Official Statistics

Single Living Accommodation Lived Experience Survey: May 2024

Published 5 September 2024

Main points

• Regarding SLA, quality remains the most important factor for SP in comparison to choice, cost, and value for money.

• Most SP are satisfied with the welfare provision on site, convenience of SLA, lighting and parking facilities. This is consistent with 2022 results.  

• Most SP are dissatisfied with current snack preparation facilities, response to requests for maintenance/repair and WIFI provision. Levels of dissatisfaction have decreased slightly since 2022.

• SP’s levels of satisfaction with the amount they pay per month for their SLA have remained stable between 2022 and 2024. 45% of SP are satisfied with the amount they pay per month for their SLA compared to 30% who are dissatisfied.

• Compared to 2022, more SP want/expect an ensuite, enhanced cooking facilities, a double bed and better quality WIFI in future SLA.

• 56% of SP would prefer a full shared kitchen with no/limited access to dining facilities in associated messes, a fall from 64% in 2022. 37% of SP would prefer a snack preparation area with access to dining facilities in associated messes. Only 7% of SP would prefer dining facilities as provided now in associated messes and no snack preparation facilities.

• SP remain fairly evenly split between those who currently do, sometimes do and those who do not use dining facilities available at their base to purchase and eat meals.

• 41% of SP said their experience of SLA has no impact on their intention to stay or leave the Armed Forces. 40% of SP said that their experience of SLA increases their intention to leave the Armed Forces, an increase from 34% in 2022. 11% of SP said their experience of SLA increases their intention to stay in the Armed Forces.

Responsible Statistician: People Accommodation Analysis Head of Branch Further information: [email protected]

Please refer to the Supplementary tables for all data presented in this publication. 

Introduction

Context

The Single Living Accommodation (SLA) Lived Experience Survey was designed by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to produce statistics that would help to inform decisions on the future design of SLA. The survey was intended to understand what SP in the UK Armed Forces want and need from SLA and how SLA is currently being used.

SLA is normally provided in the form of accommodation blocks inside military bases. It is available to single and unaccompanied personnel who are married/in a civil partnership undertaking initial training or those serving on a regular engagement with the UK Armed Forces, including Full Time Reserve Service (Full Commitment). It can be used as a permanent residence for some SP or on an ad hoc basis by others where they have an additional residence, for example their own home.

For more information about SLA, please see the Joint Service Publication 464: Tri-service accommodation regulations Volume 3.

Single Living Accommodation Survey

The survey was open to all Regular and Reserve SP, whether in receipt of SLA or not, in May and June 2024 using an online questionnaire.

Overall, 8,054 survey responses were received. After data cleaning there were 7,250 valid survey responses representing a response rate of 3.4%.

The Reference Tables, the Background Quality Report (BQR) and questionnaire are published as separate documents and can be found on GOV.UK. The BQR contains full details of the survey methodology, analysis, and data quality considerations.

Throughout the report, where statistical significance tests are applied, they are carried out at the 95% confidence level. This means there should be a 95% chance that the value for the population as a whole lies within the associated confidence intervals.

The glossary contains definitions of terminology used in this publication.

Use of Single Living Accommodation

This section covers how SP currently use SLA.

Most responses to the survey (71%) are from SP who are currently living in SLA. A higher proportion of Other Ranks (76%) are currently living in SLA than Officers (54%). A response option was added to this question this year, so results are not comparable to 2022. Of those who currently live in SLA, 52% use it as their home or primary place of residence. These results do not reflect the actual number of SP living in SLA.

Figure 1: Number of nights SP typically spend living in SLA per week.

Figure 1 is a bar chart of the number of nights SP typically spend living in SLA. 37% of SP who currently live in SLA do so for seven nights a week. This has increased from 32% in 2022. Just under a third of SP (30%) who currently live in SLA do so for five nights a week. The data in this chart is available in Table 8 of the reference tables.

Of those who currently live in SLA, 41% of Other Ranks spend 7 nights a week in the accommodation, compared to 22% of Officers. For Other Ranks, this is an increase of five percentage points since 2022. Most SP who live in SLA (91%) had seen no change to the number of nights they would spend in SLA due to COVID-19. However, 8% of Officers now (or will) remotely work from their family home at times and only require SLA less than 4 nights per week.

Temporary use of Single Living Accommodation

This section covers SP’s preferences regarding the temporary use of SLA. SLA can be permanently or temporarily allocated. Currently, temporary SLA is service provided accommodation (SLA or hotel) which is booked as and when required with no or limited provision for storage of personal possessions.

SP think that staying in SLA for less than two (24%) or three (30%) nights per week would be considered temporary usage. Compared to 2022, slightly more SP think that less than three nights per week can be considered temporary usage.

SP were asked how they would prefer to book SLA if it was offered on a temporary basis. Consistent with 2022 levels, the majority (82%) would prefer to book using an online booking tool. The proportion of Other Ranks who selected an online booking tool has increased by two percentage points to 81%; the proportion of Officers who selected this option remains unchanged at 86%. There has been a slight decrease in the proportion of SP who would like to book via a personnel administrator (from 12% to 8%) and a slight increase in those who would like to email an administrator (from 4% to 7%) since 2022.

Figure 2: Proportion of SP who would be content to stay in a true mixed-rank block if SLA was offered on a temporary basis similar to a hotel.

SP were asked whether they would be content to stay in a true mixed-rank block if SLA was offered on a temporary basis. Within a true mixed-rank block, Junior and Senior Ranks would share the same floor however bathrooms would not be shared. Figure 2 is a bar chart showing the proportion of SP who agree, disagree or neither agree nor disagree they would be content staying in a true mixed-rank block in temporary SLA. The data in this chart is available in Table 12 of the reference tables. Since 2022, the proportion of SP who would be content to stay in a true mixed-rank block has remained stable at 45%. Royal Air Force personnel are most likely to agree with this statement (57%). The proportion of Officers who would not be content to stay in a true mixed-rank block has risen across all three Services since 2022. Other Ranks (50%) remain more likely to be content with staying in a true mixed-rank block than Officers (29%).

Figure 3: Proportion of SP who would be content to stay in a mixed-rank block where Senior and Junior ranks are separated by floor if SLA was offered on a temporary basis.

SP were also asked whether they would be content to stay in a mixed-rank block where Senior and Junior ranks were separated by floor if SLA was offered on a temporary basis. Figure 3 is a bar chart showing the proportion of all SP who agree, disagree or neither agree nor disagree that they would be content staying in a mixed-rank block where Senior and Junior ranks are separated by floor. The data in this chart is available in Table 13 of the reference tables.

Since 2022, the proportion of SP who would be content to stay in a mixed-rank block where Senior and Junior ranks were separated by a floor has decreased by five percentage points to 42%. The proportion of SP who would not be content with this has risen from 27% to 40%. Officers (50%) are more likely to not be content with staying in a mixed-rank block than Other Ranks (36%). However, the proportion of SP who would not be content with staying in a mixed-rank block has increased amongst both Officers and Other Ranks.

If SLA was offered on a temporary basis, the proportion of SP who anticipate issues with the storage of kit and equipment remains relatively stable at 62%. Nearly half of SP (47%) thought they were in a role that would require extensive storage (for example multiple wardrobes worth). This is two percentage points lower than 2022 levels. 45% of SP thought they would need some storage (for example one wardrobe’s worth) if they were to use SLA temporarily, up from 42% in 2022.

Over half of SP (52%) are likely to be content with a differing level of provision (for example, room size) being offered in temporary SLA. This has increased by three percentage points since 2022. Officers (54%) remain slightly more likely to be content with a differing level of provision than Other Ranks (52%). However, the proportion of Other Ranks who would be content with a differing level of provision has increased by 5 percentage points since 2022.  

Figure 4: Proportion of SP who selected each amenity they would expect to see if SLA was offered on a temporary basis for hybrid workers.

SP were asked to state which amenities they would expect to see if SLA was offered on a temporary basis for hybrid workers. Figure 4 is a bar chart showing the proportion of SP who selected each amenity they would expect to see if SLA was offered on a temporary basis for hybrid workers. The data in this chart is available in Table 17 of the reference tables.

Most SP would expect to see storage for kit/uniform (96%), WIFI (90%), bedding (89%), an ironing board (82%) and an iron (75%) in temporary SLA. The majority of Officers would also expect to see coat hangers (73%) and a kettle (71%). This was slightly lower compared to Other Ranks, where 65% would expect coat hangers and 59% would expect a kettle.

Satisfaction with Single Living Accommodation

This section covers SP’s satisfaction with SLA.

Figure 5: SP’s satisfaction with different aspects of SLA.

SP were asked to state how satisfied they were with different aspects of SLA. These questions were only asked to SP who currently live or had lived in SLA within the last five years. Figure 5 is a bar chart showing the proportion of SP who are satisfied, dissatisfied or neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with different aspects of SLA. The data in this chart is available in Tables 18 to 31 of the reference tables.

SP are most satisfied with welfare provision on site (70%), convenience of SLA (66%) and lighting (63%). This is consistent with satisfaction levels in 2022. Satisfaction with the value for money of SLA also remains unchanged, with around half of SP (51%) satisfied. Officers are more satisfied than Other Ranks with the value for money (Officers 57%; Other Ranks 49%), quality of cleaning (Officers 47%; Other Ranks 34%), communal space provision (Officers 34%; Other Ranks 25%) and parking facilities (Officers 70%; Other Ranks 51%) of SLA. Royal Navy personnel (40%) are more satisfied with WIFI provision than Army personnel (33%) and RAF personnel (29%).

This year, satisfaction with the response to requests for maintenance/repair has increased by two percentage points up to 23%. Satisfaction with the quality of maintenance/repair work has increased by five percentage points amongst Royal Navy personnel (26%). However, amongst Army personnel, it has fallen from 31% to 25%. Satisfaction with communal space provision and parking facilities has fallen slightly (from 30% to 27% and 58% to 56% respectively). There has been a slight increase in satisfaction with the overall quality of SLA amongst Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel (RN/RM 46%; RAF 35%) in 2024 however amongst Army personnel, this has fallen by four percentage points to 39%.

SP are most dissatisfied with current snack preparation facilities (59%), response to requests for maintenance/repair (56%) and WIFI provision (51%). Levels of dissatisfaction have decreased across each of these aspects since 2022. Around half of SP are dissatisfied with the quality of maintenance/repair work (50%) which remains consistent with levels in 2022.

SP were asked if their experience of SLA has any impact on their intention to stay or leave the Armed Forces. For 41% of SP, their experience of SLA has has no impact on their intention to stay or leave the Armed Forces. 11% of SP say their experience of SLA increases their intention to stay in the Armed Forces. However, for 40% of SP, their experience of SLA increases their intention to leave. This is an increase of five percentage points since 2022 and is a consistent trend across all three services.

This year, two additional questions were asked about the new SLA pets policy. SP were first asked if they were aware of the new SLA pets policy. Overall, awareness of this policy is low, with the majority of personnel (60%) not being aware of it. More Officers (72%) are not aware of the pets policy than Other Ranks (57%). Of those who are aware of the new SLA pets policy, 40% of SP are satisfied and 16% are dissatisfied with it. Of the three Services, Army personnel are the most satisfied with the new SLA pets policy (RN/RM 35%; Army 43%; RAF 35%).

Value for Money

This section covers SP’s satisfaction with the value for money of SLA.

The proportion of SP who are satisfied with the amount they pay for their SLA per month has remained stable at 45%. 30% of SP are dissatisfied with the amount they pay and 25% are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. Compared to 2022, Royal Navy personnel are more slightly more satisfied with the amount they pay month (47% up from 41%) however Army personnel are less satisfied (43% down from 47%). This question was only asked to respondents currently living in SLA.

SP who are satisfied with the amount they pay believe that they pay a fair amount for the quality of the accommodation they utilise (76%). Over half (53%) of SP who are dissatisfied with the amount they pay believe that the quality of accommodation is too low regardless of cost. 32% of dissatisfied personnel believe that they pay too much for the quality of accommodation.

This year, personnel who are prepared to pay more for better quality SLA has decreased by three percentage points to 43%. 30% of SP would not like to pay more for better quality accommodation, a slight increase since 2022. One in five personnel are happy with the current costs and quality. Other Ranks (47%) remain more prepared than Officers (28%) to pay more for better quality SLA. 53% of SP are not prepared to pay less for lower quality SLA which is consistent with 2022 levels.

Figure 6: Amenities that SP would like to have included in SLA to feel like they are getting good value for money.

SP were asked which amenities they thought should be included in SLA to feel like they were getting good value for money. Figure 6 is a bar chart showing the proportion of SP who would like each amenity to be included to feel like they were getting good value for money. The data in this chart is available in Table 42 of the reference tables.

Most SP would like the provision of an ensuite (79%), enhanced cooking facilities compared to current snack preparation facilities (72%), a double bed (70%) and better quality WIFI (69%) to be included to feel that they are getting good value for money. Since 2022, there has been considerable increases in the proportion of SP who would like these facilities to be included. This year, the structure of this question was changed slightly so it is possible that this could have impacted the changes observed. The proportion of SP who would like parking to feel they are getting good value for money has increased from 40% to 61%. Those who would like a double bed to feel like they are getting good value for money has also increased by 20 percentage points.

Officers would like the provision of an ensuite (83%), double bed (74%), WIFI (69%) and enhanced cooking facilities compared to current snack preparation facilities (66%) to be included. Other Ranks would like an ensuite (78%), enhanced cooking facilities compared to current snack preparation facilities (75%), better quality WIFI (71%) and a double bed (69%) to be included. The proportion Officers and Other Ranks who would like each of these amenities has increased since 2022.

SP were then asked which amenities they would be willing to pay more for. The formatting of this question was changed this year, therefore analysis prior to 2024 is not possible. SP are most likely to be willing to pay more for a larger room (39%), better quality WIFI (38%) and an ensuite (36%). Other Ranks are more likely than Officers to be willing to pay more for a larger room (Other Ranks 42%; Officers 27%), better quality WIFI (Other Ranks 41%; Officers 28%), an ensuite (Other Ranks 39%; Officers 27%) and enhanced cooking facilities (Other Ranks 38%; Officers 20%).

This year, two additional questions were asked in this section. SP were asked to what extent they agree that their SLA charges are comparable to renting similar accommodation as a civilian in the private rental sector. Just under half of SP (48%) do not think their rental charges are comparable and 21% are unsure. 56% of Officers and 46% of Other Ranks do not think their charges are comparable to renting in the private rental sector.

Figure 7: SP’s awareness of the SLA Defence Minimum Standard (DMS).

SP were then asked about their awareness of the DMS. The DMS is a standard set for all SLA to be considered habitable for SP. To meet the DMS, the SLA building must meet the safety and compliance standards, achieve a Facilities Condition Management (FCM) grade 3, and the bed space must achieve a pass in all statements of the living standards assessment. Figure 7 is a bar chart of the proportion of all SP, Officers and Other Ranks who had/hadn’t heard of the DMS. The data in this chart is available in Table 45 of the reference tables. Over half (56%) of personnel have never heard of the DMS and 19% have heard of it but know nothing about it. 59% of Other Ranks have never heard of the DMS compared to 45% of Officers. Overall, only 3% of SP have heard of the DMS and know a lot about it.

Future design of Single Living Accommodation

This section covers what SP would like to see in SLA in the future.

Figure 8: Facilities/services SP want/expect to see in SLA in the future.

SP were asked what facilities and/or services they would want/expect to see in SLA in the future. Figure 8 is a bar chart of the proportion of SP who selected each facility/service. The data in this chart is available in Table 46 of the reference tables.

Regarding future SLA, the proportion of SP who wanted/expected to see each facility/service listed has increased since 2022. This year, the structure of this question was changed slightly so it is possible that this could have impacted the changes observed. The provision of an ensuite is the top facility SP want/expect to see (85%). This has increased by 22 percentage points since 2022. This is closely followed by the provision of enhanced cooking facilities (79%) and a double bed (75%) which have increased by 14 and 34 percentage points respectively. Other Ranks are more likely to want/expect a larger room (55%) than Officers (31%). Officers (59%) are more likely to want/expect dining facilities within close proximity compared to Other Ranks (42%), although this is an increase of 15 percentage points since 2022 amongst Other Ranks. Army (64%) and RAF (56%) personnel are more likely to expect storage in future SLA than Royal Navy personnel (41%). Army (55%) and RAF (53%) personnel are more likely to want a larger room than Royal Navy personnel (31%). Army Other Ranks (54%) are more likely to want/expect communal space than RAF Other Ranks (47%) and Royal Navy Other Ranks (35%).

Figure 9: SP’s thoughts on whether SLA should follow a standard design or there should be different designs which they can pay more for.

SP were asked if they feel that SLA should follow a standard design for all or whether there should be different designs which SP can opt to pay more for. Figure 9 is a bar chart showing responses to this question from all SP as well as a breakdown of Royal Navy, Army and RAF personnel. The data in this chart is available in Table 47 of the reference tables.

Overall, over half of SP (55%) think that SLA should follow a standard design for all, compared to 38% who think there should be different designs that SP can opt to pay more for. Of the three Services, Army personnel (39%) are most likely to feel there should be different designs for SLA. RAF personnel (58%) are more likely to think that SLA should follow a standard design compared to Navy (55%) and Army (53%) personnel.

Dining

This section covers SP’s views on dining facilities in SLA. Most questions in this section were asked only to respondents who currently live in SLA or have lived in SLA within the last five years.

SP were asked what cooking amenities they have access to and what amenities they would have wanted access to in their current or most recent SLA. This year, the response options and formatting of these questions were changed therefore analysis prior to 2024 is not possible. The cooking amenity which SP would most like to have access to in their current or most recent SLA was an oven (79%) however only 12% of SP had access to one. The majority of SP would also want access to a hob (73%) and a freezer (70%). 45% of SP already have access to a hob and 35% have access to a freezer. RAF personnel (57%) and Army personnel (44%) are more likely to already have access to a hob than Royal Navy personnel (36%).

Figure 10: SP preferences towards accessing dining facilities in SLA.

SP were asked if they would prefer a full shared kitchen with no/limited access to dining facilities, a snack preparation area with access to dining facilities, or dining facilities as provided now in associated messes and no snack preparation facilities. Figure 10 is a bar chart comparing responses from SP between 2022 and 2024. The data in this chart is available in Table 50 of the reference tables.

If given the choice, just over half of SP (56%) would prefer a full shared kitchen with no/limited access to dining facilities. This has fallen by eight percentage points since 2022. Other Ranks (63%) are much more likely to prefer a full shared kitchen than Officers (32%). Alternatively, 37% of SP would prefer a snack preparation area with dining facilities, up from 31% in 2022. Officers (55%) are more likely to prefer this option than Other Ranks (32%). Only 7% of SP would prefer dining facilities as provided now in associated messes and no snack preparation facilities.

SP were asked why they had chosen their preferred dining option. Of those who would like a full shared kitchen, 83% selected this for ease of cooking. This is a slight increase of four percentage points since 2022. 43% of those who would like a full shared kitchen chose this to suit shift patterns and 40% chose this because it would accommodate for a specialist diet. 63% of SP who would prefer a snack preparation area with access to dining facilities chose this for ease of cooking. This has increased by 5 percentage points since 2022. Around four in ten chose this option because it suits their shift pattern (41%) or because of hygiene issues of current shared facilities (40%). Out of the 7% who would prefer dining facilities as provided now, almost half (46%) would prefer this choice due to hygiene issues of current shared facilities.

SP were asked how important the provision of cooking facilities would be in temporary SLA. The proportion of SP who think that the provision of a full kitchen is important in temporary SLA has slightly decreased from 71% to 69%. Those that think a full kitchen is not important remains the same as 2022 levels (15%). Other Ranks (72%) are more likely to view a full kitchen as important than Officers (58%). The proportion of SP who think that a snack preparation area is important in temporary SLA remains unchanged at 84%.

Figure 11: Proportion of responses from SP when asked if they would make use of dining facilities at base.

SP were asked if they currently make use of the dining facilities at their base to purchase and eat meals. Figure 11 is a bar chart showing the responses to this question broken down by rank. The data in this chart is available in Table 56 of the reference tables.

The proportion of SP who make use of the dining facilities available at their base have remained consistent with 2022 levels. Over a third of SP (38%) currently make use of dining facilities available at their base to purchase and eat meals, and around the same proportion of SP sometimes use dining facilities (37%). 26% of SP do not currently make use of dining facilities available at their base to purchase and eat meals, a decrease of three percentage points since 2022. The proportion of Other Ranks that make use of dining facilities in SLA remains similar to 2022 levels at 34%. However, the proportion of Officers who make use of dining facilities has increased from 44% to 49%.

Figure 12: Reasons why SP currently make use of dining facilities at their base to purchase and eat meals.

SP were asked why they currently make us of dining facilities at their base. Figure 12 is a bar chart of the reasons given by SP who make use of dining facilities available at their base to purchase and eat meals. The data in this chart is available in Table 57 of the reference tables.

Of the SP who make use of dining facilities, the majority (63%) do so because of convenience. This has increased by 10 percentage points since 2022 and is slightly higher for Officers (68%) than Other Ranks (62%). RAF personnel (70%) are most likely to select convenience compared to Royal Navy personnel (62%) and Army personnel (61%). Just under half of SP (49%) who make use of dining facilities do so because they prefer the ease of dining. This has risen from 40% in 2022.

Figure 13: Reasons why SP do not make use of dining facilities at their base.

Figure 13 is a bar chart of the reasons given by SP who do not make use of dining facilities available at their base to purchase and eat meals. The data in this chart is available in Table 58 of the reference tables.

The quality of food is the top reason why SP do not make use of dining facilities (77%). This is closely followed by choice of food (73%) which has increased from 64% in 2022. Compared to Officers, a higher proportion of Other Ranks do not use dining facilities because of the quality of food (Other Ranks 81%; Officers 65%) and choice of food (Other Ranks 75%; Officers 66%). Officers are considerably more likely than Other Ranks to avoid using dining facilities because they prefer not to wear formal dress (Officers 66%; Other Ranks 25%) and do not want to have to book mealtimes (Officers 53%; Other Ranks 23%). This remains consistent with 2022 levels.  

SP were asked if they would they still make use of dining facilities if a full kitchen was available in SLA. Since 2022, there has been a small increase to 45% of SP who would sometimes make use of dining facilities if a full kitchen was available. Officers (54%) are more likely to say that they would use the dining facilities than Other Ranks (43%). Around a third of personnel (33%) would often make use of dining facilities. 22% of SP would not make use of dining facilities, a decrease of three percentage points since 2022. Army personnel (35%) are more likely to say that they would still use dining facilities often if there was a full kitchen compared to Royal Navy personnel (30%) and RAF personnel (29%).

Overall assessment of Single Living Accommodation

Figure 14: Most important factor for SP regarding SLA.

SP were asked whether quality, choice, cost, or value for money was most important to them regarding their SLA.  Figure 14 is a bar chart showing the proportion of SP who selected each option to this question. The data in this chart is available in Table 61 of the reference tables.

The majority of SP (59%) think that quality is the most important factor regarding SLA and around a quarter (28%) think that value for money is most important. This is consistent with 2022 levels. RAF personnel (64%) are most likely to think that quality is the most important factor compared to Army personnel (58%) and Royal Navy personnel (56%). Other Ranks (63%) are more likely to select quality as the most important factor compared to Officers (47%). The proportion of Officers who selected value for money as the most important factor has increased from 34% to 37% since 2022. 26% of Other Ranks selected value for money as the most important factor regarding SLA.

Methodology

This section provides a summary of the methodology; more detailed information is available in the in the Background Quality Report.

Target population

The target population for the SLA Lived Experience Survey 2024 was all SP in the UK Armed Forces. This included UK Regulars and Reserves.

The survey

The survey was distributed as an online survey only. Survey participation was publicised internally to SP using a variety of established communications channels. For example weekly routine orders, Defence Connect and social media platforms were used to publicise the survey.

Data collection ran from 1st May 2024 to 3rd June 2024. The survey was anonymous.

The sample and respondents

The survey was conducted as a census to ensure all SP had the opportunity to participate.

Overall, 8,054 survey responses were received. After data cleaning there were 7,250 valid survey responses used in the analysis giving a response rate of 3.4%.

The population figures for weighting were derived from MOD Quarterly SP statistics 2024.

Table 1: Response rates by Service and rank

Service	Rank	Total Population	Surveys returned	Response rate (%)
Tri-Service	Officers	50,852	2,603	5.1
Tri-Service	Other Ranks	162,659	4,647	2.9
Tri-Service	Total	213,511	7,250	3.4
Royal Navy / Royal Marines	Officers	12,233	668	5.5
Royal Navy / Royal Marines	Other Ranks	32,071	687	2.1
Royal Navy / Royal Marines	Total	44,304	1,355	3.1
Army	Officers	28,143	1,100	3.9
Army	Other Ranks	99,241	2,571	2.6
Army	Total	127,384	3,671	2.9
Royal Air Force	Officers	10,476	835	8.0
Royal Air Force	Other Ranks	31,347	1,389	4.4
Royal Air Force	Total	41,823	2,224	5.3

Weighting methodology and non-response

Due to the survey being conducted as a census and the differences in prevalence of non-response between the Service and rank strata, the distribution of characteristics amongst the respondents did not reflect the distribution in the whole Armed Forces population.

To correct for the bias caused by over or under-representation of certain Services and Ranks, responses were weighted by Service and rank. Weighting in this way assumes missing data are missing at random only within weighting classes. This means we assume that within a single weighting class the views of non-respondents do not differ (on average) to the views of respondents.

The calculations for weighted proportions have been updated since 2022 to account for differing numbers of responses to each question. For example, due to survey routing some respondents will not have been asked some questions. This is now reflected in the weighted proportions calculated.

To calculate the weighted proportion of combined classes (e.g., Army), the weighted proportions of each sub-class (e.g., Army Officers and Army Other Ranks) were summed. The weighted proportions for each sub class were calculated by multiplying the unweighted proportion of the sub-class with the weight (W) for that sub-class, such that:

W = Population for sub-class / Total class population

Analysis and statistical tests

Attitudinal questions in the questionnaire have been regrouped to assist in analysing results and to aid interpretation. For example, questions asked at a 5-point level (for example: Strongly Agree – Agree – Neither Agree nor Disagree – Disagree – Strongly Disagree) have been regrouped to a 3-point level (for example: Agree – Neutral – Disagree).

Missing values, where respondents have not provided a response/valid response, have not been included in the analysis. As a result, the unweighted counts (or ‘n’) will vary from question to question, and these are shown within the reference tables published alongside this report on the SLA Lived Experience Survey GOV.UK webpage.

Unless otherwise specified, “Don’t know” and “Not applicable” responses are ignored, and proportions are based only on the numbers of respondents who chose the remaining item response options.

Where applicable, Z-tests at a 5% alpha level were used to test whether observed estimated were significantly different to estimates from the previous survey. A statistically significant difference means there is enough evidence that the change observed is unlikely to be due to chance variation (less than 5% probability that the difference is the result of chance alone).

Proportions are calculated from unrounded data and presented as whole numbers. Charts have been produced from unrounded data.

Format of the reference tables

Reference tables are published separately to the report on the SLA Lived Experience Survey GOV.UK webpage. Each reference table refers to a question asked in the survey and includes estimates of the proportion of the population by category.

Tables are arranged in the order in which they were asked in the questionnaire, which may be different from the order of the sections in the Main Report.

Glossary

Defence Minimum Standard (DMS): A standard which all SLA must pass to be considered habitable for SP. To meet the DMS, the SLA building must meet the safety and compliance standards, achieve a Facilities Condition Management (FCM) grade 3 (Fair), and the bed space must achieve a pass in all statements of the living standards assessment.

Missing at Random (MAR): Statistical theory that states that those who did not respond to a question do not differ from those who did respond.

Missing Value(s): Refers to the situation where a respondent has not submitted an answer or a valid answer to a question.

Ministry of Defence (MOD): The United Kingdom government department and headquarters of the UK Armed Forces, responsible for the development and implementation of government defence policy. The principal objective of the MOD is to protect the security, independence and interests of the United Kingdom at home and abroad. The MOD also manages day to day running of the Armed Forces, contingency planning and defence procurement.

Officer: An Officer is a member of the UK Armed Forces holding the Queen’s Commission to lead and command elements of the forces. Officers form the middle and senior management of the Armed Forces. This includes ranks from Sub-Lt/2nd Lt/Pilot Officer up to Admiral of the Fleet/Field Marshal/Marshal of the Royal Air Force but excludes Non-Commissioned Officers.

Other Ranks: Other Ranks are members of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and Royal Air Force who are not Officers, but other ranks include Non-Commissioned Officers.

Royal Air Force (RAF): The Royal Air Force is the aerial defence force of the UK.

Reserves: Individuals who voluntarily accept an annual training commitment and are liable to be mobilised to deploy on operations. They can be utilised on a part-time or full-time basis to provide support to the Regular Forces at home and overseas.

Royal Marines (RM): Royal Marines are sea-going soldiers who are part of the Naval Service.

Royal Navy (RN):  The sea-going defence forces of the UK but excludes the Royal Marines and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service (RFA).

Service(s): Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army, and Royal Air Force

Service Families Accommodation (SFA):  Houses for SP to live in with their families, which are typically on or near to military bases.

Single Living Accommodation (SLA): SLA is normally provided in the form of accommodation blocks inside military bases. It is available to single and unaccompanied personnel who are married/in a civil partnership undertaking initial training or those serving on a regular engagement with the UK Armed Forces, including Full Time Reserve Service (Full Commitment). It can be used as a permanent residence for some SP or on an ad hoc basis by others, where they have an additional residence, for example their own home.

Substitute Service Family Accommodation (SSFA): Properties that are rented from the open/private rental market when no suitable Service Families Accommodation property is available within the required distance.

Substitute Service Single Accommodation (SSSA): Properties that are rented from the open/private rental market when no suitable Service Families Accommodation property is available within the required distance.

UK Regulars: Full-Time SP, including Nursing Services, excluding FTRS (Full Time Reserve Service) personnel, Gurkhas, mobilised Reservists, Military Provost Guarding Service (MPGS), Locally Engaged Personnel, and Non-Regular Permanent Service.

Unweighted count: Refers to the actual number who provided a valid response to a question in the survey.

Weighting class: Refers to those members of a specific Service or rank to whom a weighting factor is applied.

Further Information

Disclosure Control and Rounding

Where rounding has been used, totals and sub-totals have been rounded separately and so may not equal the sums of their rounded parts. Estimates for groups with fewer than 30 respondents are not presented in this report as groups of this size are considered too unreliable and may be disclosive.

Revisions

Corrections to the published statistics will be made if errors are found, or if figures change because of improvements to methodology or changes to definitions. All corrected figures are identified by the symbol “r”, and an explanation has been given for the reason for and size of the revision. Where revisions have been made to the data, the Defence Statistics revisions policy has been followed.

The following revisions have been made to all previously published estimates in 2022. The following corrections have been reflected with ‘r’ markers in the reference tables and used in the updated report:

Revision 1: A revision to all 2022 estimates due to use of incorrect Reservist population figures in weighting calculations.

Revision 2: A revision to all 2022 estimates following a new release of population statistics which impacted the weighting calculations. Previously, population figures from January 2022 were used in the 2022 results however this has now been updated to April 2022 population figures to ensure the results are directly comparable to 2024.

In addition to the revisions explained above, data validation methods have been improved to enhance the quality assurance processes.

There has also been a methodology update to questions regarding SP’s satisfaction with different aspects of SLA. These questions are now asked only to those currently living in SLA and those who have lived in SLA within the last five years. The 2022 raw counts and estimates for this question have been updated in the reference tables and report to allow for comparison to 2024 results.

Any additional corrections will be released in updated reports and/or reference tables, along with the reasons for the corrections, on the GOV.UK website. Corrections which would have a significant impact on the utility of the statistics will be corrected as soon as possible, by reissuing the publication. Minor errors will also be corrected, but for efficient use of resource these corrections may be timed to coincide with the next release of this publication.

More information can be found in the Background Quality Report.

Contact us

We welcome feedback on our statistical products. If you have any comments or questions about this publication, you can contact us as follows:

Email: [email protected]

If you have any comments or questions about the statistics produced by Defence Statistics in general, you can contact us as follows:

Email: [email protected]

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 general MOD enquiries, please call: 020 7218 9000

For press enquiries, please call MOD Press Office: 020 7218 3253