.7 |
Age Group Distribution
Almost two fifths 36.5% of MOD Main personnel were aged 50 – 59 years of age as at 1 October 2022, with more than half 52.4% aged 50 years or over. This is comparable to 1 October 2018 with 53.2% aged 50 years or over.
11. Data quality & continuity
The Biannual Civilian Personnel Report (BCPR) provides figures for Civilian personnel at TLB level (Standing Data Hierarchy, Organisational Level 1). According to MOD administrative data systems, 2,400 people are classified as being within the Defence Nuclear Organisation (DNO). As at April 2022, approximately 1950 of that population work within the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA), an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Defence and not part of MOD Main. Approximately 450 personnel work within the Defence Nuclear Organisation (DNO), a TLB within MOD Main.
The two populations are not separately identifiable on data provided for the purposes of producing Official Statistics on the MOD civilian workforce. Because the majority of the population classified as DNO on administrative data work for the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA), an Executive Agency, this group is reported within ‘Trading Funds and Executive agencies’ as the Defence Nuclear Organisation, rather than as a MOD Main Top Level Budget.
The Civilian Diversity Dashboard Official Statistics report figures for MOD Main level TLBs, excluding Trading Funds and agencies. As explained above, approximately 450 individuals who work for the DNO are not separately identifiable on data provided to Analysis-Civilian for the purposes of producing Official Statistics on the MOD civilian workforce. Therefore, the diversity characteristics of approximately 450 DNO civilian employees are not reported in the dashboard.
12. Declaration Rates
‘Ethnicity’, ‘Sexual Orientation’, ‘Religion or Belief’, and ‘Disability’ are based on self-declaration. Each member of personnel can choose from the following options:
One of the available diversity data fields (an active declaration)
Choose not to declare (no declaration)
No response (no declaration)
Prefer to self-describe (text field option to self describe)
Declaration Rate is the number of personnel who make an ‘active declaration’ as a proportion of the total personnel. To ensure meaningful representation rates for a diversity field, a minimum 60 % declaration level is required.
13. Representation Rates
** Representation ** is the number of personnel within ‘active declaration’ that select a particular active diversity as a proportion of the total personnel within ‘active declaration’. To ensure meaningful representation rates for a diversity field, a minimum 60 % declaration level is required to allow calculation of representation rates.
For example, from 100 personnel, 80 personnel declare as either disabled or not disabled, and the remaining 20 select Choose Not to Declare or no option selected, this produces a declaration rate of 80%. Of the 80, 8 declare as disabled, and 72 as not disabled, this produces a representation rate of 10% for disabled personnel. If representation was calculated across whole population including the 20 undeclared, representation rate would be calculated as 8% and understated.
Prefer to self-describe is included within calculation for active declarations.
Table 9 - Declaration Rates by Percentage, as at 1 October 2018 to 1 October 2022
| October 18 | October 19 | October 20 | October 21 | October 22 | ppt change * | 12 Month Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethnicity | 78.9 | 85.2 | 85.8 | 86.7 | 84.8 | 5.8 | -1.9 |
| Sexual Orientation | 63.6 | 75.4 | 77.0 | 78.9 | 77.0 | 13.4 | -1.9 |
| Religion or Belief | 62.6 | 73.3 | 74.9 | 76.8 | 76.3 | 13.7 | -0.5 |
| Disability | 59.1 | 73.0 | 75.4 | 77.4 | 72.8 | 13.7 | -4.6 |
In the period October 2018 to October 2021 the proportion of active declarations has increased, within the period to October 2022 the proportion the proportion of active declarations has fallen as indicated in table 9.
* ppt change for 2018 – 2022
The low declaration rate for disability in April 2018, is mainly down to the department’s Human Resource Management System (HRMS) resetting in April 2011 to accommodate the new disability reporting requirements resulting from the 2011 census exercise. Consequently, all disability records were reset and personnel were requested to re-declare their disability status.
Improvements in the declaration rates for all four diversity measures from April 2018 to October 2022 are largely as a result of a policy strategy designed to encourage people to complete their diversity records. People still had the option to positively opt-out of providing details by selecting ‘Choose not to declare/Prefer not to say’.
14. Grade Structures
Since 1 April 1996 all departments and agencies have had delegated responsibility for the pay and grading of their employees, except for those in the Senior Civil Service (SCS). The MOD grades are shown here against levels broadly equivalent (in terms of pay and job weight) to the former service-wide grades.
| MOD Grades | Former Service-Wide Grades |
|---|---|
| SCS – Senior Civil Service | SCS – Senior Civil Service |
| B1 & equivalents | Grade 6 |
| B2 & equivalents | Grade 7 |
| C1 & equivalents | SEO – Senior Executive Officer |
| C2 & equivalents | HEO – Higher Executive Officer |
| D & equivalents | EO – Executive Officer |
| E1 & equivalents | AO – Administrative Officer |
| E2 & equivalents | AA – Administrative Assistant |
Following the introduction of the MYHR personnel system in February 2022 the department has now reverted to the Service Wide Grade mapping list. For the 1 October 2022 publication both grade mappings are listed for user’s clarity.
15. Rounding
Tables and Charts within this Document
Where rounding has been used, totals and sub-totals have been 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).
When rounding to the nearest 10, numbers ending in “5” have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.
All percentages are calculated from headcount totals (part time equivalent to one person), from unrounded figures and are shown to 1 decimal place.
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 aggregate data tables. These safeguards can take many forms (e.g. data suppression, rounding, recoding etc.).
16. 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.
Responsible statistician: Civilian Analysis Head of Branch Further information/mailing list
Background Quality Report:
Would you like to be added to our contact list, so that we can inform you about updates to these statistics and consult you if we are thinking of making changes? You can subscribe to updates by emailing
If you require information which is not available within this or other available publications, you may wish to submit a Request for Information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to the Ministry of Defence. For more information, see:
The Freedom of Information Act
17. Conventions
Italic figures are used for percentages and other rates, except where otherwise indicated.
18. Protected Characteristics
All Protected Characteristics are analysed and reported on against the relevant Minority grouping, defining Minority on a numeric basis as the smaller or smallest of two or more groups forming a whole, rather than any broader cultural or sociological definition relating to characteristics of groups.
For reported Protected Characteristics, the following elements form the numeric minority:
Sex - Female Ethnicity - ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities) Sexual Orientation - LGB Religion or Belief - non-christian Disability Status - Disabled Work Status - Part-Time
Further information relating to the Public Sector Equality Duty can be found at:
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/advice-and-guidance/public-sector-equality-duty/
To assist anyone who requires historical or additional data, the Department publishes Civilian and Armed Forces Personnel data via our website at the link below:
19. Data sources, quality and methods
All figures presented in tables in this publication meet the standards of quality and integrity demanded by the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. Where figures do not meet the standard they are deleted and shown in the table by the symbol “*”.
A breakdown by grade band and age is not presented for religion as the comparison shown is not between a minority and majority group. The 3-way comparison between Christian, non-Christian and no religion beliefs would fragment the data too much to be meaningful or statistically viable in a tabular format. All ages quoted in this publication are based on ‘age at last Birthday’. Ages are derived by the formula ‘situation date (for strengths) minus date of birth’.
20. Background Notes
Structural changes to the Top Level Budget areas have occurred during the time-series covered by this publication. In some cases, this means that figures are not directly comparable across the whole period.